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Congratulations to the current Leadership Florence class of students who will graduate on Tuesday evening! Collectively, the group raised more than $26,000 for local charities.

During Tuesday night’s graduation, the group’s leaders will present checks to The Care House of the Pee Dee and Help 4 Kids, and money will also go toward funding scholarships for future Leadership Florence and Junior Leadership programs.

2015/2016 Leadership Florence Class:

>> Kendra Cobbs, City of Florence, community services manager

>> Bradley Cooke, Freemans’ Bakery, baker

>> Joe Craig, Morning News, publisher

>> Emery DeWitt, SC ATE Center, FDTC, project manager

>> Nicole Dixon, Pee Dee Regional Council of Government, financial management and procurement specialist

>> Brian Fast, First Citizens Bank, market executive

>> Bill Gleason, Moore Beauston & Woodham. LLP, senior manager

>> Brock Graham, Pepsi Cola of Florence, key account manager

>> Thomas Hunter, McLeod Physician Associates, associate VP quality and safety

>> Andrea Luppe, GE Healthcare, manufacturing engineering leader

>> Chad Hensley, Honda of SC, senior manager corporate services

>> Celeste Johnson, HopeHealth, director of human resources

>> Jill Kovalich, WebsterRogers LLP, director of practice development

>> Danielle Nance

>> Ricky Reynolds

>> Annette Ross, Raldex Hospitality Group, corporate sales

>> Katherine Ryan, Willcox, Buyck, & Williams PA, associate

>> Bob Scott, Morning News, circulation director

>> Melissa Scott, Assurant Specialty Property, director

>> Cody Simpson, Francis Marion University, admissions counselor

>> Lauren Stanton, Florence County Economic Development, project manager

>> Frances Swink, McCall Farms, Inc., procurement

>> Meg Temple, The CareHouse of the Pee Dee, executive director

>> Lawson Walker, CSP Insurance Services, account executive

>> Mark Warrin, Carolinas Hospital System, marketing coordinator

>> Amy Weber, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, TAC

>> Joey Wellington, The News Journal, sales director

>> Kelvin Wymbs, Florence County School District 1, director of secondary education

2015/2016 Leadership Florence Sponsors:

>> Mr. and Mrs. John Allen

>> American Systems of the Southeast

>> Assurant

>> Carolinas Hospital System

>> Cormell Street & Patterson

>> Dun-Rite Custom Transmissions

>> Florence-Darlington Technical College

>> Francis Marion University

>> Freeman’s Bakery

>> Haynesworth Sinkler Boyd

>> Honda of SC

>> HopeHealth

>> McCall Farms

>> Mellow Mushroom

>> Morning News

>> PNC Bank

>> Raldex

>> Palmetto Smiles

>> Party In A Tent

>> Pee Dee Electric Cooperative

>> Pepsi of Florence

>> Ruiz Foods

>> Webster Rogers

>> Willcox, Buyck & Williams

>> Zaxby’s

Read the full article on the group’s efforts by following the link to the story below from the Morning News:

SCnow.com web article- 2016 Leadership Florence Graduation

If you have big ideas for the long Memorial Day weekend, you might want to take a look at the potential impact of tropical weather on the forecast.

According to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski. “We expect the system to track slowly toward the northwest through the weekend and end up near the South Carolina or North Carolina coast sometime on Sunday,”

“Beach, fishing and cruise interests along the mid-Atlantic and southern Atlantic Seaboard may want to monitor the track and strength of the system into next week.

The system is in the very early stages of development. The system could become a depression at any time.

At this time, the biggest threats will be to bathers and boaters in the region.

The latter part of this week and first part of the holiday weekend will bring the best weather for bathing, sunning and boating along the southeastern U.S. Atlantic beaches,” the AccuWeather article stated.

Click on the link below to find out how downpours could affect your weekend travel plans:

AccuWeather web article on tropical forecast impact on Memorial Day Weekend

Have plans for the weekend? Want to know what to plan for in the week ahead?

Take a look at the Florence Downtown Development Association’s Weekly Newsletter for information on the featured band for this week’s Florence After Five concert, find out what’s going on at the FMU Performing Arts Center and much more!

Just click on the link below for more details:

Florence Downtown Newsletter

Interested in the Young Professionals of Florence group? Then make plans to join us on Thursday, June 2nd from 5:30-7 pm at the offices of the Florence Chamber for a very exciting announcement and the opportunity to check out the Chamber’s downtown space!

Enter the Chamber’s front door at the corner of Dargan and W. Evans and then make your way to the Community Room in the back for a larger space to network together. (Don’t worry, there will be plenty of people to guide you!)

From the Facebook Page of Junior Leadership Florence County:
“Junior Leadership Florence County wants to offer our sincere thanks to the Rotary Club of Florence and ArborOne, who have just recently announced grants that will enable us to keep doing what we started- helping to develop the future leaders of the Pee Dee! We simply wouldn’t be able to deliver such a fantastic program if it weren’t for our generous sponsors, volunteers and community leaders. Thank you again to Florence Rotary and ArborOne and for the continued support of Clemson Extension, FMU and the Florence Chamber. We can’t wait for you to meet the newest class of Junior Leadership Florence County!”

For more information on Junior Leadership Florence County or how you can help sponsor the program or participate, visit:

Junior Leadership Florence County website