<b>Upcoming events:
</b><b>• Wednesday, Feb. 5: Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee: </b>8 a.m., Chamber Offices, 701 Craven Street.

<b>• Thursday, Feb. 6: Beaufort Networking: </b>8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Beaufort Hilton Garden Inn, 1500 Queen Street. Topic: Identity Theft in the Workplace and discussion about how this growing crime is affecting businesses and their employees. Speaker will be Lou Vellia, Harvard Risk Management.

<b>• Thursday, Feb. 13: Education/Workforce Development Committee: </b>8:15 a.m. at chamber offices, 701 Craven Street.

<b>• Thursday, Feb. 13: Business After Hours:</b> 5:30 to 7 p.m. Hosted by Beaufort Medical Equipment and ValPak, 2127 Boundary Street, Suite 5, Beaufort. Free, all are welcome.

<b>• Thursday, Feb. 20: Coffee With Colleagues: </b>8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Hosted by Marine Federal Credit Union, 819 Parris Island Gateway, co-hosted by Second Helpings. Free networking opportunity for members. Bring your business cards. If you bring a canned food item you will be entered in the drawing for a special door prize.

[caption id="attachment_14837" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/columbia3.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14837" alt="Leaders of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce along with members of the local Military Enhancement Committee (MEC) made a trip to Columbia last week to meet with elected officials to advocate for important issues impacting our region. From left: Col. John Payne, Rep. Kenneth Hodges, Jimmy Boozer, Robb Wells, Rep. Weston Newton, Stephen Murray, Blakely Williams, Will Achurch, Rep. Bill Bowers and Jaime Dailey-Vergara." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/columbia3-300x116.jpg" width="300" height="116" /></a> Leaders of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce along with members of the local Military Enhancement Committee (MEC) made a trip to Columbia last week to meet with elected officials to advocate for important issues impacting our region. From left: Col. John Payne, Rep. Kenneth Hodges, Jimmy Boozer, Robb Wells, Rep. Weston Newton, Stephen Murray, Blakely Williams, Will Achurch, Rep. Bill Bowers and Jaime Dailey-Vergara.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_14838" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/fwdg2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14838" alt="This week, the Chamber of Commerce surprised FWDG as the Business of the Week and delivered a free breakfast to their staff, courtesy of Sonic." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/fwdg2-300x225.jpg" width="300" height="225" /></a> This week, the Chamber of Commerce surprised FWDG as the Business of the Week and delivered a free breakfast to their staff, courtesy of Sonic.[/caption]

&nbsp;