157th Annual Meeting

**Registration is now closed. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door for $105.**

The Wilmington Chamber's 157th Annual Meeting is typically the crowning event of our year, and we are looking forward to joining many of our members in person once again on February 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the Wilmington Convention Center?s Expo Hall.
 
Historically, this event has drawn more than 350 business and community leaders for a celebration of the chamber's many achievements over the last year.

This year, our event will kick off at 5:00 pm with a reception that includes beer, wine, hors d'oeuvres, and time to network before the show begins at 5:30 pm. At our event, you'll hear a keynote speech from Steve Lerch, a former Google employee and highly respected voice in the world of consumer behavior, innovation, and leadership.

We'll also be recognizing this year's Duke Energy Lifetime Achievement in Business Award winner, Wilma Daniels. The evening will end with an after-party featuring heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and more time to connect with your fellow Chamber investors. 
 
TICKETS & SPONSORSHIPS
 
The deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, February 12, 2024. Tickets are available to chamber members for $95 each and to nonmembers for $105 each. Tables of 10 will be available for $950 for members and $1050 for nonmembers.
 
AGENDA
 
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Chairman's Club VIP Reception (by invitation only)
 
5:00 - 5:30 pm
Doors & Welcome Reception
 
5:30 - 6:30 pm
Program
 
6:30 - 8:00 pm
After-Party
 
Please arrive early and come prepared. Allow ample time for travel, parking, check-in and seating. If you're not feeling well, please stay home.
 
LOCATION

Wilmington Convention Center
10 Convention Center Dr. Wilmington, NC 28401 
 
PARKING
 
Your ticket price includes parking for one vehicle at the Wilmington Convention Center parking deck. On-street parking is also available. We highly recommend using a ride-sharing service or carpooling.

ARRIVAL
 
After parking, enter the Wilmington Convention Center and find the main foyer for check-in. Registered attendees will receive a name tag before being directed to the Expo Hall. A coat check will be available near registration.
 
FOOD & BEVERAGE
 
Beverages and heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served during the Welcome Reception (5:00 - 5:30 PM). Please note food and beverages will not be served during the Program but will be available again during the After-Party.
 
KEYNOTE: STEVE LERCH BIO

Introducing Steve Lerch: A seasoned expert with a rich background in innovation, strategy, and digital marketing, Steve brings a wealth of experience from his nine-year tenure at Google. During his time at Google's Mountain View, CA headquarters, Steve collaborated with major consumer electronics businesses such as GoPro, OtterBox, and Roku, shaping their digital strategies. His impact extended to the successful launches of Nest and LifeProof, where he played a pivotal role in designing their inaugural digital marketing campaigns.
 
Upon relocating to Washington, DC in 2015, Steve spearheaded Google's entry into Advocacy and Association marketing, making significant contributions to empowering diverse entities, including the country's largest membership organizations, advocacy groups, non-profits, government agencies, and agricultural checkoff programs. Through digital tools and strategies, Steve guided these organizations in understanding and effectively reaching their target audiences.
 
At our upcoming event, Steve Lerch will share his insights on empowering teams to think differently. He challenges the notion that brainstorming, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking are unpredictable and unschedulable activities. Steve emphasizes the importance of leaders fostering an environment where new ideas can flourish, debunking the myth of relying solely on sporadic eureka moments. Most crucially, he highlights the need to remove impediments and barriers that hinder employees' ability to think differently. Join us as Steve Lerch guides us through a transformative perspective on inspiring and motivating teams for innovation.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS HONOREE: WILMA DANIELS BIO
 
A Wilmington resident since childhood and graduate of Williston High School, the Carolina School of Automation, and Shaw University, Daniels honors her hometown roots by serving the Wilmington community. Since her retirement from her role as an office administrator and buyer for Hoechst Celanese in 1996, Ms. Daniels has made it her singular mission to help ? to help the elderly, the underserved, the aspiring. Her 2021 Wilmington Star-News Lifetime Achievement Award stands as testament to the way her unique willingness and ability to serve the needs of countless individuals has immeasurably enriched the Wilmington, NC community.
 
When she and her late husband, Windell Daniels ? a retired Marine with a servant?s heart to match her own ? purchased the long-shuttered, historic William Hooper School, they saw possibilities. Thus, in 1996, with a name that paid homage to the building?s legacy, the couple founded the William Hooper Apartments to provide safe, affordable housing for the elderly. The complex was later expanded to provide additional affordable housing for low-income members of the Wilmington community. Through her work as property manager, Ms. Daniels meets not only her residents? need for housing and safety, but also their need for support, encouragement, and connection.
 
Ms. Daniels also cultivates potential in the community through her extensive support of educational institutions. She began serving students through her work on the Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) Foundation Board. In recognition of her tireless support of CFCC, in 2013 the CFCC art gallery was renamed the Wilma W. Daniels Art Gallery. When her husband passed away in 2008, Ms. Daniels assumed his role on the Board of Trustees at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), the start of a long-term relationship with the institution. During her 11-year tenure as a UNCW Trustee, she has held several Chair positions on board committees, including the Business Affairs Committee, the Educational Planning and Programs Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Executive Committee.
 
Ms. Daniels twice served on the UNCW Chancellor?s Search Committee charged with identifying the University?s next chancellor. She and her family sponsored the Wilma W. Daniels Distinguished Lecture to promote diversity and tolerance at UNCW. Ms. Daniel?s chosen keynote speaker for the event was Earvin ?Magic? Johnson, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and former NBA basketball star. To honor her support of UNCW, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce awarded Ms. Daniels the Karl Davis Leadership Wilmington Alumnus of the Year Award. In addition to CFCC and UNCW, Ms. Daniels has also supported the success of D.C. Virgo Preparatory School, Cape Fear Academy, Racheal Freeman School of Math and Science, Isaac Bear Early College, and GLOW (Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington).
 
Ms. Daniels is also a long-time supporter of the YWCA Lower Cape Fear, where she has offered mentorship to countless young women and helped them realize their full potential. In 2018, the Wilma Daniels Centennial Celebration Pathway was dedicated on the YWCA grounds to honor her dedicated service to the organization and the broader community.
 
Ms. Daniels? expansive resume of community service also includes board membership at Wilmington Business Development, the Truist (formerly BB&T) Advisory Board, and Cape Fear 50 Executive Board, Commissioner of the USS Battleship in Wilmington, panelist for the UNC Women?s Conference,  co-founder of the Wilson Center at CFCC, CFCC Chair of Mini Grants, Assistant Liaison for Cape Fear Academy Diversity, founder of the Katherine S. Finley Scholarship Endowment for Certified Nursing Assistants at CFCC, Chair of the Windell Daniels Endowment at CFCC, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce executive committee, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Vice Chair of Black Chamber Council, American Heart Association executive committee, coordinator of the Smoke on the River Basketball Classic and scholarships, YWCA Lower Cape Fear Bicentennial Celebration executive committee, UNCW E.I. White Society member, and sponsorship of numerous charitable organizations and events.
 
Ms. Daniel?s is the recipient of the Ladies of Legacy Award, the New Hanover NAACP Dream of Hope Award, the Black Pages Award, the YWCA Lifetime Achievement Award, the Smart Start Award, the Douglas Academy Award, the Star News Lifetime Achievement Award, the Commission of African American History Living Legend Award, Women Who Stamped Wilmington-Centennial Anniversary of 19th Amendment, and the Student Government Association Award.