The 2024 State of the State Address will be held on Thursday, Aug. 22, as Gov. Kay Ivey will take the stage inside of Carter Gymnasium at Athens State University for the chance to highlight the progress of Alabama — and specifically the progress seen in Athens and Limestone County.
The special event, which is put on by the Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce, will give local community members the unique opportunity to hear directly from the 54th governor of the state.
“She will update the Athens-Limestone County community on different projects and initiatives going on at the state level,” Pammie Jimmar, president of the Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce, told The News Courier. “She typically talks about the different bills that were passed during the 2024 legislative session, while also updating us on projects going on at the local level that directly affects us.”
Jimmar noted how thankful she was to continue to be able to host the Governor year after year, emphasizing the continued growth of this “tight-knit” community as the main reason Ivey and her team have made this an annual event.
“We are growing by leaps and bounds each year, and I’m sure she sees that and knows how much potential our area has,” Jimmar said. “If you look at the work on our infrastructure in the area, they’ve been forward thinkers on that as they widen the major roads and highways nearby us. So, I’m sure she’ll talk about that and all the other projects going on across the state.”
Seats for the event are going to be hard to come by, as Jimmar mentioned she expected to see a full crowd packed inside of the ASU gym. The event is scheduled to begin with a brief lunch at 11:30 a.m., before the program officially starts at noon.
After that event comes to a close, the Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce will host their second program of the day and the first program of its kind in the area — the Young Professionals of Athens-Limestone County Kickoff Event.
“This is something that I am really passionate about finally starting, because if we don’t retain the talents of our young professionals in our area — then we won’t remain relevant,” Jimmar said. “This is our way to connect and network with them, so we can keep up with the issues and concerns that are important to the younger members of our community.”
Jimmar highlighted that the event will not only celebrate the launch of the networking group, but also give them the opportunity to learn more about what future events will be held in the area for them to expand their audiences toward.
The event, which will be held at Merchant’s Alley in downtown Athens, is scheduled to begin on Thursday at 5 p.m., with a “Sip and Social” followed by an introductory information meeting at 6 p.m.
“We are thrilled to support initiatives that empower our Young Professionals,” Jimmar said. “This program is a testament to our commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our community.”
For more information on these events, and how to register to attend, please visit www.alcchamber.org. The State of the State Address has sold out of seats.