About the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber office is located in the northeast corner of the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center in the center of town.
The Chamber has two staff members and a volunteer board of directors.
Our programs and activities
Scholarship program. From 2000 to 2018, the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce awarded $97,600 in scholarships to local high school seniors. The 2019 Scholarship Golf Tournament raised $20,000 for scholarships to be allocated in May 2020 The Rainsville Scholarship Tournament, held each August at the Rainsville Golf & Country Club.
Retail promotions. The Chamber partners with member retailers throughout the year to promote local shopping. “Shop local” promotions include the Rainsville Summer Shopping Days, and the Rainsville Holiday Open House.
Rainsville Person of the Year award. The Chamber honors an outstanding citizen each January at our annual banquet. Rodney Williams is the 2019 Rainsville Persons of the Year. The previous Persons of the Year were Jimmy Sparks (1990), Dave Downer (1991), Dorsey Walker (1992), Dr. John Anderson (1993), Wayne Gilbert (1994), Peggy Benefield (1995), Craig White (1996), David Martin (1997), Bob Gray (1998), Billy Poe (1999), Noland Ford (2000), Roy Sanderson (2001), Keary Chandler (2002), Lila Mae Tommie (2003), Carey Baker (2004), Larry Traylor (2005), Byron Shipp (2006), David Holt (2007), Ronald Bell (2008), Wendell Elliott (2009), Dorothy Bowman (2010), Bryan Thomas (2011), Carol Laney (2012), Kenneth Black (2013), and Wally Bryson (2014), Rodger Lingerfelt (2015), D.L. Stiefel (2016), Bill & Judy Ayers (2017), Donny Johnston (2018), and Mike Simpson (2019-20)
Chamber-sponsored events. The Chamber sponsors a number of events throughout the year including the annual Christmas at the Crossroads each December, the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting each January, and the annual Administrative Professionals Day Luncheon each April. The Rainsville Scholarship Tournament, is held each August at the Rainsville Golf & Country Club. The Chamber also co-hosts workshops, seminars and receptions when the opportunity arises.
In addition, networking events provide the opportunity to mix and mingle with potential clients. When a member business hosts a Business After Hours, Business Breakfast or Business Brunch, etc., the Chamber helps promote the event through mailouts, newspaper articles, the online calendar and email-based communications.
Our mission / purpose
The purpose of the Rainsville Chamber of Commerce, Inc — as stated on the organization’s bylaws — is “advancing the commercial, industrial, civic, and general interests of the City of Rainsville, and its trade area.” It exists to support the forces that lead to prosperity within the business sector. The entire community benefits in numerous ways when the business sector prospers.
Carrying out the mission. The Chamber can be described as a partnership of like-minded investors (the members who invest their money, and the volunteers who invest their time) serving as an advocate for its member businesses and the community. The Chamber strives to convince local citizens and visitors to do business with its members at every opportunity.
The Chamber can serve as a catalyst for community action in which various members of the community work together for the good of the entire community.
The Chamber serves as an information clearinghouse for the community through its office, websites and publications. By providing support for events and activities, and information about the city and its amenities the Chamber helps attract tourists, new residents, and new business ventures.