Ten at the Top Upstate News
June 7, 2021 | Volume 12, Issue 6
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After not awarding the Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Grants in 2020 due to the pandemic, we are delighted to announce that the grants program is open again in 2021. Since 2013, this program has awarded nearly $100,000 in funds to 30 local communities to fund community vibrancy initiatives.
A workshop will be held on July 14th from 1:30-3:00 pm at the Park 37 Community Building (250 Executive Center Dr., Greenville, SC 29615) to help guide potential applicants through the process. The program will include comments from Phil Hughes as well as tips from past winners.
Thanks to Hughes Investments for their generous support of these community vibrancy initiatives throughout the Upstate!
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As we start returning to in-person gatherings, TATT is hosting a series of Friday morning informal "ReConnect" events where a small group of participants get together to reconnect with others from across the Upstate. Session are limited to no more than 25 attendees and are being held in locations that have plenty of space for appropriate distancing.
Each session is being hosted by TATT Board members and funding partners with topical discussion as well as time for mingling and getting to meet new people and renew relationships with others.
Below is the schedule for the three sessions in June:
June 11 – 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Park 37 Community Room – 250 Executive Center Dr., Greenville, SC 29615
Topic: Healthcare in the Upstate
Hosts: TATT Board members and partners from AnMed Health System, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Prisma Health System and Spartanburg Regional Health System
June 18 – 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Park 37 Community Room – 250 Executive Center Dr., Greenville, SC 29615
Topic: Workforce in the Upstate – Special Focus on Skilled Trades & Manufacturing
Hosts: Ann Angermeier – Upstate Workforce Board, Mike Forrester – Spartanburg Community College and Wendy Walden – Greenville Technical College
June 25 – 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Hub City Bookshop – 186 West Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306
Topic: Continued Growth in Spartanburg
Hosts: Todd Horne – Clayton Construction, Mark McKinney - Cintas
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On Friday, June 4, the cities of Anderson and Greer and Greenville County had law enforcement officers at 11 schools for “Have a Safe Summer” events. The officers greeted elementary school students as they arrived and departed on the last day of school of the 2020-2021 school year.
These “Have a Safe Summer” events are part of TATT’s Creating a Safer Upstate initiative. One of the goals of this project is to engage law enforcement officials, community leaders, and residents to work together to build healthy working relationships that elevate mutual respect, value cultural differences, and acknowledge the roles and responsibilities that each play in creating safer Upstate Communities.
TATT staffer, Justine Allen, was on hand at Chandler Creek and Crestview Elementary in Greer to see the happy faces of children and their parents driving up and entering school. Principal David Langston and Jennifer Suber, retiring assistant principal at Crestview Elementary, sang the praises of the Greer police officers and according to Langston, any time they need assistance, Chief Matt Hamby shows up immediately, in person.
Thanks also to Chief Jim Stewart in the City of Anderson for immediately setting up events at three schools in Anderson, to Sheriff Lewis Hobart and Lt. Hans Weinmueller for arranging officers to attend three schools in Greenville County, and Cpl. Rick Gray for setting up an event in Belton.
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On May 24th Ten at the Top and the Urban League of the Upstate hosted a special lunchtime conversation with White House Photographer Lawrence Jackson.
A staff photographer for President Obama from 2009-2017 and currently the official photographer for Vice President Kamala Harris, Jackson shared some of the pictures and stories from his time covering two administrations.
A graduate of George Wythe High School and James Madison University, Jackson was serving as an Associated Press Photographer when he became a member of the White House Photographer Staff in 2009.
Jackson said that there are three elements he focuses on in his photography with most photos containing at least one of the three:
1. Emotion of the Story – Connecting the viewer in an emotional way to what is happening in the photo
2. Information – Showing what is important to be relayed from the photo
3. Aesthetically Pleasing - Something that draws people into the photo
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Upstate Professional Planners
Comprehensive Plan Review
On Thursday, May 13, 2021, TATT Intern Kyle Dool presented the Comprehensive Plan Analysis Review. Kyle is a graduate student in the City and Regional Planning program at Clemson University. The Review is the result of an effort between Ten at the Top, Upstate planners, and Clemson University to uncover trends and evaluate opportunities for development collaboration across the Upstate region. The basis of the project is the analysis of comprehensive plans from the 10 Upstate counties and the cities of Greenville and Spartanburg, which allowed us to identify key planning themes for each county and the two largest cities in the region.
