Two new faces joined the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce this week to lead member and information services, including the Beaufort Leadership program.
Renee Gregor Faucher leads the chamber’s member services, including Business Expo, Military Appreciation Day Festival, the Civitas Awards and Annual Meeting, and the monthly Business After Hours.
Connie Hipp, who has led the Leadership Beaufort program, for more than 25 years, joins the chamber as the Information Coordinator. Duties include database management, membership retention and keeping members updated with information affecting the business community.
“These women bring great experience, intelligence and enthusiasm to our chamber, and we are thrilled to have them on board,” Beaufort Chamber President Blakely Williams said.
“Connie knows so much about Beaufort and is an invaluable resource, and Renee understands the needs of our businesses, especially the small businesses that make up the backbone of our chamber.”
Faucher, a graduate of Valdosta State University, has a background in marketing, employee recognition programs and new methods of training employees.
Before joining the chamber, Hipp served as executive assistant to the Lowcountry Economic Network and for 33 years as a rural development specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hipp moved to Beaufort as a military child at age 6, attended Beaufort County public schools and graduated from the University of South Carolina.
The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce’s vision is “To be the most influential organization in the region creating the preferred community to invest, prosper and enjoy.”
During 2011, the chamber added 200 new members, conducted 15 ribbon cuttings for new businesses, earned an international award for its campaign for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, set new standards for member services and reorganized tourism marketing.
“Bringing on these two key staffers is perfect timing,” Williams said. “We are preparing nominations for our Civitas Awards and final arrangements for our annual meeting to be held in June at Dataw Island. We have new businesses joining, we have the Military Enhancement Committee, we have partnerships with the City of Beaufort and ideas for the new Commerce Park. There’s a new sense of economic opportunity in the air.”
The chamber’s mission statement is: “The Beaufort Regional Chamber exists to manage and build capacity for continual community growth by advocating for a pro-business environment and building quality workforce development in order to enrich the region’s quality of life.”
For more information about the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, visit www.beaufortchamber.org.

Now accepting Civitas nominations: Nominations are open for Beaufort-area community leaders who made a difference in 2011as the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce today opened the application process. The deadline for nominations is May 1. Winners will be celebrated at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting June 29 at Dataw Island. The awards cover a wide scope of excellence in the community. Nomination forms are available at www.beaufortchamber.org and at the Chamber offices and Visitors Center, both on Craven Street in downtown Beaufort. Last year there were 55 nominees in 12 categories. “This is such a great way to recognize the people and groups who make northern Beaufort County so special. We hope to have even more nominees this year because there have been so many positive things happening in our community,” said Jon Rembold, chairman of the Beaufort Regional Chamber Board of Directors.