Dr. Steve Morse to Speak at Chamber Banquet

The 2011 Chamber Annual Membership Dinner and Awards Banquet is set for Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at Elizabeth Chapel Baptist Church Annex. “We are excited to again host this enjoyable and informative event. This year, we are celebrating our 48th year as a Chamber. We invite you to share in this fun-filled night of dining, entertainment, and the latest updates from the Chamber including the introduction of our new Board members and 2011 Officers,” says Chamber Executive Director Suzanne Williams.
The special evening begins at 5:30 PM with a “Silent Auction”; the dinner and program start at 6:00 PM. Dinner music will be performed by Tomomi McDowell. Thea Tippin will sing the National Anthem as Boy Scout Troop #347 present the flags. Other entertainment for the evening will be by singer, Ron Noonan.
The meal consists of roast beef brisket with gravy, green beans, red-roasted creamed potatoes, fresh baked yeast rolls, and a choice of strawberry cake with cream frosting or chocolate butter cream cake. The Leadership DeKalb Class of 2011 will serve the meal.
Leadership DeKalb Alumni will announce their nominees and winners of their “Legacy” and “Community Leader of the Year” awards.
The keynote speaker for the evening will be Dr. Steve Morse, economist and director of the Tourism Institute at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He is a professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in economics of the hotel, restaurant and tourism industries, and hospitality pricing strategies. Dr. Morse is a leading economist that tracks economic trends in all 95 counties in Tennessee, the Southeast, and U.S. economies. He has been quoted as an expert in tourism’s role in economic development in leading news sources such as USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Morse will present about the past, present and future economic development and the impact of tourism on the Smithville – DeKalb County economy.
Corporate Sponsors for this event are Caney Fork Electric, DeKalb Community Bank, DeKalb Community Hospital, DTC Communications / DTC Wireless, Liberty State Bank, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, and WalMart.
Please contact the Chamber office at 597-4163 for more information, to donate a silent auction item, door prize, or to become a Corporate Sponsor. Banquet tickets prices are $20 per person and can be purchased by calling the Chamber or from the Chamber Board of Directors.