The comprehensive plan analysis review identifies common themes and key takeaways among the plans of the Upstate.
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Phil Yanov Leads Upstate Entrepreneur Networking Event
On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, the Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem had an online celebration of accomplishments this year and had a chance to reconnect, facilitated by Phil Yanov of Tech After 5. Phil also demonstrated tips and tricks to show how a Zoom meeting can be an engaging, safe, and even fun space to collaborate and make things happen.
Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem Director, Erin Ouzts, soft-launched the new Start-Grow Upstate website, an ecosystem platform with highly detailed, robust data to support the creation and growth of new and existing ventures and provide a connection to business resources in the Upstate.
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Clean Air Upstate Meeting Looks at Indoor Air Quality
The focus of this year’s meeting of the Clean Air Upstate Advisory Committee was on indoor air quality, as this has been a vital part of creating safe workplaces and schools during COVID-19. While Upstate South Carolina remains within air quality attainment goals, there are still innovations to be made and opportunities to improve air quality, particularly for those at risk.
On behalf of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Amy Curran, Outreach Coordinator, presented the B2 for Business Program, and Renee Madden, Air Monitoring Data Analyst, reviewed the data in the State of our Air Quality Update.
Lisa Brown, Vertical Market Director for Local Government for Johnson Controls, Inc., presented the many ways JCI is providing air quality enhancements globally.
Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health for Advocacy and Public Policy for the American Lung Association, spoke of the effects of air quality on people at risk and the importance of adopting measures to improve air quality.
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Michael Nail Updates Upstate Entrepreneur Network on Employer Responsibilities
On Thursday, May 6, 2021, the Upstate Entrepreneur Ecosystem gathered on Zoom for an in-depth presentation by Michael Nail of Ogletree Deakins on the impact of COVID-19 vaccinations on the workforce in the Upstate. Michael covered an employer’s ability to mandate vaccinations, areas of organizational communication around vaccinations, and workers compensation related to COVID-19 complications.
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While we have not been able to connect in-person as much over the last year as we would like, TATT is still making sure we can stay connected virtually through our regular TATT CHAT.
Be sure and join us every-other-Thursday as we discuss key issues with leaders from across the region and state. The pre-event networking starts at 2:40 pm and the TATT CHAT starts at 3 pm. In addition to our keynote speaker, we also receive updates from organizations and communities across the region.
Below is the upcoming schedule:
June 10: Congressional Update with William Timmons
Guest Speaker: U.S. Congressman William Timmons.
June 24: Events Are Back!
Guest Speaker: Beth Paul, General Manager, Bon Secours Wellness Arena
You can see the upcoming TATT CHAT schedule and watch previous chats on the TATT CHAT page.
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Through TATT's Staying on Top Blog, leaders from across the Upstate provide insights into key Upstate issues.
Below are the most recent Staying on Top posts:
The Greenwood Promise - Not Just a Scholarship Program - by Katie Davenport - Click Here to Read
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Ten at the Top is fortunate to have many great funding supporters and appreciate all who help ensure the current and future success of the organization. Our highest partnership level is the Leadership Level, with companies or organizations investing $10,000 or more annually to support TATT.
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Ten at the Top funding partners and event sponsors are the backbone of the organization.
In addition, TATT is continuing to accept support for our Ignition Fund Campaign. This effort is a long-term funding program designed to help TATT to continue to ignite initiatives across the Upstate. Click Here for more details.
If you have questions about TATT partnership and sponsorship opportunities or would like to set up a personal meeting, please contact Dean Hybl for questions or more information.
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Ten at the Top is a regional non-profit organization with the mission of fostering collaboration and partnerships across the Upstate around issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life. |
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