Chamber to hold Professional Development Summit

By Laura Johnson | Alex City Outlook

Published Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Alexander City Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Professional Development Summit Thursday.

The summit is a half-day conference for chamber members and will be held at the Betty Carol Graham Technology Center at Central Alabama Community College. It will feature guest speaker William O’Neal who will tell attendees how to provide better customer service.

“It’s training for attendees,” ACCOC events coordinator Kim Dunn said of the conference. “Different people within (an) organization, from the business owner to the receptionist, or anybody within an organization can benefit.”

According to his Web site, O’Neal is a speaker and an ordained minister with a background in Social and Behavioral Sciences. He was educated at the University of Alabama Birmingham where he also served as human resources professional.

“With his unique blend of wisdom, humor, and enthusiasm, William consistently delivers presentations that are inspirational, informational and entertaining,” his Web site states. “His speeches are aimed at stimulating members of his audience to take action to develop their potential and unleash the greatness that is within.”

O’Neal has spoken at events across the region and was selected after chamber leaders spoke with other area organizations who are familiar with his work, Dunn said. The theme of his customer service and hospitality message will be “Greatness at Work.”

“I think customer service is something we can all use a refresher on a regular basis. There is always room for improvement and I think for him to come talk about that will be a great benefit for the community,” Dunn said. “He came highly recommended.”

Area businesses that serve as conference sponsors will also attend the meeting. They will set up booths inside the technology center to greet attendees during intermission at the conference.

“I hope that they all come away with some information (and) some tips that they can implement into their daily business lives immediately to make sure they are providing the best services possible,” Dunn said.

Tickets at the event will cost $50 for individuals and groups of four or less, and $45 for groups of five or more.

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