The Greater North Augusta Chamber of Commerce presented its Annual Meeting and Banquet on Friday, April 20th at the new SRP Park, home of the Augusta GreenJackets.  This year’s event, “A League of Our Own”, was a celebration of the Chamber’s success in 2017, the reveal and launch of their new logo and website, and the opening of SRP Park in North Augusta.  At the end of the evening, the Chamber presented three awards: Citizen of the Year, Small Business of the Year, and Ambassador of the Year.
 
Lark Jones was honored as 2017’s Citizen of the Year.  The Citizen of the Year award recognizes an individual with outstanding leadership and citizenship in the community while demonstrating exemplary vision, civic pride, and commitment to the betterment of society.  Jones retired as North Augusta’s Mayor in 2017 after a 32-year political career.  Before he was elected as Mayor in 1997, he had served as a member of City Council for 12 years.  His love for North Augusta is shown by his commitment and loyalty to the city, whether it was during his career as City Council member and Mayor, or as a resident.  During his time in office, the city of North Augusta saw a lot of renovations, expansions, and overall beautifications at multiple locations, including Riverview Park, the Greeneway, Brick Pond Park, Hammond’s Ferry Soccer Complex, and the Municipal Center.  Two of Mr. Jones’ favorite hobbies include riding down the Greeneway and attending the Masters Golf Tournament- he has ridden at least 7,000 miles and has not missed a round of the tournament in the last 54 years.  Thank you, Lark Jones, for your continued service to the North Augusta Community, and congratulations on being 2017’s Citizen of the Year!
 
Rest Master Bedding Company was presented the award for 2017 Small Business of the Year.  The Small Business of the Year award honors a small business that has dedicated it’s time to the community while growing their business, reaching outstanding achievements in management, customer service, and innovation.  The local business was established in 1982 and has been rated the top independent manufacturer by Carpenter Co.  This business prides itself by earning the respect and trust of its employees, community, customers, and competitors.  Their biggest goal is to open 10 outlet stores in and near the CSRA offering the best quality mattresses at the best prices with the very best customer service.  Congratulations, Rest Master Bedding Company!
 
Faye Purcell was the recipient for 2017 Ambassador of the Year.  The Ambassador of the Year award recognizes the efforts of an Ambassador Council member who has volunteered many hours of time, talent, and energy to the success and growth of the Greater North Augusta Chamber.  A native of Eastman, Georgia, Purcell now resides in North Augusta, SC with her spouse after her retirement as a Mortgage Servicing Supervisor.  Purcell has served on the Ambassador Council since 2016.  She also represents The North Augusta Lions Club, a non-profit organization that provides hearing aids and eyeglasses for those in need and has been a member for 16 years.  She consistently demonstrates good will and character, always greets everyone with a smile, and works very hard to help the Chamber grow and prosper.  Mrs. Purcell says, “I like being an Ambassador because it’s a great way to meet people and help the Chamber promote its goals”.