Other notable attendees included local business leaders and elected officials, including Rockdale Medical Center CEO Deborah Armstrong, Shop the Rock committee co-chairs, Diane Adoma and Scott Hartsell, Keith McGibony of Shadowood Enterprises, County Commissioner Oz Nesbitt, Rockdale County Public Schools Board of Education Chairman Wales Barksdale and board member Jim McBrayer,  State Representative Pam Dickerson and Rockdale County Tax Commissioner Dan Ray.

After the invocation and the pledge of allegiance the Rotary clubs conducted their business and then turned the program over to Lorraine Harrison who facilitated the event. A short video was shown that introduced the program and featured appearances by Mayor Randy Mills, Chairman Richard Oden, Chairman Lorraine Harrison, Glenn Sears, Executive Director of the Conyers Rockdale Economic Development Council, Diane Adoma and Deborah Armstrong. The video will be posted online on the Shop The Rock program website.

After the video Mayor Mills, Chairman Oden, Diane Adoma, Wales Barksdale, Deborah Armstrong and Keith McGibony spoke to the group about what they expected from the program and how the program would positively impact overall economic development and quality of life in Rockdale County and Conyers. Lorraine Harrison also explained how the new program would be advertised and promoted locally by our local news media, electronic billboards on I-20, and a contest encouraging people to spend $20 on the 20th of each month with local merchants. The online contest will use Facebook and Twitter to promote the program and help spread the word.

Merchants will be given the opportunity to sponsor the program and receive recognition on the program website, www.ShopTheRock.org, as well as signage for their businesses to show that they are participating in the program.

The kick off event was heavily supported by local businesses who provided in-kind products and services to launch the program. We would like to recognize these businesses.

• Conyers Kids (Video Production)
• Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce (Event Supplies)
• Copy Central (Banners & Printing)
• imijit.net (Website Design, Online Marketing, Video Production)
• Rockdale Medical Center (Event Facility)
• Rotary Club of Rockdale County & Rotary Club of Conyers (Meeting Host, Breakfast for Visitors)
• Shadowood Enterprises (Logo and Graphics Design, Printing)
• Sign-A-Rama (Banners & Printing)
• The Event Professionals (Event Planning)

Partners

Sponsors

The following Rockdale County Businesses have sponsored the ShopTheRock initiative. We encourage you to thank them and patronize their businesses whenever possible.

Contest Sponsors

The following local businesses have provided prizes for our online contests. Please be sure to patronize these local merchants whenever you can.

“Rockdale County plans to launch a new campaign, “Shop the Rock,” using social media—Facebook and Twitter—to reward those who spend in Rockdale. Olde Town Conyers is filled with picturesque businesses prime for the new “Shop the Rock” initiative, which kicks off on May 2. Officials say they plan to use the initiative to get more people, especially Rockdale’s own residents, to shop locally. The campaign officially kicks off on May 2.”

To read the entire article online use this link.