Savannah Area Chamber Of Commerce Foundation Inc

Programs: Leadership savannah- this program seeks to inspire individual leadership growth by providing the learning experiences that lead to better understanding of the community and preparation for meeting the challenges of the present and future. Leadership savannah provides a forum for exchange of community information, resources and viewpoints. Classes are limited to 42 people and all applicants must go through selections. These leaders and potential leaders are active in business, education, the arts, religion,government, community-based organizations, ethnic and minority groups and reflect the diversity of the community.

savannah harbor study - the members of the savannah dischargers group (sdg) are government and industry entities located in both states along the river from augusta to savannah that operate wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the savannah river. The group was formed to monitor the progress of epa's, georgia epd's and south carolina dhec's efforts associated with the development of the tmdl for the savannah harbor and to participate in the process to ensure that sound science was used to establish the tmdl. The tmdl process established an allowable wasteload amount that can be discharged by the entities which represent an 80% reduction from the amounts in their current permits. The sdg was tasked by the regulators to negotiate how the remaining tmdl wasteload will be allocated amoung the sdg and that is the current focus/mission of the sdg. The funds in our account are used to hire a facilitator (arcadis) to help us with this process. Our wastewater facilities do not discharge hazardous waste into the river, the pollutants in our discharges are oxygen demanding substances which effect the oxygen levels in the river. The new limits will reduce these by 80% and yes, that improves the water quality in the river. It has a tremendous effect on the community because of the water quality improvement and allowing the industries to stay competitive and the government entities to better control cost.

workforce development - the foundation remains engaged in keeping the school board and administration working closely together with open dialog. In addition to providing quality education, producing a highly skilled workforce is the key to ensuring future success of the savannah community. In response, a workforce development report was produced by the armstrong center for regional analysis in cooperation with the armstrong public service center on behalf of the savannah economic development authority (seda), the savannah area chamber of commerce foundation, inc. , and the united way of the coastal empire. Completed in march 2014, the study was conducted to develop an accurate assessment of current conditions in the chatham county labor market. The study showed that 61 organizations in chatham county offer 221 workforce programs, with savannah technical college providing 63% of them. In addition, 57% of employers are willing to train an applicant if they have soft skills such as customer service, internal communications and teamwork skills. Although this study has provided a great deal of useful information, the work has just begun. The savannah chamber will continue its close partnership with seda and the uwce to ensure the future success of our local workforce.

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