Charleston Metro Chamber Announces New and Newly Promoted Team Members

CHARLESTON, SC – May 12, 2014 – Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the recent promotions and hiring of three professionals on the team. Kathleen Forbes has been promoted to Associate Vice President of Sponsor Relations and Special Events. Cambron Jewell has been promoted to Small Business Programs Manager. Therese Gordon was recently hired as the Business Advancement Coordinator.

Kathleen Forbes, Associate Vice President of Sponsor Relations and Special Events

Kathleen Forbes was recently promoted to the position of Associate Vice President of Sponsor Relations and Special Events. In her role, she leads and manages a team responsible for the development, coordination and execution of programs and events designed for Chamber members and related audiences of the regional business community. Forbes works closely with each Chamber division to ensure that programs are designed to deliver the highest value for members, ensuring that vendors and program participants are providing cutting edge information and valuable experiences to the business community.

Forbes joined the Chamber in May, 2013 as Director of Program Development. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Trident Technical College Foundation for six years, creating and expanding donor relationships and leading staff, volunteers and a Board of Trustees in fundraising campaigns and special events. She was also Director of Major Gifts for the Roper St. Francis Foundation, and served as Senior Director of Corporate Relations for the American Heart Association.

Kathleen Forbes is a graduate of the College of Charleston where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Sociology and a minor in Communications. She is a 2005 graduate of the Charleston Metro Chamber’s Leadership Charleston program and is a 2006 member of the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Forty Under 40. She serves on the board of the local chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is a member of The Rotary Club of Charleston. She resides in Mt. Pleasant with her husband and two children.

Cambron Jewell, Small Business Programs Manager

Cambron Jewell, who joined the Chamber in April, 2013 as an Event Coordinator, was recently promoted to the position of Small Business Programs Manager. She is responsible for creating programs and services that support the growing number of small business throughout the region, which make up 81% of Chamber member organizations. (The Chamber identifies small businesses as those employing no more than 50 employees.) Small Business programs and events include the Chamber’s annual business exposition – Metro Show, awards programs for small businesses, and the popular series Business in your Backyard which occurs throughout the region over eight months. Cambron works to elevate the offerings for employees of small businesses and provide informative, value-driven programming that is distinctive to members of the Chamber.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Cambron Jewell worked for Lipman Brothers Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee as Marketing Coordinator and as the On-Premise Sales Coordinator, where she created and executed marketing strategy for the beverage distributor and their portfolio of brands. She managed national accounts and assisted in the sales process with the design of sales tools. Jewell also worked for the Nashville Superspeedway as an Administrative Assistant of Operations.

Cambron is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee where she earned a Master of Sports Administration. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She has lived in several countries around the world and now resides in West Ashley. She is an active blogger, cook and a fan of athletics and the Southern lifestyle.

Therese Gordon, Business Advancement Coordinator

Therese Gordon recently joined the Chamber as the Business Advancement Coordinator. In this position she provides assistance and coordination of all Advancement initiatives including World Trade Center Charleston, Innovation and Entrepreneurism, and Charleston Young Professionals. Gordon also coordinates the Executive Women’s Roundtable programs and provides assistance for visiting international delegations. Prior to this position, Therese spent three months in a temporary position as the Chamber’s Marketing Coordinator.

Gordon’s previous experience includes work as a PR and Communications Assistant for Silver Crescent Consulting, a Charleston public relations firm, where her responsibilities included social media, press, writing and research for multiple clients.

Therese earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from the Community College of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. She is originally from Nassjo, Sweden where her family still resides. She and her husband now reside on James Island and are expectant parents of a son. Therese enjoys cooking, baking and preparing for their soon-to-arrive family member.

About the Chamber: With more than 1,700 member organizations representing 100,000 professionals, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the collective voice of the business community and a catalyst for advancing the region’s economy and enhancing members’ success through Advocacy, Innovation, Talent and Business Advancement. Visit charlestonchamber.net.