Nov 30, 2015 | Community Vibrancy, Uncategorized
Upstate, SC [November 30, 2015] – Phil Hughes, the President of Hughes Investments and a long-time supporter of community vibrancy efforts in the Upstate, has been recognized as the 2015 recipient of the Welling Award for Collaboration, which is presented by Ten at the Top (TATT) in honor of the organization’s founding chairman Irv Welling.
Welling presented the award to Mr. Hughes at the Our Upstate Vision/Ten at the Top Regional Forum on November 19th.
“What I would like to do more than anything if I possibly can, is to make this region good enough where my kids will want to come back.” Hughes said. “Thank you so very much for this honor.”
The Welling Award is given to recognize individuals, businesses, or organizations whose actions have demonstrated a sustained commitment and effort to developing and fostering regional collaboration(s) that work strategically to make the Upstate one of the best places to live, learn, do business and raise a family.
“He’s [Phil] not someone who does anything without doing it fully. He’s been a very strong contributor and supporter of all our efforts,” Welling said. “He’s put his money where his mouth is. He has made contributions that have helped throughout the whole region in various substantive ways.”
In 2013, Hughes started the Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants Program, which provides funding support to communities across the region to help them grow the sense of place and local vibrancy within their communities. Over the last three years, 12 communities have received grants totaling $43,000 in support.
Hughes is a founding board member of Ten at the Top and has served as a member of the Executive Committee. He also currently serves as the South Carolina Chairman for the Urban Land Institute (ULI).
Ten at the Top is a regional collaboration organization focused on promoting collaboration, partnerships and strategic planning across the Upstate on issues that impact economic vitality and quality of life in the ten-county region. Welling served as chairman of Ten at the Top from its founding in 2005 through 2011.
###
Nov 23, 2015 | Elevate Upstate, Uncategorized
Upstate, SC [November 23, 2015] – Ten at the Top (TATT), an organization created to enhance economic vitality and quality of life across the Upstate by fostering collaboration and strategic partnerships has announced the recipients for the 2015 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants.
The program, which began in 2013, annually provides “seed funds” to support vibrancy initiatives in communities across the Upstate region. There were 26 applications for the 2015 grants and five finalists gave brief presentations before the selections were made during the Our Upstate Vision Forum on November 19th.
The commitment from Phil Hughes and Hughes Investments is to annually provide two grants of $5,000 each. However, for 2015, Hughes provided an additional $5,000 with the third grant being split amongst two communities.
The two $5,000 recipients are:
celebrate agriCULTURE: Greenwood – The Arts Council of Greenwood County plans to celebrate national farmers market week with several activities: tailored pieces of art to exhibit and family fun day focused on our agricultural heritage, cooking demonstrations, etc. throughout the six week celebration.
Music at the Museum: Greenville – In a partnership between the Children’s Museum of the Upstate and the Furman University Partners in the Arts Program, student and faculty ensembles will perform a series of mini concerts.
Two other finalists will receive $2,500 towards their project:
Art in the Park: Woodruff – The Woodruff Living Arts Festival will be a downtown event which will bring art to life in the Upstate.
Walkable Cultural District: Spartanburg – The Art Partnership (TAP) in collaboration with the Spartanburg Arts Museum (SAM) aims to create a temporary public art installation to uniquely launch the newly designated Spartanburg Downtown cultural District.
“The goal of the Elevate Upstate program is to get communities thinking about what types of initiatives or programs might help spark vibrancy within their area and then provide some seed money to get some of them started,” said Hughes Investments President Phil Hughes. “In the three years we have done this program, I have been amazed by the great ideas and passion of communities across the region to grow their vibrancy and sense of place. It was a real challenge to narrow the field to five finalists and to select the recipients.”
Nov 9, 2015 | Elevate Upstate, Uncategorized
Upstate, SC [November 9, 2015] – Ten at the Top (TATT), an organization created to foster collaboration, partnerships and strategic planning across the Upstate, has announced the finalists for the 2015 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants.
The five finalists were chosen from a total of 26 applications submitted for the two grants available in 2015. Hughes Investments is contributing $10,000 per year to the program with two recipients each year receiving $5,000 to support a new vibrancy initiative in the Upstate. The program began in 2013 in conjunction with a series of Community Vibrancy Workshops hosted by Ten at the Top.
“The goal of the Elevate Upstate program is to get communities thinking about what types of initiatives or programs might help spark vibrancy within their area and then provide some seed money to get some of them started,” said Hughes Investments President Phil Hughes. “In the two years we have done this program I have been amazed by the great ideas and passion of communities across the region to grow their vibrancy and sense of place. It was a real challenge to narrow the field to five finalists.”
During the Ten at the Top Regional Forum on November 19th the five finalists will each provide a brief overview of their initiative before the two 2015 recipients are selected and announced. The cost to attend the forum is $10, prior registration is required. The forum will be held from 3-5 pm at the Greenville Marriott. To register go to www.tenatthetop.org.
Here are the five finalists (applying organization and project name):
Art in the Park: Woodruff – The Woodruff Living Arts Festival will be a downtown event which will bring art to life in the Upstate.
Greer Made – A new project designed to honor Greer’s history and revitalize the maker’s spirit of our community, Greer Made will focus on highlighting companies and products that are made right here in the Greer area.
celebrate agriCULTURE: Greenwood – The Arts Council of Greenwood County plans to celebrate national farmers market week with several activities: tailored pieces of art to exhibit and family fun day focused on our agricultural heritage, cooking demonstrations, etc. throughout the six week celebration.
Music at the Museum: Greenville – In a partnership between the Children’s Museum of the Upstate and the Furman University Partners in the Arts Program, student and faculty ensembles will perform a series of mini concerts.
Walkable Cultural District: Spartanburg – The Art Partnership (TAP) in collaboration with the Spartanburg Arts Museum (SAM) aims to create a temporary public art installation to uniquely launch the newly designated Spartanburg Downtown cultural District.
The selection committee for the Elevate Upstate Grants Program includes Phil Hughes (President, Hughes Investments), Ingo Angermeier (SmartPulse), and Terence Roberts (Mayor, City of Anderson).
Nov 2, 2015 | Uncategorized
Upstate, SC [November 2, 2015] – Ten at the Top (TATT) an organization created to foster collaboration, partnerships and strategic planning across the Upstate, will focus the fourth and final Our Upstate Vision Forum of 2015 on the celebrating successes in the Upstate. The forum will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2015 from 3:00-5:00pm at the Greenville Marriott (1 Parkway East Greenville, SC 29615. A networking reception will immediately follow the forum.
The first three session so of the 2015 Our Upstate Vision Forum had specific focus on the issues of transportation, healthcare and economic vitality in local communities. The series looked at issues that are crucial as the region strives to be universally recognized as a leading place to live, learn, do business and raise a family.
While it is critical to continue looking at areas where we must continue to work to make the Upstate an even better place for generations to come, it is also important that we take opportunities to recognize and understand some of the great things from our past and things that are happening today in our region.
The forum will include recognition of companies and organizations celebrating milestone anniversaries (20 years or more) in 2015. Ten at the Top will announce the recipients of the Community Vibrancy ELEVATE UPSTATE Grants. The five finalists will give a short presentation about their project and what it will do for the community they represent.
The Our Upstate Vision Forum Series began in 2012 with TATT hosting for forums across the Upstate. The series continues in 2015 with BlueCross BlueShiled of South Carolina serving as the Series Premier Sponsor.
The cost to attend the forum is $10 and advanced registration is required at www.tenatthetop.org. Registration deadline is November 18th. For more information contact Ten at the Top at 864-283-2317.
