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December 5, 2006
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The two continued to “run into each other” after the accident. “We were chatting over lunch, and Julie mentioned her interest in using the Web to connect parents. I realized it was time to bring out the business plan for a parenting Web site that was sitting in my file cabinet,” said Jessica.
Julie and Jessica are not new to community building in the Charleston area. Not only are they both mothers of two children, both are balancing business and family life, and both actively look for ways to give back and get involved.
When she is not working on TeamMama.com, Jessica runs Trio Solutions Inc., www.trio-solutions.com, a local event planning, marketing, and Web service firm primarily for nonprofit organizations. Trio’s clients include several family resource providers and the MUSC Children’s Hospital.
Jessica is originally from Asheville, North Carolina and moved to Charleston in 1996 to attend MUSC. She is a member of Point Hope United Methodist Church and actively involved with her alma maters. Currently, Jessica serves as president of the MUSC Joint Alumni Board. She is also on the board of directors for the Copahee View Homeowners Association and volunteers for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Jessica is married to Jamie Holcombe, captain of Water’s Edge Fishing Charters and has two children, David and Hannah, ages four and four-weeks.
Julie has had her own public information and community relations firm, Civic Communications Inc. since 1996. Her latest big project was the public information consultant to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the construction and opening of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
Julie was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but has lived in downtown Charleston for fourteen years. She is a member of Grace Episcopal Church, a parent representative on the board of Charleston County First Steps, a member of District 20 Families- a group of downtown families seeking improved public education opportunities for all children living downtown, a sustainer in the Junior League of Charleston, and a fundraising co-chair for the League of Women Voters of the Charleston area.
Julie is married to Bill Hussey, a professional woodworker and has two boys, William and Walker, ages three and one.
In 2005, both Julie and Jessica were selected as Charleston’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Charleston Regional Business Journal.
Spotlight: Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park
My husband and I have both lived in the Charleston area for 14 years, but it was only three years ago we decided our family's Lowcountry holiday needed to include the Festival of Lights at James Island County Park.
We have now been twice. For our first two years, I must confess we haven't really had our act together and have been happy to just enjoy the roughly 30-minute drive.
This year, we are ready to make a nice evening of it and get out of the car to enjoy at least the train ride and check out other offerings in Santa's Village and Winter Wonderland.
Our family of four, including two boys ages 3 and 15 months, expects to spend about $20 or more if we don't bring our own food. To avoid some traffic and save a few bucks we plan to go on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night and earn a $2 discount off $10 per standard vehicle admission cost by bringing a donation of a canned food item (donations will benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank); more money for the carousel.
Here are some tips we have learned to consider: http://www.teammama.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=17. If you have extra tips or other holiday traditions your family enjoys, share them with others through our discussion board. The Holiday Festival of Lights includes more than 2 million lights, but it isn't the only light show in the area. It would also be nice to hear about other places your family likes to go to see holiday lights.
For more information about the Holiday Festival of Lights, you can call 843-795-4FUN or visit www.holidayfestivaloflights.com.
Community Connection: Charleston County Parks Wants to Hear From You
In our parenting survey, many of you indicated that you enjoy going to a local park to spend time with your kids. We made sure to let Charleston County Parks know the important role our area’s parks play in the lives of local families. We shared you interest in more indoor recreation areas for kids, and they shared their immediate need to thank park employees at this year’s holiday party. They invited any TeamMama.com family with positive experiences at any of the Charleston County Park facilities to participate in a video they are creating for their employees. In return your name will be placed into a drawing for a free Gold Park Pass for the coming year or some free passes to this year’s Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park. If you are interested, e-mail us at info@teammama.com. Charleston County Parks and Recreation facilities include Wannamaker Park, James Island County Park, Palmetto Islands County Park, Isle of Palms Park, Folly Beach Park and Pier and Kiawah Park.
What’s Next for TeamMama.com?
Tri-county parents demonstrated that collectively we do have a voice and it should be heard. TeamMama.com plans to utilize the information gathered to determine the best and most effective way to develop a truly useful and informative Web-based resource for Charleston-area families. All of you helped create the foundation for this innovative way to utilize the Internet and we hope you will stay connected and follow our progress.The Survey:
Phase I of our development process was to collect feedback from as many local parents as possible. We are thankful for all the media coverage we received throughout the month of October and for all of you that completed the survey.The Results:
Our next step is to review and analyze the results from the survey to ensure that as we move forward with designing TeamMama.com and its features that we create a site that will response directly to your needs.The Partners:
Additionally and more importantly, we can not do this without financial support. We do not plan to charge for memberships to TeamMama.com but we do plan to connect local businesses with TeamMama.com members through the Web site and through creative and customized sponsorship packages. The information gathered through the survey will help us as we approach these businesses and encourage them to support our mission to connect parents with other parents, our community, and information on how to enhance their lives and the lives of their children.
If you are a business owner, or know someone that might be interested in supporting TeamMama.com, e-mail us at info@teammama.com.
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