Country Club kicks off

golf course renovation

VALDOSTA — The restoration and renovation of the historic Valdosta Country Club golf course kicked off earlier this month, with a groundbreaking ceremony.

“Today marks an exciting new chapter for the Valdosta Country Club as we break ground on a full-course renovation. It’s been 25 years since the last course reconstruction, so everyone is very eager. It’s going to be beautiful,” said Lee Smothers, VCC membership director.

The project vision features a Bill Bergin designed 18-hole course, a six-hole short course, a full short game area and practice range, country club representatives said in a statement.

The development encompasses replacing the greens, fairways, bunkers, irrigation and cart paths, for a completely new experience from tee to green.

“Combining our renovated golf course with the planned practice facility and a six-hole short course will truly make us a unique facility in our region,” said Cary Brown, VCC general manager and director of golf. “I have followed Bill Bergin’s work for some time and it is impressive how he creates challenges for the better player while maintaining playability for the higher handicapper.”

Organized in 1917, the Valdosta Country Club has a long and rich history in the community. The original clubhouse burned in 1958 and the new clubhouse was opened in December 1959. During the last course renovation in 1997, the Plantation and Bottom nines were rebuilt.

In 2017, the Valdosta Country Club celebrated its centennial anniversary. Today, the VCC has been known as a recreational and social center of the Valdosta area for more than 100 years.

Mike Godwin, From VCC club president, said, “Our groundbreaking was very exciting and is a culmination of much work with much more to be done. This is all due to the dedication and investment of our members, board and long-range planning committee.”

Construction of the golf course is expected to last 10 months and the renovated course is set to reopen in early October 2023.

Learn more at www.valdostacc.com.

Kellie Rae Photography named

Small Business of the Month

VALDOSTA – The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce and award sponsor First Commerce Credit Union named Kellie Rae Photography, 1821 Plum St., the November Small Business of the Month.

The long-standing chamber program was created to award local, hard-working small businesses, chamber representatives said in a statement.

Kellie Rae Trent, the owner of Kellie Rae Photography, is a portrait photographer who specializes in maternity and newborn photos but also offers family, children and pet photo sessions.

Trent is strongly involved in the community and is most well known for her partnership with the Humane Society of Valdosta.

“I partner with Santa Larry annually for a fundraiser with the Humane Society where 100% of the money from ‘Pets with Santa’ sessions go directly to the Humane Society,” Trent said.

She is also the primary cover photographer for The Valdosta Daily Times’ Valdosta Scene magazine.

As a business owner, Trent said her core values are “inclusion, innovation, self-improvement, customer commitment, passion and transparency.”

For more information, contact Trent by phone at (229) 415-2648, by email at kellieraephotography@gmail.com, or visit https://www.kellieraephotography.com/.

Uniti Fiber cuts ribbon

VALDOSTA – The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Uniti Fiber at the Barber House.

“Uniti Fiber is a leading telecom infrastructure provider with over 35,000 route fiber miles across the southeast,” chamber representatives said in a statement. “They offer services such as symmetrical dedicated internet access, manages services, cloud connection and phone systems.”

Morgan Warren, local account manager, said despite Uniti Fiber being a larger company, she is committed to Valdosta-Lowndes County.

“I enjoy getting to know the residents in the communities we serve and finding out what their needs are. We strive to approach businesses and our customers with a local touch,” Warren said.

Since installing a fiber network a couple of years ago, Uniti Fiber is now able to directly serve businesses and be another option for technology solutions in Valdosta, chamber representatives said.

“Because Uniti Fiber is only for businesses, there is no residential traffic which allows for a more stable and secure network,” representatives added.

Uniti Fiber has been named a “Great Place to Work” for the fifth year in a row and was also recently recognized as Military Times’ Best for Vets 2022.

Warren said she is excited to “meet folks and market Uniti Fiber more in the community.”

For more information, contact Morgan Warren at (478) 208-0870, or by email at morgan.warren@uniti.com.

Reid named Infinex

financial advisor

VALDOSTA – The Investment Centre at CBC Bank welcomed Greg Reid as its newest Infinex financial advisor, according to an announcement by J. Ryan Warren, president and chief executive officer of Commercial Banking Company.

With 17 years in the field of financial services, Reid, a certified accredited asset management specialist, brings a lengthy career of experience to The Investment Centre, bank representatives said in a statement.

Prior to CBC, he spent the entirety of his financial service career with Edward Jones, where he specialized in helping customers build, keep and transfer wealth.

He also spent 10 years as a community leader in the field as a member of the Region Leadership Team, the last three of which he served as a key leader.

“Having Greg join the team at The Investment Centre presents an exciting opportunity for CBC Bank. The relationships that he has worked to establish through the years will fit in perfectly with the vision that we have for the future of The Investment Centre,” Warren said.

Born and raised in South Africa, Reid attended the University of Arkansas, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in business management.

In addition to his academic achievements, Reid made his presence known as a stellar student-athlete, earning honors in both his junior and senior seasons as a two-time All-American golfer with the Razorbacks.

“I am excited about joining the team and The Investment Centre and I look forward to growing existing relationships as well as building new ones,” Reid said.

“I have been thoroughly impressed with the community feel of this organization and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

Reid has lived in the Valdosta area for nearly 16 years after living in Waycross for two years. He has been married to his wife, Holly, for 22 years, and their son, Jake, is a freshman at Valdosta State University.