The One Sumter Economic Development Foundation is proud to host its Third Annual Donor Breakfast, celebrating a hallmark year of activity and progress for economic development in Sumter County.  The event will take place on Tuesday, August 21, at 7:30am at the Rees Park Economic Development Center.
 
With changes in leadership, new staff, and expanded partnerships; the One Sumter Board of Directors has much to share with its investors in terms of accomplishments over the last year and looks forward to sharing upcoming plans for continued work in the years to come.  Chairman Alex Saratsiotis reflects on the progress of the last year and the sentiment the Board shares for building on that momentum.  “We’ve had a great year and made a lot of progress towards meeting the objectives of our donors.  We believe we’ve done a lot of good work for the community, but of course, there’s always more than needs to be done,” Saratsiotis states.
 
He continues, “We want One Sumter to continue to serve as a catalyst for change in Sumter County in the years to come, and that can’t happen if we simply stop our efforts just as we are starting to see progress.”
 
One Sumter hosts the donor event each year as a platform to update One Sumter contributors and community partners regarding the implementation of the 2015-2019 Business Action Plan, which focuses on economic development, workforce development, marketing and communications, and transportation.  With special announcements to be made Tuesday morning, the annual Donor Breakfast provides an opportunity for One Sumter to thank its donors and stakeholders for their continued investment in the community’s economic development initiative—and to share accomplishments collectively achieved over the last 12 months.  As the foundation looks to enter its fifth year of operation in January, it’s an ideal time to outline the vision forward with its investors.
 
Saratsiotis see the donors and their investments as central to One Sumter’s success. “Thanks to our donors, our community is just now starting to see a lot of energy and synergy around important issues related to economic development.  Our desire is to continue that work by expanding One Sumter’s work beyond the five years, beyond 2019.  We need the support of our investors and the community at large to move forward, of course, and we hope to begin outlining the need to expand our programs at Tuesday’s event.”
 
Mary Beth Bass, One Sumter’s Executive Director, echoes Saratsiotis’ enthusiasm. With a different format for this year’s Donor Breakfast, she and the Board are hopeful that the event will provide the opportunity for direct feedback, questions and discussion with donors.
 
“We are so proud of the work we have accomplished over the last 12 months, thanks in large part to the contributions of time and effort from hundreds of volunteers, community and business leaders.  We wouldn’t be where we are today without their efforts, and we want to make sure our donors understand the value of that engagement.
 
Bass continues, “In meeting with many of our donors over the last year, the feedback I have received is that they are very proud of the work we are doing, but they want the opportunity to hear directly from those doing the work—myself, and the Board of Directors—as to where we are seeing success, and where we have experienced difficulties.  The Donor Breakfast next week is an opportunity to provide that feedback directly in a large group setting, and while some of the discussion may not be easy, it is important for our donors and community partners to understand what roadblocks we’ve encountered and why.  It’s a partnership, and that means we need to be transparent with those who have invested in our efforts.”