THE DILLON COUNTY CHAMBER CITIZEN OF THE YEAR A.B. JORDAN, III (Photo by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon Herald)

By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon County Chamber of Commerce held their annual banquet and awards tonight (Thursday, Feb. 5th) at the Twin Lakes Country Club in Hamer.
William Fleming, president of Marlboro Electric Cooperative, was the guest speaker. He spoke on whether the focus should be on economic development or community development and about some of the exciting things happening at Marlboro Electric.
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A SLIDESHOW OF PHOTOS FROM THE CHAMBER BANQUET BY JOHNNIE DANIELS/THE DILLON HERALD
Awards were presented. The Dolph Braddy Award went to Sheila McDaniel. The Chamber Volunteer of the Year went to Lisa Collins. A.B. Jordan, III, was named the Dillon County Chamber Citizen of the Year.
A detailed story will appear in The Dillon Herald next week.

THE DOLPH BRADDY AWARD WINNER SHEILA McDANIEL (Photo by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon Herald)

THE DILLON COUNTY CHAMBER VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR LISA COLLINS (Photo by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon Herald)

A VIDEO OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE DILLON COUNTY CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD

UPDATED:
Several awards were presented at the annual Dillon County Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Thursday evening at Twin Lakes Country Club.

Dillon County
Citizen  Of The Year
A.B. Jordan, III, was named the 2015 Dillon County Citizen of the Year. The award was presented by Ernie Adams. Mr. Jordan is a man who has literally dedicated his life to the enrichment of Dillon County, not by grandstanding all of his accomplishments, but by quietly working behind the scenes to encourage and support all meaningful opportunities.
He has worked tirelessly both inside and outside of the county in order to stimulate growth and jobs. He invested in our county when the economy was slow and times were not so bright, knowing that this could be a big risk financially. This was his home, where he chose to live and raise his family and he had faith that Dillon County would be the right place to build and expand his business. His anonymous support of many of our local charitable organizations and individuals has assisted many when a crisis or family hardship has occurred.
Mr. Jordan is a lifetime member of Main Street United Methodist Church. He is a Boy Scout, earning the Eagle Scout Award at an early age as one of the first in Dillon. He is a 1952 graduate of Dillon High School and a 1956 graduate of the Citadel where he was named the Outstanding Cadet in 1955. He is a Life Member of the Citadel Alumni Association-Code of Peace & Honor, God & Country.
Mr. Jordan served in the U.S. Army from 1957-1959. He received his United States Coast Guard Captain’s License in 1974 from Commander B. Sheaffer, USCG, Charleston, SC. He received numerous awards while serving in different capacities of the Armed Forces, such as the Army Reserve and National Guard.
In 1959, Mr. Jordan returned to Dillon to continue the family business where he expanded the Herald Group from twelve employees and one location in 1959 to approximately 200 employees and ten locations in SC and NC in 2014.
Mr. Jordan is a former member of the Dillon Lions Club and an active member of the Minturn Cultural Society. He was a member of the Marathon International Club for twelve years and served as President in 1995-96.
He has served as a board member of St. Eugene Hospital, South Carolina National Bank, and First Citizens Bank.
Mr. Jordan was named 2004 Business Person of the Year for Dillon County Farm-City Week.
Mr. Jordan and his wife, Carleene, have four children, twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Dolph Braddy Award
Winner
Sheila McDaniel was presented the Dolph Braddy Award by Pat Laird. Upon graduation from Latta High School in 1977, Mrs. McDaniel embarked on a career in the medical field. She began her career as an emergency medical technician and later became one of the first paramedics in South Carolina. She became a LPN and then a RN, working at the old and new Marion Hospitals, McLeod Regional Medical Center and Carolina’s Hospital System in Florence, and McLeod Medical Center in Dillon.
Mrs. McDaniel’s labor of love is with two organizations here in Dillon County, the Latta Rescue Squad and the Dillon County Free Medical Clinic. She has been active with the all volunteer Latta Rescue Squad since 1984. She has been named the Member of the Year three times; she was a member when Latta Rescue was named the Citizen of the Year in 1992 by the Latta Rotary Club. She currently serves as the Squad’s in-service training coordinator and still rides in the back with patients whenever possible. For her service to the Latta community, she was recognized a few years ago as a hometown hero by a local television station. She also has been very active with the Dillon County Free Medical Clinic from its inception. She serves on the Board of Directors and volunteers her services as a nurse at least one day a week.
Mrs. McDaniel and her husband, Robbie, reside in Latta. She has three daughters, Kimberly, 32, Beth, 16, and Allie, 14. Her children are following in her footsteps; Kimberly is a BSN, and all three daughters volunteer with Latta Rescue Squad. In her free time, Mrs. McDaniel enjoys taking care of her granddaughter, Liz, and researching her Cherokee Native American Heritage. She attends Latta United Methodist Church.
Through her work as a paramedic and registered nurse, Sheila McDaniel has definitely touched the lives of many people.

