Daily Archives: January 25, 2022
Envision Williamston Awards Main Street Winner
Envision Williamston, in partnership with Town of Williamston reopened the Main Street Challenge New Business Program. The Main Street Challenge is an entrepreneurial start-up competition for the purpose of generating additional retail occupancy in downtown Williamston.
The Main Street Challenge offered an incentive package up to $5,000 for a new retail business or restaurant to locate in downtown Williamston no later than October 30, 2022.
Depending on applicants, there was to be one award of $5,000 or two awards of $2,500.
Main Street Challenge applications were due March 15, 2022.
Envision Williamston Choose Raines In Williamston as The Main Street Challenge Winner. They received their Award at the Williamston Town Counsil Meeting and Will Receive 6 Monthly Installment Payments.
Envision Williamston has also reopened the Façade Improvement Program which is designed to stimulate a limited number of additional improvements to the exterior of commercial buildings within the Town of Williamston.
Facade Grant applications must be turned in to the Envision Williamston’s drop box at Town
Hall by June 30.
For information on either program, contact Envision Williamston Director Roberta Hamby at EWBoardMembers@gmail.com or by scheduled appointment at the Envision Williamston Town Hall office at (864) 847-7473.
Roberta Hamby to serve as Envision Williamston Executive Director
Roberta Barrs Hamby has recently agreed to serve as Envision Williamston’s new part time Executive Director.
Envision Williamston has seen some substantial changes in the past few years. With Covid bringing everything, everywhere to a standstill, the program also stalled.
Then with the budget for the program being cut in half, the position of Executive Director was eliminated and made the future of the program very uncertain.
Roberta Hamby, who was the Vice Chair of the Envision Williamston Board of Directors, stepped up and volunteered to make sure the program could continue.
Roberta has been with the program since it began in 2014 as the Main Street program. She has been quoted several times as saying that she believes in the program and all the benefits that it offers the Town of Williamston.
Roberta volunteered countless hours to the program to ensure that it would survive.
She spearheaded the largest undertaking that Envision Williamston has ever attempted with the Williamston’s Winter Wonderland Event in November. The event was a huge success and the Board met and decided that they wanted to ask Hamby if she would consider staying on, as a paid Part Time Executive Director.
Roberta and her husband Mike moved to the Williamston area in 1994 to get their two daughters in the award-winning District one schools. Roberta, who has been a Realtor since 1992, opened her own real estate company, Palmetto Properties Real Estate, Inc. in Williamston in 2002. Roberta agreed to accept the Executive Director position with the understanding that it will only be part time because she will continue her real estate career full time.
On December 1, Hamby resigned her position as Vice Chair on the Envision Williamston Board of Directors and stepped into the role as Executive Director for Envision Williamston.
“I love this town and the people here and I look very forward to helping the town grown and be the very best that it can be,” Hamby said. “And since many people have asked what exactly is Envision Williamston, I though now would be a great time to tell you a little ab out who we are and what we do.”
What is Envision Williamston?