"South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce membership joins your business to your City, Township, School and fellow business partners."

Education

Maxton an 'Outstanding Leader'

November 18, 2004 will be known henceforth as "Julia Maxton Day" in Centerville.

The day was so named to honor Maxton, president of the South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce, for receiving the Outstanding Community Leader Award from the Ohio Career Education Association.

Maxton was presented the distinction during the organization's conference in Columbus.

According to Maxton, the initial pool of nominees numbered over a thousand. The names submitted for the award were pared down to regional selections, from which Maxton was chosen.

"I really had no idea what a big deal this was until I got up there at the convention," Maxton said.

In the wake of her award, Maxton received a letter from Ohio Governor Bob Taft and, with an edict from the City of Centerville, had a November day named in her honor.

The Ohio Career Education Association chose Maxton for the award due to her work with student career programs in Centerville and other communities. As president of the South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce, Maxton serves on the Centerville Career Education Planning District Business Advisory Committee and chairs the chamber's Business Advisory Council, which serves Centerville schools and two other districts.

Maxton has helped sponsor business speakers, field trips to area businesses, career planning seminars, and job shadowing workstations for students. Maxton also pens articles for the chamber's newsletter, discussing skills needed in the work force, career passports, and other subjects useful to students.

Maxton is also a member of the school district's Career Technical Planning District Advisory Committee.

Maxton feels that encouraging career planning is an essential part of a student's education. "They have to start determining their career path early on," Maxton said.

In 2002, Maxton helped start the Centerville Leadership Academy, which recruits students with leadership skills. The students engage in monthly discussions with community leaders from local businesses and educational institutions. Graduates from the program receive high school credit and are recognized during Centerville High School's year-end Blue Ribbon Ceremony.

Maxton, a resident of Centerville, doesn't lack any personal involvement in the school system, as her two daughters went through Centerville schools.

The Centerville-Bellbrook Times dated November 24, 2004

The Importance of Schools

The South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Education Cooperative (BEC) was established in 1997 when the Chamber and the school districts of Centerville, Miamisburg and West Carrollton received a large grant to establish one of the first programs of career development in the State of Ohio.

This award-winning program is in place today and is highly successful.

Click on the BEC Interest Form to participate (Microsoft Word Document).

Survey of Education Needs

The Chamber also awards teacher grants, refundable student entrepreneur grants, conducts leadership and career clubs and teacher/counselor on-site career immersion sessions. Read the results of our survey of area employers.

School Web Sites

Centerville: Information in Our Annual Report | Centerville City Schools Web Site

West Carrollton: Information in Our Annual Report | West Carrollton Schools Web Site

Miamisburg: Information in Our Annual Report / Miamisburg City Schools Web Site

South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce
7887 Washington Village Drive, Suite 265, Dayton, OH 45459
Phone: 937-433-2032 | Fax: 937-433-6881

Contact: Deanna Lang (deanna.lang@smrcoc.org)

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