our team

Vincent Avantagiato received a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and ran a Chiropractic office for over a decade. He then joined a financial company and became a Registered Representative with series 6 and 63 securities licenses.

Now Vince works with Medi-Solutions, a full-service agency that in addition to Medicare, also offers help with non-Medicare insurance needs encompassing such as life insurance, LTC, dental, vision, hearing and other financial needs such as IRA rollovers and retirement investing, like annuities.

Laura Chambers Babalis is deeply rooted in Beaufort as a seventh-generation local, channeling her passion for the area into her role as a real estate agent at Keller Williams Realty. With a fervent dedication to fostering community growth, she actively engages with others to strengthen connections and build a thriving environment. Serving as an ambassador for the chamber, Laura embraces the chance to network with fellow businesses, collaboratively seeking opportunities to bolster one another and enhance collective support within the community.

I am a Field Operations Supervisor with Hargray, I have been with Hargray for 11 years and in the telecommunications industry for 19. I was born in Raleigh North Carolina and moved here when I was One. I’m married to Melanie and we’ve been married for 18 years now with 2 kids, both boys. This is the first time volunteering with any company but so far I’m enjoying what we are doing. I enjoy spending time with my family and going to car shows on the weekends.

Donna Bradley is a first-year Chamber Ambassador representing the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the Beaufort Leadership Class of 2024 and wants to be a positive force in the community and help support the mission and growth of the Chamber and the local economy by engaging with leaders and businesses, at all levels. Donna is an eighth-generation Lowcountry girl and takes great pride in her family and the Lowcountry where she has grown up and raised four daughters, a son, three step children, and now 10 grandchildren. She has been in the accounting field for 40 years and will earn her business degree from Technical College of the Lowcountry in May. She is the Senior Finance Manager at 303 Associates where she has worked for the last five years. She enjoys spending time with her husband at home, her family, and friends enjoying all things about Lowcountry living.

Jim is the founder and president of Accent Truss. Accent Truss is celebrating 20 years in business providing design, engineering, and fabrication of heavy timber structures for residential and commercial projects across the country. Jim is originally from California and made the move to South Carolina over 20 years ago with a couple other stops along the way. Beaufort is home now and it’s very important to Jim to be a part of the community he lives in. Helping other small businesses succeed and growing our community responsibly are his primary motives for working with the Chamber. In his free time, you will find him out on the water with his fiancé, or at the golf course with friends. He is proud to call Beaufort home and looks forward to meeting more friends through the work with the Chamber and involvement in our community.

Zarah Goodyear is a Beaufort native and joined the Beaufort Regional Chamber Ambassador program in 2018. She works for Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort as a Personal Lines and Life & Health Insurance Producer. As a native she enjoys going to the beach, fishing and paddle boarding. She is also very passionate about her community and enjoys giving back to it. As a businesswoman she appreciates the opportunity the Ambassador program gives her to network in the community and support the other local businesses in celebrating their achievements.

mber Hewitt settled in Beaufort in 2006 and holds roles as a wife, mother, and Nana. She finds fulfillment in helping others and capturing moments through her photography and thrives on connecting individuals with the basic living resources they need, shedding light on pressing issues like homelessness, domestic violence, and human trafficking. She’s actively involved in the Zonta Club of Beaufort, Lowcountry Human Trafficking Task Force, Toys for Tots and Holiday Heroes. Amber’s footprint extends to diverse projects and organizations, including Toys for Tots and Holiday Heroes, Chamber Ambassador,  Leadership Beaufort, Old Village Association of Port Royal, The Helianthus Project, Hopeful Horizon, CAPA’s Ghost Tours, Friends of Hunting Island, Salvation Army, Help of Beaufort. She is the Business License Administrator at Town of Port Royal.

Elliot Park is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch. He finds great fulfilment in helping his clients achieve their life goals as a trusted partner along the way. He is a native of South Carolina and has spent most of his time on the coast; growing up in Myrtle Beach, graduating from the College of Charleston, and now living in Beaufort. Elliot and his wife, Grace, were married at Beaufort Inn in the spring of 2022 and fell in love with the town. They relocated from Charlotte in the fall of 2023. As a new Chamber Ambassador, Elliot is excited to volunteer his time and attention to helping connect local businesses with the community they serve. He understands this is an integral part of growth and progress in our economy. Outside of work, he enjoys any time spent outdoors and on the water.

Joshua Ward is a Realtor and Photographer in the Beaufort area. As a native of Beaufort, Josh enjoys being involved with the chamber and helping the local businesses in the area find success. He understands the importance the Chamber plays within a local community and looks forward to see how Beaufort progresses in the coming years!

Beth Woodring is a CSR at Palmetto State Bank. She and her husband have been in Beaufort for a total of 22 years, coming back to Beaufort after his retirement from USMC. Beth is active with Beaufort Water Festival and has been involved with the Chamber for several years. She loves Beaufort and believes that Beaufort has much to offer businesses in this area!