Chamber Volunteer
Of The Year
The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Lisa Collins. The award was presented by Johnnie Luehrs, who read the following:
There are many definitions for a volunteer but no universal agreement. For the Chamber Volunteer of the Year, we consider ‘Someone who contributes time, effort and talent to meet a need or further a mission, without going on the payroll’ and many of you here tonight fall into that category.
This past year we needed many volunteers to assist with Chamber activities. Without the assistance and leadership of one particular individual we could not have participated or succeeded in the “Holiday Goodness” event. One person came to mind, one phone call was made and Lisa Collins said “yes” before the question was asked. Qualities of a leader and a dedicated volunteer.
Lisa is no stranger to volunteering or to the Chamber. She is a graduate of Palmetto Leadership Dillon County, employed by DSS, active in her church and with her family.

Guest Speaker:
By Betsy Finklea
William Fleming, President/CEO of Marlboro Electric Cooperative, was the guest speaker at the Dillon County Chamber of Commerce Banquet at Twin Lakes Country Club on Thursday evening.
Fleming spoke about Wyman-Gordon, economic development, and some of the things happening at Marlboro Electric.
He introduced local board members, Bo McInnis and John Alford, and his staff members in attendance.
Fleming said there are three main principles that Marlboro Electric goes by – affordability, reliability, and community.
He said Wyman-Gordon was an enormous announcement last year. It is a Fortune 300 company making a $125 million investment and bringing in 425 jobs. “Every other county in the state is envious of you,” Fleming said. Fleming said the work at Wyman-Gordon is a bit behind schedule because of the rain, but he noted when they built the spec building, it was two months behind schedule because of the rain. He said Wyman-Gordon is very excited to be here and more of its management staff will be moving into the Pee Dee region.
Fleming then spoke about economic development. He posed the question, “Do we focus on economic development or community development?” He said it’s kind of a chicken and egg issue. He said the answer is that you do not choose between them, but you try to accommodate both. He said when you have limited resources you let the market dictate.
During the economic downturn, Fleming said Marlboro Electric proposed a spec building. At the time, the market was dictating 50,000-100,000 sq. ft. buildings. He said if you did not have this, you would not be considered. If Dillon County had not had this 50,000 sq. ft. Class A spec building, Dillon County would not have had Wyman-Gordon. Within one week of completion, the spec building was sold.
Over 80% of the companies looking at that time were only interested in existing space – that number is 70% today. Market conditions should drive the focus.
Fleming said Dillon County was a “wonderful partner” and they “know how to win.” Fleming said Wyman-Gordon considered three states and four locations in South Carolina.
Fleming said economic development moves a community forward.
Fleming said from a co-op standpoint, they try to keep their pulse on the market. He said this area is out of marketable space, and they are in discussions with other partners to provide the necessary supply for fear of losing out on the opportunity.
Out of the 920 electric cooperatives nationwide, Marlboro Electric Coop serves the largest industrial segment of any electric cooperative in the nation. He said Wyman-Gordon put them over the top.
This ability to be competitive allows Marlboro Electric to offer a 10 percent lower residential rate than other providers in the area. They are now offering pre-pay, free energy audits, an energy efficient loan program, and a loan program for businesses.
In celebration of their 75th anniversary, the coop is holding a “75 Acts of Kindness.” They will donate up to $500 to 75 people in need in Dillon and Marlboro Counties. One does not have to be an electric customer to qualify. Applications can be found online. Fleming said he is excited about what is going on with the co-op.