Greenville Chamber held its 137th annual meeting at Greenville Convention Center on Feb. 26.
The meeting included a conversation hosted by chamber President and CEO Carlos Phillips with U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark.
Clark laid out several national priorities for the organization, including streamlining permitting processes, seeking more investment in infrastructure, asking for a federal policy on artificial intelligence, promoting legislation to combat frivolous lawsuits, and reforming immigration to allow more skilled labor into the country.
She gave a clear stance on federal trade tariffs, highlighting the uncertainty of the past year as President Trump levied and changed tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
“You want your trade policy to stick so that you can actually make a trade agreement, plan your supply chain, and know – with certainty – that its going to work,” Clark said.
Clark also addressed the topic of tariff refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled Trump’s use of IEEPA was illegal.
“If the government took money from you illegally, it shouldn’t be allowed to keep it,” she said.
Greenville Chamber annual awards recipients
The chamber also handed out its annual awards. They were:
- Small business of the year, sponsored by Greenville Triumph and Liberty soccer clubs: Greenville Drive
- Minority business of the year, sponsored by Hughes Agency: New Horizon Tax & Financial Services
- Young professional of the year, sponsored by AFL: Adam Jennings, destination experiences manager, VisitGreenvilleSC
- Ambassador of the year, sponsored by Carter Bank: Don Morris, volunteer coordinator, Family Hospice
- Athena Leadership Award, sponsored by Velda Carter Hughes: Beth Paul, general manager, Bon Secours Wellness Arena
- Max Heller Neighborhood Improvement Award, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina: Greenville Together
- Leadership Greenville Distinguished Alumni Award, sponsored by Prisma Health: Brian Royal, executive vice president, Harper General Contractors
- F. Ben Haskew Collaboration Award, sponsored by Furman University: Bob Morris, president, Community Foundation of Greenville
- Chairperson’s Award, sponsored by Ogletree Deakins: Ken Peterson, vice president of people development and inclusion, ScanSource
- Buck Mickel Leadership Award, sponsored by Duke Energy: Lynn Harton, chairman and CEO, United Community
The 2026 chair of the Greenville Chamber Board of Directors is Michelle Seaver, United Community’s president for Greenville, Spartanburg and Cherokee counties.
Greenville Chamber was founded in 1889. Its offices are located at 550 S. Main St. in downtown Greenville.
