Entrepreneur Tone Williams speaks at South Georgia Tech Free Enterprise Day program

Actor and entrepreneur Tone Williams of Atlanta was the special guest speaker at the South Georgia Technical College Phi Beta Lambda American Free Enterprise Day program held recently in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center. Members of the South Georgia Technical College’s Phi Beta Lambda group as well as the Webster County High School Future Business Leaders of America participated in the program as part of the college’s Future Business Leaders of Americus – Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) week celebration. Williams, who started his own internet service provider company, encouraged the students to “follow your dreams. Pursue your passion, believe in yourself, and follow your dreams. That is my secret to success,” said Williams. The Rochester, New York, native moved to Atlanta in 2000 to start his own business, Toneee.com. His company offers world-class web hosting, online merchant services, web and graphic design, domain registration and more. He also built an international brand known as “Setting The Tone,” which has captured over 30,000 on line followers in the US and abroad. Williams gave students his “two C’s to success. “You will be successful if you are consistent and if you complete or finish the job every time. Be consistent and complete, those two C’s are crucial to becoming successful in whatever endeavor that you choose.” To help the SGTC students follow their dreams, his company is hosting an American Free Enterprise Day Contest. Students can go to his website: toneee.com/aed and fill out the form to win a free website design. “I want to encourage you to follow your dreams by providing one winner with a free website design to help make that dream become a reality,” said Williams. In addition to sponsoring a Free Enterprise Day speaker and proclamation signing as part of the FBLA-PBL week celebration, South Georgia Technical College encouraged students to participate in extracurricular activities, a dress for success fashion show, and hosted the season of giving drives to help the less fortunate in the community celebrate the holiday season. They also encouraged students to wear purple in support of National Prematurity Awareness Day. FBLA-PBL’s mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. Through integrated programs and curriculum, FBLA-PBL is on the leading edge of career and technical education. Promoting business ethics is critical to their organization and to the future of the Americus economy. The Americus Phi Beta Lambda campus officers include: President Racarda Blackmon, First Vice President Ashley Halstead, Vice President Kimberly Jackson and Alicia English, Secretary Fierra Riley, Assistant Secretary Andrea Burton-Willis, Historian Branyon Kendrick, and Assistant Historian Brittany Sanders. Ambassadors included Gage Greene, Linda Kent, and Jaleun Willis. For more information on SGTC’s PBL chapter, contact Dr. Andrea Oates at 229.931.2705 or aoates@southgatech.edu. The Webster County FBLA group is shown with SGTC PBL officers during the Free Enterprise Day program at South Georgia Tech.