Chamber of Commerce announces postponements
News March 14, 2020
DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. –The health and safety of our members and community is a top priority for the Dawson County Chamber. Click here to find the COVID-19 brochure created by the Center for Disease Control that we encourage you to print and share with your employees and customers.
Our Chamber office will remain open as a “Handshake-Free Zone”. In compliance with CDC guidelines, we have decided to postpone the following events that were scheduled to be held in the next two weeks:
ConnectDAWSON seminar, IGNITE-new member orientation, Eggs & the Economy breakfast, Mountain Madness 15k trail run, Business After Hours, and Youth Leadership Dawson. Committee meetings will be held virtually.
Please keep an eye on our website for updates on events, Chamber news, and resources to help your business weather this trying time.
Additionally, with the impacts of COVID-19 on our local business community already in effect, in addition to good hand hygiene and common-sense precautions with your employees and patrons, the Dawson County Chamber encourages all local businesses to consider the following:
For your business: Prepare for negative economic impacts.
Capital: Create, confirm, or expand your line of credit.
Staffing: Develop staffing plans for varying levels of customers and revenue (what does an 80% scenario plan look like?).
Insurance: Check with your insurance provider to understand your coverage and options.
Helpful links:
Small Business Administration Business response guidance and economic disaster injury loan program: https://www.sba.gov/page/guidance-businesses-employers-plan-respond-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
Business Continuity Plan guidance: https://www.ready.gov/business-continuity-plan
For your customers: Make your place of business as hygienic as possible and communicate what you are doing to customers so they feel comfortable visiting.
For your employees: Check, modify, and communicate HR policies regarding remote working, sick-leave, and compensation during a health crisis. Try to ensure your policies are as flexible and non-punitive as possible. Sick employees should be encouraged to stay home.
For your workflow: Cross-train employees for key functions so that daily schedules can continue relatively uninterrupted by potential employee absences. Where relevant, consider staggering start and end times to reduce large numbers of people coming together at the same time; and create and test remote employee collaboration systems (consider apps such as Slack and Zoom).
For your cashflow: Communicate with your landlord (or tenants) and lenders about expectations and request flexibility (better to have that conversation now).
For yourself: Eat well, sleep, and exercise. Taking care of yourself in this time of stress will improve your resistance to infection and resilience in managing difficult business situations. And of course, wash your hands all the time and don’t touch your face, or anyone else, for that matter.
For your Chamber: We exist to serve our members. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions about business resources during this difficult time.
For additional information about COVID-19, we encourage you to visit the Georgia Department of Public Health (https://dph.georgia.gov) and the Center for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html)
Forsyth County attorney will run for U.S. Congress
News February 20, 2020
Ethan Underwood
CUMMING, GA – Ethan Underwood, a successful property rights attorney who previously served as Chairman of Forsyth County Republican Party and 2nd Vice Chair of the 9th Congressional District Republican Party, has announced his campaign for U.S. Congress. Current GA09 Representative Doug Collins recently announced his decision to run for U.S. Senate.
“I am running for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 9th District because we need a battle-ready Republican leader who can make decisions and take action day-one on the issues that are in the best interest of our district and our state,” said Underwood. “While Washington, DC is embroiled in a hostile, philosophical fight, Northeast Georgia communities care about problems and solutions in real life. I will work relentlessly to clear the path for our citizens to make a living and pursue happiness.”
Biography of Ethan Underwood
Ethan has family roots in Northeast Georgia that date back to the 1830s. Growing up in Ringgold, and later just over the border in TN, Ethan settled in north Forsyth County in 2003 where he has pursued his legal career and continues to rear his family of four with his wife, Tiffany, of 22 years. The Underwood family attends Mountain Lake Church.
Ethan’s parents met in high school and took turns supporting each other as they each pursued higher education and became the first in their families to finish college. His father served in the U.S. Air Force and then spent his career as a pharmaceutical representative. His mother ultimately earned her Masters Degree and became a biology teacher. His parents set a true example for Ethan and his brother, instilling a strong work ethic and the importance of conservative, family values.
During high school, Ethan had a teacher who encouraged his interest in government and connected him with a political campaign as a volunteer at age 15. Since then, Ethan has worked to elect conservative candidates at all levels of government.
In college at UT-Chattanooga, Ethan met and married his wife, Tiffany. With the addition of their son to the Underwood family, Ethan and Tiffany moved to Knoxville. Living in a modular home in a floodplain, Tiffany took a job as middle school teacher while Ethan completed the JD-MBA program at UT-Knoxville with a J.D. concentration in business transactions and an M.B.A. concentration in finance.
Their daughter Elise was born during this time and she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. As Ethan completed law school and sought a full-time job in Georgia, he and his family were also navigating the healthcare system with Elise facing open-heart surgery. Followed their move to Georgia, Elise underwent chemotherapy treatments for AML-leukemia at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. With a strong faith and family support system, Ethan and Tiffany took charge of their new journey and thankfully, Elise has been cancer-free for 15 years. For this reason, Ethan is passionate about making certain Georgians have access to quality, privately-funded healthcare options – and fighting against a single-payer healthcare system.
Ethan and his family settled in Forsyth County and welcomed two more daughters, Amelia and Charlotte. As supporters of educational choice, Ethan and Tiffany know that a one-size-fits-all educational system does not work for all children, and have worked with public, private, and homeschooling options for their children’s needs. Their girls are still in school, and recently, their son, Gabriel, completed a term in the U.S. Army.
Ethan has spent the last 17 years as a lawyer with a focus on representing private property owners against government in land use, condemnation, and tax appeal cases. As a partner at Miles, Hansford & Tallant, LLC in Forsyth County, his success has come from being an advocate for private property owners as they navigate the political process and government systems. Ethan is active in the community, having served on numerous boards for local civic and charitable organizations, including the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, the Bald Ridge Lodge, Inc., and Rewarding Minds, Inc. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Alpharetta.
A proven conservative, Ethan served as Chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party from 2009-2013, and 2nd Vice Chair of the 9th Congressional District Republican Party until April 2015. He is currently a member of the GOP State Committee.
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