Ten at the Top
Upstate News

December 2, 2013 - Vol 4, Issue 12
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
January 9th
Upstate Elected Officials Meeting
3:30-5:00 pm
(Reception to follow)
Michelin American Headquarters

 1 Parkway S
Greenville, SC

Register Here

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UPSTATE INFORMATION HUB
FIRST EVER HUGHES INVESTMENT ELEVATE UPSTATE GRANT RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
Ten at the Top (TATT), has announced the recipients for the first-ever Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants.

There were five finalists chosen from a total of 30 applications that were submitted for the two grants available in 2013. Hughes Investments is contributing $10,000 per year over the next five years to the program with two recipients each year receiving $5,000 to support a new vibrancy initiative in the Upstate.

 

During the Our Upstate Vision/Ten at the Top Forum on November 19th, the five finalists provided a brief overview of their initiative. After all presentations were given, Phil Hughes, President of Hughes Investments and a member of the Ten at the Top Community Vibrancy Task Force, announced the two recipients of the grants.

 

The recipients are:

 

City of Anderson - Transforming utility and traffic signalization boxes and crosswalks into public art based around the book "Little Wren Lost and the Teakettle Call."

 

City of Greer Parks and Recreation - Greer: An International Destination Festival will be a one-day event in Downtown Greer as part of Upstate International Month. The festival is scheduled for March 29, 2013.

 

Phil Hughes then surprised the attendees by announcing a third grant recipient for 2013.

 

"I was absolutely amazed by the number of great ideas submitted for the program. It was a real challenge to narrow the field from 30 applications to five finalists, to two winners", said Hughes. "In fact, we couldn't, so I am pleased to announce a third recipient."

 

The third recipient is:

 

Blue Ridge Arts Council - "3 Part Public Art" project includes murals, custom and hand built street furniture and interactive sculptures in downtown Seneca.

 

TATT RECOGNIZES CONTINUING FUNDING PARTNERS AT FINAL OUR UPSTATE VISION FORUM
During the November 19th regional forum, Ten at the Top  recognized and said "Thank You" to eight businesses
and individuals that became TATT funding partners in 2011 and
have continued to provide funding support in 2012 and 2013.

Regional Sponsors 
Sealevel Systems

Regional Advocate 
World Acceptance Corporation

Regional Patron 
Carol Burdette 
Johnson Development 
Laurens Electric Cooperative 
Nate Lipscomb 
Rick Quinn 
Synnex Corporation

 

 

GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AIRPORT RECEIVES 2013 WELLING AWARD

 

The Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Welling Award for Collaboration, which is presented by Ten at the Top (TATT) in honor of the organization's founding chairman Irv Welling. Welling presented the award to Dave Edwards, President and CEO of the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport at the Our Upstate Vision/Ten at the Top Regional Forum on November 19th.  

 

The Welling Award is given to recognize individuals, businesses, or organizations whose actions have demonstrated a sustained commitment and effort to developing and fostering regional collaboration(s) that work strategically to make the Upstate one of the best places to live, learn, do business and raise a family.

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL UPSTATE COMPANIES CELEBRATING MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES
For the final Our Upstate Vision Forum of 2013, we celebrate the successes and great things that happened across the Upstate. The Our Upstate Vision Forum on November 19th highlighted some of the people, organizations and businesses that are making the Upstate a great place to live, learn, do business and raise a family. The forum included recognition of companies and organizations celebrating milestone anniversaries (20 years or more) in 2013.

For a complete list of companies celebrating anniversaries, click here.

SIGN-UP TODAY FOR THE FIRST SENIOR LEADERS GREENVILLE CLASS
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman University has developed a Senior Leaders program designed to provide interested seniors with an in-depth emersion into issues facing our local communities.

In eight day-long sessions at locations around Greenville County, participants will meet with community leaders, activists and experts to gain a comprehensive, in-depth look at Greenville's history, people, and institutions. Participants will learn how they affect, and are affected by, the growing senior population. The program runs from January to November, 2014.

