Mitchell Passes The Gavel To New Chairman
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2025 Greater Vidalia Chamber Chairwoman Nissa Mitchell passed the gavel to her successor Tres Herin during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, February 5.
The Chamber changed up the structure of their Annual Meeting this year, as the event was not the traditional dinner but rather a luncheon, where Mitchell officially passed the gavel to her successor, retiring and joining board members were celebrated, and information about the Chamber’s work in the community was shared.
Before passing the gavel to Herin, Mitchell commented on her time helping to lead the Chamber. “Serving as the chair of the board has been continued from page
a true honor. Vidalia is a community that believes in the betterment of our businesses, our neighbors, and our future, and I’m grateful to have been a part of that work this past year,” she emphasized. “Together, we've had an incredible year with new investments, new ideas, new energy, and new opportunities that reflect the confidence in this community and in the work of this chamber.”
She thanked the Chamber staff and board for their work, dedication, insight, and service before turning to address Herin. “As my term comes to a close, I do so with excitement and optimism, because today I have the privilege of passing the gavel to all new chairman, Tres Herin. Tres, your leadership, integrity, and passion for Vidalia make you the right person to lead this board,” Mitchell remarked. “I have full confidence in you and in the continued success of the chamber under your guidance.”
“Thank you for allowing me to serve. It has been a privilege, and I look forward to continuing to support the chamber in the years ahead,” she concluded.
Herin spoke on the opportunity, as he explained that he was previously selected as the Chamber Chairman in 2020, but was unable to serve because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I’m just thankful you all gave me another shot at this,” he said.
He told the audience that he moved to the area around 21 years ago and had the opportunity to witness the uniqueness and excellence of the community from an outside point of view.
“I feel like, to a certain extent, to folks who grew up here and have always been here, it’s just home. They don’t realize how special it is and how different it is,” he commented. “Everything that’s been done for this community in the past have been done excellently. It’s our responsibility to make sure that what we do today provides a good tomorrow for this community, for our kids, and for our grandkids.”
Board Members
Several retiring board members were recognized for their service to the Chamber. These board members were Wendi Cason, Donya Wood, Heather Mead, Sabrina Woodruff, and Alan Thigpen.
Herin introduced the 2026 Board of Directors to the audience. The current board is made up of Chair Elect Garrett Wilcox, Executive Advisory Member Pat Dixon, and Board Members Cathy Benton, Gerriell Craig, Jennifer Crutchfield, Ingrid Dykes, Terry Edmonds, Greg McKenzie Jr., Wesley Taylor, and Barry Waller.
Fueling Business
Greater Vidalia Chamber Director of Member Experience Dana Brown informed the audience about the work which the Chamber had done throughout the year to support local businesses.
“Member Experience is in my title, but it isn't just a title. It's ingrained in everything that we do,” she began. “Our members put us to work just about every day. And every day, we enjoy promoting our business community and shining a light on our amazing members any way we can.”
She told the audience that the chamber had hosted 10 ribbon-cuttings for its members, and held 9 signature events that over 2,000 people attended. The Chamber welcomed 64 new members in 2025, bringing the average total to around 493 members for the year.
“That’s a testament to the growth of our business community and membership when it’s put together to work for the good of our community,” Brown remarked.
She continued, as she listed several ways which the Chamber had worked to bring new member engagement through social media and other means. She highlighted the new Best of Greater Vidalia community vote competition, which received over 9,000 votes cast on the platform from over 2,000 different devices. “No program or event we host gets that much visibility,” she added. “While we wish that we could have every member win their category, and trust me, we heard from many that won and many that didn't win, the real win, and we want you to remember this, is the online engagement. That offers visibility to every single member in that category, regardless of where you rank. Every time somebody casts a vote for their favorite bakery, favorite air conditioning service, favorite coffee shop, those members were all seen and got visibility from something that the chamber offered online.”
She explained that the Chamber was seeking new ways to engage with the community, and would even be hosting a new signature event – an awards gala – in November. “Be on the lookout for more information on the specific awards offered and nomination information in the future,” Brown continued.
Brown discussed the new High Five A Hero program, which is led by Chamber Director of Operations Amber O’Connor, where the Chamber shows their support for first responders in the Toombs-Montgomery area each month.
She continued to speak on the Chamber’s success through the REACH Program, as she praised 2025 REACH Chairman Wendell Dixon, Vice Chairs Katie Dees, Tim Truxel, and Garrett Wilcox, and Volunteers Pat Dixon, Rebekah Usher, and Angela Lane for their work in the campaign. Empowering Leaders
Greater Vidalia Chamber Leadership Program Chairs Clint Hutcheson and Jordan Robins spoke to attendees about the leadership program, which the pair have helped to lead since 2024.
