Roane Chamber Ambassador Program
What is the Ambassador Program?
The Ambassador Program was established as a coalition of business professionals who act as Chamber representatives within the business community. The Ambassadors are an all-volunteer committee comprised of men and women of Chamber member firms who serve as the "goodwill arm" of the Chamber and thus are charged with extending the hand of friendship to new and old members alike. They devote their time, own money and energy into countless annual and monthly events that support other businesses. They receive no public funding for this volunteer position. The Ambassadors promote retention by welcoming new members, making goodwill calls, assisting with ribbon cuttings and other member events and attending various Chamber functions. The Chamber relies on the Ambassadors to aid in relaying information to and from members, identifying member concerns and garnering support for the Chamber.
The Ambassadors serve to create and administer an integrated awareness of and involvement in the Roane County Chamber of Commerce. The group strives to assist in fulfilling the Chamber's mission to improve the business climate, economy, and quality of life in Roane County. We recognize outstanding Ambassadors with the Ambassador of the Month program.
The Ambassador team meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Roane Alliance, 1209 N. Kentucky St, Kingston, unless noted otherwise. Lunch is provided. Ambassadors help support the Chamber's mission in the community with business visits and have a frequent presence at Ribbon Cuttings, Open Houses/Grand Openings, Chamber Coffee Chats, After Hours', Business of the Month and many more events.
The Roane Chamber Ambassadors participate in Chamber member's celebrations all around Roane County. They attend multiple Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Openings every year to support the local business community
Ambassadors have lunch at member restaurants in order to not only enjoy the company of one another, but to meet new Ambassadors and share their business news with one another.
The Ambassador Team also attends and even helps plan Chamber After Hours events, which are casual networking events hosted by one or more Chamber members. These events are often creatively themed and give our business owners and Chamber members an opportunity to network after work hours in a casual setting.
2024-2025 Ambassador Leadership Team
Event/Networking Chair- Jensen Long (Coldwell Banker- Jim Henry & Associates)
Youth Outreach Chair- Matilyn Lands (Roane Country Health Department)
Membership Chair- Kyle Wentland (AVH Invest)
Chair-Ashley Freeberg (Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition)
Ambassadors Giving Back Program:
Helping the Community Grow
Ambassadors helping local children pick out the perfect presents for their family members through the Operation Reach program.
For the past few years, the Roane Chamber Ambassadors have worked together to plan several "Giving Back" Initiatives which are designed to help with community non-profits, organizations, businesses and public service offices. The Ambassador Team selects a few need-based initiatives every year to work on and organizes volunteer work to make this happen.
Just a few of the many projects the Ambassadors have kick-started have been.
- "Say Yes to the Prom Dress" event in which new and gently worn formal dresses and suits were donated and then sold for $10 to local high school students for Prom.
- Delivering meals to over 800 families with Hands of Mercy at Thanksgiving alongside the Kingston Police Department.
- Sponsoring over a dozen children through the Angel Tree program to provide a happy, joy-filled Christmas to those in need.
- Helping children shop for family members for Christmas through the Operation Reach program.
Many more Ambassador Giving Back events are currently in the works. For more information on this initiative, you may call the Chamber at 865-376-5572.