Tours, speakers, group activities, and exercises will help you become informed on topics that are particularly relevant to senior adults. As you identify the opportunities and challenges faced by the senior population, you will be encouraged to bring your unique talents, wisdom, and skills to generate ideas for advocacy, collaboration, and creative solutions.

Registration deadline is December 16th. For more information about the program,  click here.

GET INVOLVED WITH TEN AT THE TOP!

Want to volunteer with Ten at the Top in 2014?

 

We are looking for people with a passion for enhancing the Upstate's quality of life to serve on the task forces and committees we convene. Within each group, Upstate residents, business and community leaders, and elected officials work together to find collaborative solutions to the region's challenges.

 

The following task forces and committees are open to volunteers:

 

Human Potential Task Force

 

Economic and Entrepreneurial Vitality Task Force

 

Community Vibrancy Task Force

 

Sustainable Growth Task Force

 

Natural Beauty and Resources Task Force

 

Senior Issues Sub-Committee

 

Upstate Air Quality Advisory Committee

 

You can also help Ten at the Top spread our message and organize our regional events:

 

Communications Committee

 

Regional Forums and Reality Check Anniversary Event Committee

 

Contact Ms. Kirbie Crowe, Program Manager, at [email protected] if you would like to volunteer or to learn more about these opportunities.

 

UPSTATE INFORMATION HUB HIGHLIGHTS PROGRAMS, EVENTS & RESOURCES
The Upstate Information Hub continues to offer a "one-stop" internet location to find links to resources and events from across the Upstate.
 
Overall, the Information Hub has listings of hundreds of local calendar events and more than a thousand local community resources from across the 10 counties of South Carolina's Upstate. 

In addition to the events and resources available on the web site, you can also sign up for the weekly "Uniquely Upstate" e-newsletter, which highlights the "hot events" happening across the region that weekend and also includes a feature story that showcases something unique about the Upstate.

Recent feature stories include: A Piece of Cake: Kim Nelson of Daisy Cakes Swims with the Sharks, Stone Soup: Storytelling in South Carolina, Hub City Bookshop Bolsters Spartanburg's Literary Community.    
Mobile users can also check out the Information Hub by downloading the new mobile app.

If you have calendar events, resources or feature stories that you would like to see added to the Information Hub, please contact Meredyth Boaz ([email protected]).

TEN AT THE TOP THANKS COMMUNITY VIBRANCY AND FORUM SPONSORS 

 

Over the last three years, more than 80 organizations and individuals from across the Upstate have helped support the mission of Ten at the Top to promote collaboration and planning in the Upstate by donating funds or services as either a continuing funding partner (commitment of at least three years), annual funding partner or event sponsor.
 
Each month we will be highlighting some of these organizations that recognize the value of regional collaboration, planning and partnerships across the 10-county Upstate region as we work together to ensure that the Upstate remains a great place to live, learn, do business and raise a family for generations to come.
 

This month we want to thank our Continuing Funding Partners (three-year funding commitments) at the highest levels:

 

Regional Visionary: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina  

 

Regional Steward: GSA Business, Greenville News  

 

Regional Benefactor: Greenville Health System  

 

Regional Partner: AnMed Health, Fluor 

 

Regional Sponsors: Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, BMW, Charter Business, Elliott Davis, Erwin Maddrey, Greenville Water, Hughes Investments, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLC, Piedmont Natural Gas, PMPA, Sealevel, Trehel Corporation  

 

Interested in sponsoring a Ten at the Top event? Contact Meredyth Boaz or call 864-283-2317  

 

SHARE YOUR UPSTATE NEWS  
Latest News
If your city, county or organization has news you want to share or an event you want to promote with people across the 10-county Upstate Region, send it to us and we will include it in the next Ten at the Top e-newsletter.
 
The TATT newsletter is typically distributed the first Monday of each month (except for when there is a holiday) to more than 6,500 residents across the Upstate. The deadline for submitting information is the Thursday prior to the first Monday of the month.

Send information about an upcoming event, special recognition or anything else you think is of regional interest to Meredyth Boaz.