[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1370-E1371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF TOM RAMSEUR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 25, 2013

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the community service 
of retiring Stanly County Chamber President, Tom Ramseur.
  Mr. Ramseur has served two counties in the 8th Congressional District 
of North Carolina as Chamber President for more than two decades. He 
served as President and CEO of the Cabarrus Chamber of Commerce from 
1988 until 2001.
  Mr. Ramseur then served as President and CEO of the Stanly County 
Chamber of Commerce from 2006 until his retirement this month.
  I had the privilege of working with Mr. Ramseur while I was serving 
as District Director for Congressman Robin Hayes.
  During a time in which Cabarrus County was hit hard by textile and 
manufacturing job losses, Mr. Ramseur helped bring business and 
community leaders together to spur the local economy and create jobs.
  He recognized the importance of an economic-friendly environment that 
allows businesses to grow and hire people. The 8th district is 
fortunate to have hardworking men and women like Mr. Ramseur who are 
committed to strengthening our economy and bringing jobs home.
  I'm proud to have worked with Mr. Ramseur over the years, and I know 
the folks in both Stanly and Cabarrus Counties are grateful for his 
service to their communities.

            (From the Stanly News and Press, Sept. 18, 2013)

     Ramseur Prepares for Exit at Stanly County Chamber of Commerce

       Tom Ramseur is cleaning out his office at the Stanly County 
     Chamber of Commerce and will cede his chair to his successor 
     as he winds down his nearly eight years as the organization's 
     president and CEO.
       But he will not be packing up his enthusiasm for the 
     Chamber or for the county it serves.
       ``The way I got involved in the Chamber several years ago 
     was as a volunteer in Cabarrus County and I knew that side of 
     it,'' Ramseur said.
       He was involved in his family's business, which brought the 
     real-life work experience into the mix.
       ``We sold our business and I was working for the parent 
     company and I was asked to run the Chamber in Cabarrus County 
     and it appealed to me and I saw both sides of being a 
     volunteer and running the organization,'' Ramseur said.
       His wife, Diane, is a native of Stanly County, which gave 
     him knowledge of the area and he also had known Marianne 
     Bright, who was the former president of the Chamber.
       When he came to the Stanly Chamber, the board had just 
     completed a planning retreat and had some goals.
       ``Chambers are run the same no matter where they are. They 
     are membership-based and we needed to grow our membership,'' 
     Ramseur said.
       ``We also, more importantly, needed to grow our sphere of 
     influence because the Chamber needs to be relevant in each 
     community.''
       Ramseur said that was somewhat of a problem with as many 
     communities and municipalities spread out over such a large 
     area.
       ``We needed to tell our story and be more of a county-wide 
     chamber,'' he said.
       ``We needed to show how we could help people in 
     Misenheimer, Locust, Stanfield and all the others. They 
     needed them to know how we could help and we wanted to 
     help.''
       He also said governmental affairs is a big part of what the 
     Chamber has done.
       ``I understood how to work with governmental officials and 
     building relationships and we had to do that,'' he said.
       He said relationships, through no particular one's fault, 
     had not been as good as they should have been with the county 
     commission.
       ``It just needed to be enhanced,'' Ramseur said.
       He said most people do not understand how the Chamber 
     works.
       ``We're not funded by the government. We are a nonprofit 
     run by a board of directors,

[[Page E1371]]

