Wilmington Chamber of Commerce

06/05/2026

Congratulations to our members on their recent grand openings and milestone celebrations!

🌟 Magnolia Grove Design & Cabinetry
🌟 Porchlight Interiors
🌟 Gregory Poole Equipment
🌟 UPS Store - S. College Road
🌟 QDOBA

Thank you all for your investment and involvement in the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce!

✂️ Ready to schedule your ribbon cutting ceremony? Reach out to Kristin Peoples at [email protected]

🔗 More info here: https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/ribbon-cutting

06/04/2026

Our 4th year of the Career and Leadership Development Academy was a huge success! With 172 career exploration trips, more than 1,800 students had the opportunity to learn more about career pathways in Southeastern North Carolina, build leadership and employability skills, and prioritize the development of durable skills as outlined in NC DPI's The North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate.

Last night, the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and New Hanover County Schools helped celebrate some of the 7th grade students at the CLDA Showcase. The top projects from each middle school presented to a panel of judges, and Live Oak Bank opened a bank account for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners!

Thank you to the North Carolina General Assembly and The Endowment for helping fund this program! We are grateful to all of the industry partners that continue to invest in our future workforce.

https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/career-and-leadership-development-academy

06/02/2026

We are excited to announce our 2026 40 Under 40 Honorees! Congratulations to these outstanding young professionals who are making a meaningful impact in their workplaces, industries, and communities across southeastern North Carolina.

🌟 Kevin Blackburn – Kids Making It
🌟 Nicole Caldwell – nCino, Inc.
🌟 Zachary Cockerham – Novant Health
🌟 Nathaniel H. Cook – Block, Crouch, Keeter, Behm & Sayed, LLP
🌟 Rachel Crouse – Coastal Horizons / Junior League of Wilmington
🌟 Dr. Alston Enz – Wilmington Health Family Medicine
🌟 Ashlee Fritz – Wilmington Wall Printing
🌟 Julio Fuentes – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
🌟 John Gavin – Cameron Management
🌟 Keaton Gilleece – King Neptune Restaurant, Jimmy's Bar, Jimmy's Inland, Double Header, Kruiser's Mobile Bar
🌟 Bobby Guntoro – UNCW
🌟 Sara Harts – Paws4People Foundation
🌟 Drew Haygood – Wilmington Health
🌟 Will Hayes – Corning Credit Union
🌟 Chief Shelton James – Town of Leland Fire Department
🌟 David Joyner – Wilmington City Council, Assistant District Attorney
🌟 Kanon Kennedy – City of Wilmington Martin Luther King Center
🌟 Tanner Konrady – Konrady and Son Construction
🌟 Kyle Metzger-Gee – nCino
🌟 David Miller – WB Brawley Company
🌟 Bailey Minish, MD – Novant Health Family Medicine
🌟 LeRon Montgomery – NAACP New Hanover County
🌟 Hilary Ozenbaugh – Communities In Schools of Cape Fear
🌟 Emily Patterson – LS3P Associates
🌟 Kyndall Peele – UNCW College of Health and Human Services
🌟 Jesse Pridgen – Liberty Health
🌟 Caleb Rash – Murchison, Taylor & Gibson, PLLC
🌟 Roberto Ramirez, RN, BSN – Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center
🌟 Jeremy Roberts – PBMares
🌟 Lori Schweikert – University of North Carolina Wilmington
🌟 Sarah Scully – Global Laser Enrichment
🌟 Alexis Siebert – Patriot Roofing & Exteriors
🌟 Sarah Stone – Excite Credit Union
🌟 Makenzie VanderWerff – MegaCorp Logistics
🌟 Alondra Vazquez Jurado – Community Adaptation Program, American Red Cross
🌟 Rock Vomer – Avance Care
🌟 Brooke Wallace – Eastern Therapy PT, OT and Speech
🌟 Madelyn Wampler – New Hanover County Government
🌟 Marae West – Sandbar Oyster Company
🌟 Jessica Wilson – Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association

We invite the community to join us as we recognize these exceptional leaders on Wednesday, October 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Pointe 14 Theater (2223 Blockbuster Road).
More details here: https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/events/details/2026-40-under-40-awards-3897

06/02/2026

Join us next week for an After-Hours BizMix sponsored by Fully Loaded Defense!

🗓️ Thursday, June 11
🕠 5:30 - 7:30 pm
📍 The Bend, 7227 Market Street

There will be live music, food and drinks available for purchase, and Fully Loaded Defense giveaways throughout the event.

Register here: https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/events/details/2026-after-hours-bizmix-sponsored-by-fully-loaded-defense-3750?calendarMonth=2026-06-01

06/01/2026

We had a blast at BBQ! 😋

Thank you to everyone who attended our annual Elected Officials Appreciation BBQ presented by REV Federal Credit Union! Thank you to all of our sponsors for making this event possible.

More photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCVpya

06/01/2026

05/27/2026

The Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Committee serves as a public-facing platform for business leaders to elevate priorities related to roads, bridges, freight mobility, port access, transit, and other critical infrastructure needs. Through coordinated advocacy, the group ensures the business community has a strong, unified voice in shaping transportation policy and funding decisions at the local, state, and federal levels.

Join our Transportation Committee today! To learn more about the Transportation Committee and upcoming meetings, email Megan Mullins at [email protected]

*The Transportation Committee is open to Advocate, Leader, and Visionary level Chamber members who are interested in engaging in transportation policy and infrastructure advocacy.

Learn more here ➡️ https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/transportation-committee

05/26/2026

Join our Young Professionals Council on Wednesday, June 10 at 5:30 pm for a panel discussion exploring the realities of housing affordability in a growing community!

Panelists:
➡️ Brian Eckel, Cape Fear Commercial
➡️ Dave Spetrino, PBC Design + Build
➡️ Luke Waddell, Cadence Realty
➡️ Jerod Patterson, Business Alliance for a Sound Economy (BASE)

Participation is open to young professionals in the Greater Wilmington area between the ages of 21 and 40 years old. This council serves as a platform for members to connect with other young professionals in their community, build relationships, and develop their professional skills through various events.

Register here: https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/events/details/2026-q2-young-professionals-council-meeting-3912?calendarMonth=2026-06-01

05/21/2026

Transportation infrastructure is no longer just a quality-of-life issue. It is also tied to economic competitiveness, workforce access and public safety. That is why the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce strongly supports continued investment in transportation projects identified through North Carolina’s State Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, including Project U-5710. (Editor's note: Project U-5710 would create an overpass at Military Cutoff and Eastwood roads that aims to improve the intersection, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.)

Representing more than 1,000 businesses across southeastern North Carolina, this chamber believes long-term transportation planning and infrastructure investment are essential to the entire region’s future success and competitiveness.

Read the full article here:

Few topics of conversation are more compelling in southeastern North Carolina right now than growth and traffic congestion. Across our region, residents and business owners are increasingly feeling the impact transportation challenges are having on daily life, workforce mobility and long-term econom...

05/20/2026

Last week, Natalie English, President & CEO, and Megan Mullins, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer, attended the Economic Development Summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis and Congressman Richard Hudson. The annual gathering brought together leaders from across North Carolina’s business, education, government, and economic development communities to discuss issues shaping our state’s future competitiveness.

Read more about the trip here: https://www.wilmingtonchamber.org/blog/the-chamber-buzz-4940/post/president-s-report-from-may-18-2026-42781