Caldwell Installed as 2022 Chairman
Carmen Caldwell, the new board chairman of the Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce, said she is ready to soar into 2022.
Caldwell was installed as the new board chairman at the chamber’s annual awards banquet held Friday at Barnstormer’s Grill and Event Center.
During 2021, the chamber added 98 new members and had a 90% retention rate among its 861 members.
Board members installed Friday include Regina Abbot, Scott Burfit, Janie Clark, Tim Hearn, David Johnson, Katy Castanien, Albert Marshall, Johnie McDaniel, Latha Ravi, Jantzen Shivers, Melissa Todd, Zay Williams, Robert Worley, Chuck Copeland, Rita Johnson and Doug Hollberg.
Carmen Caldwell is looking forward to bringing more people to the table during her time as the Chairman of the Griffin Spalding Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors. "It's important and critical for people to gather and bring their ideas and different perspectives," Caldwell said.
Caldwell used the acronym SOAR during her speech at the banquet to summarize her goals and hopes for her term. SOAR represents, Synergy, Opportunity, Appreciation, and Resilience.
Originally from Albany, Caldwell moved to Griffin in 2007 with her family to begin New Mercy Baptist Church. Her father, Grady Caldwell, is the church's pastor.
She has been active with the Chamber for about seven years, serving on the Chamber's Board for fiveo f those years.
During this year Caldwell hopes to focus on advocacy for small business owners, in order to streamline their business so they continue to thrive. Caldwell is a small business owner herself, using her gifts of coaching and public speaking through her business Life Fulfilled Coaching and Consulting, which she has focused on full time since December.
Some issues important to Caldwell include addressing homelessness in Spalding County and empowering youth through positive interactions. "We talk about youth, but we don't do enough. My fear is that those that don't have access to resources will be left behind, but crisis breeds creativity," Caldwell said.
Through her work with ministry, her business and working with various groups such as the Spalding Collaborative Authority and the Archway Executive Committee the woman of faith and optimist feels Spalding County is more open to new ideas and new voices.
"We're headed in that direction. We ar egetting there, it just takes time." Caldwell said.
