Press Release

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce Members Take Active Steps Toward Positively Impacting The County’s Future!

		Matt Allen
		Jan Faulkner

(Berkeley, SC) Berkeley Chamber of Commerce (BCOC) members again become actively involved in creating new opportunities for citizens of Berkeley and helping the county move forward! Five individuals from BCOC member companies recently accepted appointments on the Trident Regional Educational Center (Trident REC) Advisory Board. The Board, which oversees Trident REC’s new programs linking civic, business and educational leaders, expects to make a significant impact in Berkeley County. BCOC members appointed to the committee include: Matt Allen, Vice President and Retail Sales Manager, First Citizens Bank; Jan Faulkner, Manager, Training and Development, Santee Cooper; Corry Hudson, Director, Career and Technical Education, Berkeley County School District; Dean Infinger, Infinger Furniture; Keith Oliver, Senior Vice President, Corporate Operations, Home Telephone Company, Inc.

“I’m very excited about being part of this groundbreaking new program, which will benefit both our youth and the future of Lowcountry business and industry,” says Trident REC Advisory Board member, and Berkeley delegate, Jan Faulkner, “Civic, business and educational leaders now have a mechanism to work together, identifying strategies and goals toward fostering a stronger home-grown workforce. This, in time, will help developa more stable, competitive and profitable overall business community."

The Trident REC, established by local business, education and workforce development leaders, builds partnerships and leads collaborative service efforts. The program, part of Personal Pathways to Success education reform initiative, gives students, educators, employers and the community a place to share information and resources online, ultimately helping students succeed in the classroom. The regional centers foster open communication between the business and education communities to ensure skills needed in today’s workplace become incorporated into teaching curriculums.

“Think of the Trident center as a service broker that will help to facilitate customer access to services and coordinate education and economic development efforts across the region,” explains Ann Marie Stieritz, statewide coordinator for the centers, “I tell business owners if they were concerned with a supplier’s product quality, they’d have a meeting,” says Stieritz, “If you’re dissatisfied with your quality of employees you need to talk to the educational community. The regional education centers are a place to have that dialogue and find solutions.”

“I am honored to be part of this committee and a representative of Berkeley County,” says Matt Allen, Trident REC Advisory Board member and Berkeley delegate, “there are so many wonderful, highly credentialed, seasoned professionals on this committee who are committed to ensuring students in the Tri-County area achieve their goals. We will be working with businesses and actually creating educational opportunities to help today’s students become better prepared for tomorrow’s workforce.”

To ensure the centers reflect the needs and resources of their communities, each is governed by an advisory board appointed by local legislative delegations. The Midlands and Pee Dee regions also currently operate successful REC Centers.

“I am very pleased that our local legislative delegation appointed these five excellent business professionals whose companies are all members of the Berkeley Chamber,” says Caldwell Pinckney, Jr., President of the BCOC, “I know their expertise and dedication to excellence will significantly contribute to the overall success of the Trident Regional Educational Center. The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce appreciates these individuals willingness to help shape the future of our region and the state of South Carolina!”

For more information about RECs, contact Ann Marie Stieritz at ams@scpathways.com. To learn more about Personal Pathways, visit www.scpathways.com.