Business owners, politicians and community leaders filled the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center Thursday night for the 151st annual meeting of the Selma – Dallas County Chamber of Commerce to thank volunteers and welcome new board members.

Dallas County Commissioner Kim Ballard agreed. &uot;I support the chamber and all it does,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re one of the few cities that can boast annual meetings for 151 years.&uot;

This year also boasted the first woman chairperson of the chamber’s board. Kathi Needham assumes the seat of James Bearden. Applause resounded through the convention center as Needham accepted the gavel from Bearden and introduced the incoming board members.

George Needham said gathering chamber members as well as city and county officials in one location showed the community’s diversity. &uot;It’s a nice thing to get everybody together,&uot; he said.

Claire Twardy, executive director of the chamber, said the meeting gave members an opportunity to network. &uot;It’s important for this community to get the chance to come together and honor those volunteers from the past year and look forward to the future,&uot; she said. &uot;We probably have 260 people here tonight. I think that’s a credit to our community that things are alive and well in Selma, Alabama.&uot;

Mayor James Perkins Jr. echoed those sentiments. &uot;The Chamber of Commerce and the Centre for Commerce is where business meets business and where relationships are formed,&uot; he said.

Perkins added that new business owners and established ones got an opportunity to come together at the annual meeting. &uot;It also gives us a chance to gather and build a community. I think that’s what this is really about,&uot; he said.