Mount Olive Chamber banquet scheduled
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on October 21, 2004 1:59 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- John Cooper, who has brought millions of dollars into the community, will be the keynote speaker next month during the annual chamber banquet.
The annual membership banquet of the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 in the Southern Wayne Country Club.
John Cooper is the state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural development office. His office is administering $4 million worth of loans and grants for Mount Olive's regional sewer system.
His office has provided money to build the Mount Olive Family Medicine Center and is providing the Mount Olive College Foundation a $10 million loan to construct three new buildings on campus. The town has also received a grant for its industrial park.
Cooper is a native of Sampson County where he grew up on a family farm. He received the 2004 Department of Agriculture Honor Award. He was state director of the N.C. ASCS, now the Farm Service Administration, from 1981 until 1992.
He was president of the Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative from 1994 until 2001 and is a member of the National Cotton Council board of directors. He received the USDA's Administrator's Award for Service to Agriculture in 1989.
He is a graduate of East Carolina University where he earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration. He and his wife, Carol, have three children
The banquet gives the members an opportunity to learn what the chamber has accomplished during the past year.
The program will highlight the members and honor the outgoing directors. The chamber will announce its Volunteer of the Year and present that person with the Chairman's Award.
Incoming directors and officers for the coming year will also be recognized.
Directors serve for three years, with terms beginning Nov. 1. The new directors will be introduced during the program.
The newly elected directors are Stephanie Kornegay of Sleep Inn, Greg Eloshway of Southern Bank & Trust, Sandy Facello of IMPulse, Town Commissioner Paul Smalley, and Ernie Taylor of Taylor Trucking.
Tickets are available for $20 per person from the chamber office by Oct. 27. Information: 658-3113.