Hutcheson began the duo’s address, as he explained that he was first introduced to the program in 2014, when Mercy Ministries referred him as a participant. “When I went through that program, it did a couple of impressive things for me,” he told the audience.
He explained that the program’s DISC personality assessment had helped him understand how he interacts with others. Yet, the most important thing which Hutcheson shared the program had helped him was by opening the community up for him.
“As we went on the tours, I saw the community and all those little secret spots that I didn't even know existed. I saw businesses here that I would never interact with, and it gave me ideas of what I can do in my community,” he continued. “The other thing it did is it actually opened the community up to me. People saw me. People gave me opportunities. It showed me that I could not have a place in this community, but I could be a leader in this community. Because of that, it's helped me grow the ministry in which I serve at, the Mercy Ministries, where we offer compassionate health care and hope to those in need.”
He thanked the Chamber and community for letting him be a part of the program, as he emphasized, “You opened doors for me.”
Robins told the audience that she values the program’s ability to expose participants and leaders to the community, but also the program’s requirement for participants to set goals, dive deep, and work on themselves to that they can better serve the community as a leader.
“To be an effective leader, we have to know ourselves first. And so, in the program, we take intentional time to contemplate values that we know we have, but we just might not have taken the time to discover them. So, that's one of the things that I really love to see,” Robins added. “Our goal is for each person to find a place that their strengths and their passions meet, because that's where they can serve the most effectively. And we're fortunate to live in a community that partnership is at its core. There's not one organization or one person that holds us together, and that's how we thrive. It's a constant thing with our program. It's how we see all of the industries are interconnected as we continue through our sessions. And this program, we owe a lot to that.” Robins continued, “I talked about that community partnership. We owe a lot of that to our past leaders who set a foundation of connectedness and collaboration. And so, the real goal of this program is for the leaders to stand on their shoulders and go further and farther because of the values that have been instilled in them and that they're empowered to create a better tomorrow.”
She informed the audience that the program had begun in 1994 and had recently reached over 500 graduates. “It’s a milestone. And while that is encouraging, what's even more exciting to me is that we have a steady pipeline to continue that program. We have 500, but we have lots more people who are capable and qualified. So, that's where we need all you guys to raise your hand that are graduates. Nominations open up in March, so I challenge you to reach out and nominate someone that you think of not only when it comes to leadership development, but also people that want to serve our community,” Robins encouraged.
The pair highlighted key moments in their experience with the program, as they stated that they enjoy seeing the participants discover “hidden jewels” or places that they do not know exist in the community, and the presentations at the graduations, where participants share their perspectives of the program, how it shaped them, and what they plan to do with what they’ve learned.
Strengthening Community Chamber Business Advocacy Council Chair Mike Hagan informed the audience that part of the Chamber’s mission is to promote economic development, protect business interests, educate members on issues and chamber initiatives, take pro-business positions on key local and state issues, and work in a bipartisan fashion for the greater good of the business community.
“Some of our most popular and impactful programming is aimed at accomplishing this mission and these objectives,” he remarked.
He explained that the Legislative Luncheon had been successful in informing the public about the priorities of the state legislators and two large tax proposals that are currently being discussed in the current session.
Hagan shared that Chamber representatives would be traveling to the state Capitol soon to participate in the Georgia Economic Development Association meeting and Georgia Chamber’s event.
He stated that the Chamber was also preparing events to inform the community about the state of emergency management preparedness and rural development.
Hagan reviewed the work of the Chamber to review legislation adopted about redevelopment powers and the creation of tax allocation districts within the area. “We’re really looking forward to see that work bear fruit in the coming years,” he added. President’s Remarks
Greater Vidalia Chamber President Michele Johnson concluded the event, as she shared that work was currently being completed in all aspects of the Chamber to help promote the success of local businesses through social media, the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, Toombs County Industrial Park, and other means.
“The community is a place where business leaders are called to exercise servant leadership by empowering others, creating opportunities, and fostering community. So, in a world that sometimes shames folks for being successful or has an expectation that you give that wealth away, at the chamber, in this community, we celebrate that and we want you all to be successful, but we also want you to help others do the same. Not by giving what you've made away, but giving your time, your mentorship, your sponsorships, to lift everyone else up,” she commented.
“Those who are willing to receive those blessings and actually be a part and do the work. So, it's my privilege to work directly with private organizations, the Chamber, and a couple of organizations and development authorities, as well as our resource partners, our government officials, our education systems, our, gosh, everyone that is collaborating to answer this call of servant leadership in economic development. May our journey empower us, inspire us, and build a future full of hope for this community,” Johnson concluded.
