Executive Assistant and Office Coordinator Valerie Ward recently celebrated her 15-year anniversary with the Chamber!
 
Valerie originally began working for the Chamber in 2001 as a temp who was hired through FutureStaff.
 
"It was supposed to be short-term," she said with a smile, noting that she first worked as Executive Assistant to Greg Wright, currently president of the Coweta County Development Authority but who was then serving as Chamber president.
 
Valerie noted that her job has evolved quite a bit over the years. At first her responsibilities included bookkeeping, membership, event support, and taking minutes of board meetings. She also assisted with the development authority and the Chamber's new community foundation, organizations that eventually became separate entities and are no longer under the Chamber umbrella.
 
From those early years with the Chamber through today, Valerie said, she finds that the Chamber has continued to focus on its mission of promoting economic prosperity for its members. "I think we've built a good relationship with the community and brought the Chamber forward," she said.
 
Valerie said she took pride in seeing the Chamber recognized on the national level with the National Chamber of the Year Award in 2015, and she believes "we're on the right path."
 
What has been the highlight of her 15 years with the Chamber? "I've really enjoyed meeting so many people over the years," she said. "I've learned a lot and found out a lot about our community that I didn't know before."
 
The Chamber will be rolling out a new website soon, and Valerie said she looks forward to becoming even more tech savvy when that happens.
 
"I know that there are so many more things we can do to serve our members," she said.
 
Candace Boothby, president and CEO of the Chamber, said she is grateful for Valerie's 15 years of service to the Chamber. "I truly don't know what we would do without Valerie," Boothby said. "She probably knows more about the inner workings of our Chamber than anyone, and she does her job with a smile on her face and the utmost professionalism. We are so blessed to have her on our team."
 
Tony Ferguson, the 2016 Chamber chair, agreed. "Any successful organization is only as strong as its leaders, and our Chamber is fortunate to have some terrific staff in leadership roles. Valerie keeps us all on track and helps our Chamber run smoothly, and I appreciate all that she does for us here in Coweta County," he said.