Shine On

There are certain people in every community that sacrificially give of their time, energy and talent for the benefit of others. I’m certain Saline County is blessed to have hundreds–if not thousands–of those kinds of people, but these three Saline County women have recently been recognized for their hard work and unwavering dedication to their passion.

My Mom always said, “Bloom where you are planted,” and that’s what these amazing Saline County residents are doing.  They are making a difference, growing, sharing and encouraging others to get involved right here in our own community.

Pam Toler

Pam Toler and her family moved to Bryant in 2003 and she currently serves as a Program Specialist for ASU Childhood Services. One of Pam’s greatest contributions to our community is formation of the Bryant Early Education (BEE) Coalition.

Founded in January 2010, the Coalition’s goal is to improve the quality of early childhood education for children birth to five years old. The BEE Coalition has successfully grown to its current size of twenty-six local childcare locations that serve the Bryant School District.

In tandem with Pam’s involvement in the BEE Coalition, she also serves as Chair of the Saline County Chapter of Imagination Library, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the literacy of young children by providing free books in their homes. Over 800 Saline County children participate in the program.

Pam believes the success of the BEE Coalition and the Imagination Library of Saline County is due to efforts of many people. “A person is only as good as the people with whom she surrounds herself, and I am surrounded by a remarkable group of people that support me and the early childhood work that I do in our community. I was thrilled to win, not for personal praise, but for the spotlight that this award has placed on the critical importance of early childhood investment.”

Pam’s other community activities include Bryant Swim Team Parent Representative, Collegeville PTO President, People for the Parks Committee, High School Millage Committee, Saline County Economic Development Corporation Education Committee, and the Bryant Chamber Education Committee.

Melissa Jones

Chamber Ambassadors are the face of the Chamber and represent the organization in the community. The Ambassadors are an amazingly dedicated group, but one went above and beyond this past year. Melissa Jones received the Ambassador of the Year award by being involved in many different facets of the Chamber; always there, always available to help out when and where she was needed.

Based on a point system, Melissa earned the most points among the Ambassador Committee by recruiting new members, visiting current members, attending ribbon cuttings and chamber events and volunteering at chamber events.

Melissa understands and believes in the importance of connecting people and businesses through the Ambassador program. “Being recognized as Ambassador of the year is an amazing honor. All of the Chamber Ambassadors work so hard to make it known that the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce is the front door to the community. Networking is a large part of business expansion and we assist in that process with opportunities for chamber members to mingle and expand
their business horizons. My motto is ‘The more you mingle, the more you grow’.”

In addition to Melissa’s work at the Chamber, she volunteers for the Junior Achievement program at Benton Junior High School, the Christian Community Care Clinic and Junior Achievement. She also serves the community as a juvenile probation officer.

Cheryl Cook

It takes an outgoing, dynamic person to convince people of the benefits of joining an organization, but that’s exactly what Cheryl Cook did, and she did it very well. At the Benton Chamber Winter Banquet, Cheryl was recognized as the Top Recruiter during the 2013 8-week long Benton Chamber of Commerce membership drive.  Not only did Cheryl personally add the most new members, she also served as captain of the team that recruited the most new members.

“As a business, I think it’s important to build relationships with other businesses and that happens through Chamber membership. It’s sort of like a ‘business family’. Being a part of the Chamber allows you to be informed and have a say in what is going on in your community. The Chamber has some great leadership and staff, but they can only grow and be strong through their members.”

Cheryl is serving a 3-year term starting January 2014 on the Benton Chamber Board of Directors and is also part of the Ambassador and Education committee. She is a Saline County native and works at Landers of Benton as administrative assistant to the area vice president.