COLUMBUS JOBS FOUNDATION

By Diana Matthews dianamatthews@nrcolumbus.com The Chamber of Commerce and Tourism awarded Sue Hawks an honorary lifetime membership and Rick Edwards received the Sol B. Mann Community Spirit Award Monday night. The festivities began with the mini business expo at 5:30. Tables had been decorated by sponsor businesses/organizations to promote their products and services. More than 200 people attended the banquet, held at Northwood Assembly. John Elliot of Duke Energy, which sp

Rick Edwards, who is stepping down Jan. 1 as chairman of the Columbus County Jobs Foundation, sees the infusion of youth and diversity into leadership roles as the keys to continued economic development efforts in the county. Involved in economic development matters in the county since 1981, Edwards is taking a break. He became involved in the old Columbus County Committee of 100 in 1981 and led the group’s efforts three years ago to morph into the Columbus Jobs Foundation. A

#rickedwards #ColumbusJobs #columbusjobsfoundation

Rick Edwards has a tough time hiding his enthusiasm. “I feel very good about Columbus County,” the president of the Columbus Jobs Foundation (CJF) said Wednesday. “Our time has come. There’s no question.” On the heels of a June 2 annual dinner meeting of the Columbus Jobs Foundation – formerly the Columbus county Committee of 100. Edwards says,
“There was a lot 
of vim and vigor
at that meeting be
cause of the young
er people ages 28 to 
41 who have gotten 
involved. We’ve go

Columbus Jobs Foundation Chairman Rick Edwards told more than 100 people Monday night that efforts to reactivate economic activity at the former Georgia Pacific site west of Whiteville might be about to come to fruition. Edwards’ remarks came at an event at the Museum of Natural Sciences that was billed as a social/membership drive function. “The Georgia Pacific site, folks, is under contract,” Edwards said to applause. “They’re working through it, piece-by-piece. There are s

Rick Edwards, 64, remembers a “booming and bustling” Columbus County of decades ago. In his new role as chairman of the Columbus Jobs Foundation, Edwards is content as a behind-the-scenes force to bring the boom and bustle back. The former Columbus County Committee of 100 has done more than change its name, Edwards said. The Columbus Jobs Foundation brings a “new burst of life” to economic development, he said. The private economic development organization has a greater count