Karin Hopkins

The WSFA Tuskegee Hometown Tour production is now a sweet memory. Fortunately, we made an indelible impression on WSFA, which is a media powerhouse in this region. Vice President and General Manager, Mark Bunting said we had the largest crowd and we produced the best of all the WSFA Hometown Tour experiences. This was a proud moment for the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) since we coordinated this project. We reached out to many community partners and are grateful for their support. During the preparation phase, the City of Tuskegee, Macon County Commission and UBT came through like champs, cleaning up the Tuskegee Square and getting the gazebo ready for our guests. We also thank Tuskegee University for its contributions, which were major—the band, cheerleaders, mascot, royal court, SGA president; all of these university assets added sizzle to the 4:00pm, 5:00pm and 6:00pm WSFA newscasts that emanated from Tuskegee on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. We extend big thanks to Michael Tullier and Brittney Dabney who work in the Tuskegee University communications office. All over the Tuskegee Square, there was evidence of community engagement. The Links organization brought their Think Pink breast cancer awareness campaign, including pink lemonade and pink cupcakes. The school system had a robotics display. Greek fraternities and sororities visually showed allegiance to their organizations through colors and hand signs. Members of The Movement 46 wore shirts emblazoned with an identifying logo.  Oscar Austin brought his deejay skills. City and county officials were there along with citizens, including Chamber members.  The television audience saw the news anchors interviewing great minds from our educational institutions; school superintendent Dr. Jacqueline Brooks and Tuskegee University School of Architecture Department Chair, Kwesi Daniels. Other interviews focused on Tuskegee tourism; The Commodores Museum and National Park Service sites. Loretta Alexander was interviewed about the Chamber’s BELIEVE campaign. The gifted artist, Dr. Ronald McDowell captured the essence of the day with a drawing packed with artistic details. At the Chamber, as we reflect on all of this, we see how seriously we take our role as the chief cheerleader for this community. This is just one component of the Chamber’s mission. And we need your support to continue doing our work. That’s why we are asking everyone to become active with the Chamber. Renew your membership now and get a head start on 2020. First time applicants please join the Chamber and contribute your ideas and talents. The process is simple. You can go the Website, www.tuskegeeareachamber.org and click on the words JOIN TODAY at the top of the page.  You may also get a paper application at the Chamber office located at 802 Crawford Street, Tuskegee AL 36083. Working together, look at what we just accomplished. Let’s keep this momentum going for the good of Macon County and the municipalities within the county’s jurisdiction.

Karin Hopkins is executive director of the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at ourchamberworks@gmail.com.