     and the income is primarily through dues and special 
     events,'' he said.
       Ramseur said he can understand why the Chamber may be 
     viewed by some as just a ``social club.''
       ``I have tried to eliminate that label,'' Ramseur said.
       ``We do have social events, and we have fun, but you might 
     meet somebody who you can talk to about refinancing or other 
     business subjects.
       ``Networking is important and can't all be done online. 
     They have to get out of their comfort zone.''
       He mentions the success of the legislative breakfasts, 
     which are designed to help local businesses have quality time 
     with their representatives in Raleigh and Washington.
       ``We have 200 coming in to those events, and the 
     representatives are telling us the other counties do not have 
     that kind of attendance,'' Ramseur said.
       ``Those things happen because the Chamber makes it happen. 
     It's no accident and there's a lot of hard work that goes 
     into promoting those events.''
       ``I also tell people to give us a try for a year. Come to 
     some meetings. Go to some of the seminars we're doing with 
     Stanly Community College. Come to some business after hours. 
     Come to some of our events and you'll meet somebody.''
       He said the organization has been responsible with its 
     funds and owns its own building and has no debt.
       ``I'm also proud we have now built a reserve fund and we 
     had a successful membership drive last year with 220 new 
     members,'' Ramseur said.
       One of the programs Ramseur said he is proud of helping to 
     establish is the Career Academy for Educators.
       The program brings teachers in to meet with existing 
     businesses and educates them as to what skills are currently 
     needed to supply the county's industries and businesses.
       ``The problem is many times getting teachers, counselors, 
     parents and students to make realistic decisions. Everybody 
     wants to go to Chapel Hill. Many people don't know how to 
     cope after high school and a four-year degree is not always a 
     ticket to a job,'' he said.
       ``That is not to discourage anyone from pursuing that goal. 
     It just may be some would be better prepared by entering the 
     workforce first and this program helps in that regard.''
       If there was one magic moment during his years directing 
     the Chamber, it happened in March 2009. ``We found out Harris 
     Teeter announced it would close its Albemarle location,'' 
     Ramseur said.
       ``The manager said he thought the decision was final. I 
     asked what we could do.''
       What happened is what Ramseur said needs to happen 
     throughout the county when it comes to the economic 
     betterment of the area. Come together.
       ``Everybody was on the phone with each other and Harris 
     Teeter got more than 700 calls and emails within hours,'' he 
     said.
       ``They announced the store would remain open within a few 
     days. That's what happens when everyone works together.''
       He said there weren't many disappointments, but mentions 
     the prolonged discussions between Alcoa and the county as 
     ``not very helpful.''
       ``The Chamber did not take sides on the issue. Alcoa is 
     still an active member of the Chamber. We have an excellent 
     relationship with the county. But the fact it hung on that 
     long probably did not cast a good image on Stanly County,'' 
     Ramseur said.
       ``The only time we ever got covered or noticed was when it 
     had to do with that issue.''
       He said he was ``very pleased when there was a settlement. 
     I commend the two parties for settling that. What it means is 
     we can move on to other issues that can make a difference 
     such as education and recruiting businesses.''
       As Ramseur leaves his post, he does so with a busy schedule 
     ahead for the next few weeks.
       The Chamber will initiate the new class of Leadership 
     Stanly and host its annual Business Expo, which is already 
     successful by the number of participants who have signed to 
     be there.
       He will do that while guiding his successor, Kathy Almond, 
     into her new role which begins officially Oct. 1.
       Ramseur has no worries about the job Almond will do, taking 
     into account her already being active with the Chamber and a 
     superb board of directors.
       ``I will never be able to express how much I have 
     appreciated the board and their support in all we've done,'' 
     he said.
       ``They are volunteers and yet they are always there and do 
     what needs to be done. With their support and enthusiasm, 
     they have been great to work with.
       ``We have the best staff with Stephanie Gresham and Winona 
     Vullo who always work hard to make everything we do 
     successful as well as being there to help our members in any 
     way they need us,'' he said.
       His advice to Almond or to anyone else in the post is to 
     keep focused on the main reason the Chamber exists.
       ``Just help people to find what they need and go the extra 
     mile and everything else will be fine,'' Ramseur said.
       Ramseur has some parting shots as to what he's learned and 
     what the county should learn about the local economy.
       ``I think you need to keep the personal touch. Call people 
     back. But you can't do everything,'' he said.
       ``I said I'd get by and see every member the first year. I 
     found I couldn't. But I still try to communicate as much as 
     possible.''
       He said he would put a personal note on each yearly fee 
     announcement and one when it was received.
       ``The Chamber can't be all things to all people. My 
     successor needs to always ask if it is something that is part 
     of what the mission is and what we do,'' Ramseur said.
       He said there are many people in the business of economic 
     development and commends the county for funding a separate 
     economic commission.
       ``(Economic Development Director) Paul Stratos can do the 
     hard fast economic development. He understands the land use 
     and utilities and you have to have someone doing all of 
     that,'' he said.
       ``We shouldn't lose sight of the Convention and Visitors 
     Bureau, where we have more and more people coming through 
     here. People come from all over.
       ``I have no problem with the cities doing more in economic 
     development on their own part as long as they try to 
     coordinate their efforts.''
       ``I encourage people to work together, but if a group can 
     financially commit to have more work for the good of the 
     county, who is going to complain? We're going to get more 
     jobs and that's the goal.''
       Ramseur has received praise from his Chamber colleagues for 
     his leadership of the organization.
       ``Even during a down economy, under his leadership the 
     Chamber has grown and thrived,'' Past Chamber Chairman Matt 
     Smith said.
       ``He has also been very instrumental in making our chamber 
     a strong voice in the community that works hard to bring 
     people together and build a better business environment in 
     Stanly County.''
       Current Chamber President Bill Lawhon echoed Smith's 
     remarks.
       ``He has been good for our chamber, working extremely hard 
     to bring our community of businesses together,'' Lawhon 
     said.''

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