“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” –Dr. Seuss

This is one of my favorite quotes by Dr. Seuss and I believe it can be applied to each of our lives. The Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Small Business Center at Sampson Community College, strongly believes “the more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Therefore, as a joint venture, we offer many educational opportunities that can be applied to your business, non-profit organization, personal endeavors, and everyday life.

Over the past few weeks, we have worked closely together to ensure we have a great lineup for the Spring Professional Development Series, and boy am I excited about what we have in store. This year, the series will be taught by a recognized national professional speaker and sales trainer, Tim Dannelly. A native of Texas, Tim grew up in coastal North Carolina. He served in the Air Force in Vietnam, Virginia, and Texas. He has well over 40 years experience in the areas of sales, public relations and broadcasting. His leadership and management exposure includes sales professionals, entertainers and specialized technicians. He is the author of three books designed to inspire and empower people in sales careers and leadership roles and those wishing to improve the quality of their lives. We are honored to have Tim with us to lead this year’s 2013, Professional Development Series.

The Professional Development Series is a three part series, March 12, April 16 , and May 14. Each of these seminars is from 3 until 5 p.m. at Sampson Community College. Our first session is on “Forgotten Fundamentals of Effective Leadership.” Focusing on what and how to feed your mind, the value of looking and acting like a leader, leading a team versus driving a herd, and how to stop wasting time and start exceeding expectations. Tim will bring real world examples to his seminars through his experiences as a business owner and corporate manager.

The second part of the series is highlighting “Workplace Communication,” focusing on effective speaking for leaders, ensuring your writing is businesslike, how to facilitate a successful meeting, and how to list to what you hear. Join him and explore some of the fundamental habits successful leaders cultivate in order to Say it, Write it, and facilitate it.

The last of the series focuses on “Bold Management for Challenging Times.” Discover hiring and training approaches that maximize bottom line. Explore what to do about problem employees and ways to build commitment among employees. This seminar is for business owners who want to build security for you and your team, whether the economy is strong or weak.

For more information, pricing, and to register for this educational opportunity, visit our website at www.clintonsampsonchamber.org or give the Chamber office a call, 592-6177.