Mentors of the Western North Carolina SCORE Chapter volunteer their personal time and expertise to help entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations to start, run, and thrive. Their efforts during 2016 have now been recognized with regional and national honors.

SCORE is a 501(c) (3) non-profit resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Each year, the national organization rates performance of chapters throughout the country on criteria that includes client satisfaction, growth in clients served, workshop participation, and increase in the diversity and numbers of mentors.

The WNC Chapter—evaluated for performance in Polk County and Landrum, and the counties of Henderson, Rutherford, Transylvania, Jackson, Macon, Clay, and Cherokee—was awarded Chapter of the Year for the state and also recognized in the top 25 chapters nationwide for client satisfaction.

The WNC SCORE Polk County branch additionally achieved the Platinum Level, an honor given to only a few of the more than 300 chapters from New York City to Los Angeles.

Founded in 1964, SCORE was an acronym for Service Corps of Retired Executives. The relevance of the acronym has diminished since the corps has expanded to include active business professionals. There are now more than 11,000 volunteers, donating more than 2. 2 million hours a year in mentoring and educational programs.

Bill Kerns, chapter chairperson, says, “Part of our recognition is due to a very active free seminar series with Isothermal Community College… topics such as how to write a business plan and better use social media. We offer brainpower, free to anyone who is running a small business or who has the courage and passion to start one.”

Polk County mentors include a business lawyer, informational technologies teacher, social media professional, accountant, consumer marketer, advertising agency owner/creative director, sales manager/trainer, commercial banker, ag-business banker, hospital administrator, a vice president of research and development, market researcher, and a successful owner of multiple small businesses. Clients cover a broad range of businesses from retail to manufacturing, services to restaurants, and cultural organizations to animal rescues.

For more on SCORE, call Bill Kerns at 828-553-0201 or email billkerns291@gmail.com.

– article submitted by Vincent Verrecchio