Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation Welcomes Helen Caloz as Events & Marketing Coordinator
Smithfield, NC — The Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation (DSDC) is pleased to announce that Helen Caloz has joined the organization as its new Events and Marketing Coordinator. Helen brings with her several years of experience in theater management, marketing, and event planning, along with a strong background in community engagement and creative programming. She currently serves as an Ambassador for the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce, where she has built valuable relationships throughout the
From Field to Finance: BriAnna Walker Coaches Students on Workforce Competitiveness and Financial Li
SMITHFIELD - BriAnna Walker, Talent and Leadership Development Manager, visited Smithfield-Selma High School on Thursday, December 4, 2025, as a guest speaker, engaging students in an interactive and thought-provoking session focused on workforce competitiveness and financial literacy. Using the mindset of an athlete and a coach, Ms. Walker challenged students to think strategically about their future careers. Through three dynamic scenarios—stepping into the roles of job candidate, recruiter, and
Eighth-Grade Students Are Wowed at the 2025 JOCO WORKS World of Works
SMITHFIELD, NC - The air may have been chilly, but Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) eighth-grade students were fired up for the Triangle East Chamber’s 2025 JOCO WORKS World of Works (WOW). During the two-day event, held on the Johnston Community College campus, approximately 3,500 eighth-grade students had the opportunity to explore career possibilities from more than 40 Johnston County-based industries, including event sponsor Novo Nordisk, UNC Health Johnston, the North Carolina Forestry
Scaling Smart: How Small Businesses Can Manage Sudden Growth Without Losing Focus
When growth hits hard and fast, control becomes the first casualty. Whether you’re a local café that’s suddenly gone viral or a SaaS startup adding hundreds of new clients a month, scaling without structure can turn success into chaos. The key isn’t just growing faster — it’s growing in formation. TL;DR Rapid growth strains finances, team systems, and customer experience. Build scalable structures early — finance controls, team frameworks, and data visibility tools. Focus on governance
Cracking the Code: How to Turn Local Intel into Business Strategy
You’re sitting on a goldmine and don’t even know it. Right outside your storefront, in the coffee shops and laundromats and food trucks humming a block away, are patterns, habits, and whispers that—if read right—can tell you exactly what your next move should be. Strategy isn’t just spreadsheets and quarterly forecasts, it’s how well you can read the room, especially when the room is your zip code. It’s not glamorous, but that’s the point. What works in Midtown won’t fly in Midtown South, and your biggest
Triangle East Chamber Announces Legacy Awards Celebration
Award Recipients to Be Honored on June 14th, 2022 SMITHFIELD, NORTH CAROLINA, May 5, 2022— The Triangle East Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce their first annual Legacy Awards celebration, an evening dedicated to honoring leaders who are investing their time, talent, and resources to impact our community. Four distinguished awards will be presented: the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Citizen of the Year Award, the Jimmy Creech Small Businessperson of the Year Award, and the Emerging Leader
LEADERSHIP JOHNSTON LAUNCHES CLASS OF 2022
SMITHFIELD, NORTH CAROLINA, January 15, 2022— A fully engaged Leadership Johnston program returns to Johnston County this year! The eleven-month program is designed for those who want to learn more about the county while developing and refining leadership skills. Through a variety of personal growth opportunities, individuals will gain a more in-depth understanding of the many facets of Johnston County, build crisis leadership and change management skills, and learn the skills necessary for effectively
Kelly Wallace Selected for U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program
Fellowship Provides State and Local Business Leaders with Opportunities toEngage Nationally on Critical Education and Workforce Issues WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation today announced Kelly Wallace, Vice President & COO of the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce was selected to participate in the fifth cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development
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Smithfield-Selma Chamber honors distinguished citizens at Annual Meeting
SMITHFIELD, North Carolina — The Greater Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce culminated its 2016 year at its 47th Annual Meeting with a farewell bid to its President of 30 years, Rick Childrey; recognitions of members who earned special honors; and, a passing of the gavel from 2016 Board Chair Dr. Dwight Morris, Executive Director of the Johnston County Partnership for Children, to 2017 Board Chair Corina Knott, Senior Account Executive with Interstate Outdoor, Inc. Knott expressed excitement
