Economic development is an important part of any county and knowing how that is achieved is even more so.

That’s the idea behind the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce’s new Power Luncheon Series, of which the first session is slated for Thursday at the Washington Yacht & Country Club.

The chosen speaker to kick off the series is Dr. Don Phipps, superintendent at Beaufort County Schools, who will present, “The State of Public Education in Beaufort County.”

Phipps said he is planning to discuss a range of topics from the school district’s programs to operations and performance indicators. He said he will also discuss topics related to the school calendar, including making up school days.

“I am always hopeful that we will find partners to help us in our efforts. I also hope to share information that others can use as they formally or informally assess the work that we are doing,” Phipps said.

Catherine Glover, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said Phipps was selected because education is a key part of economic development, as it is essentially preparing the next generation of the workforce.

“Education is a big piece of economic development, and they’re doing so much in the school system,” Glover said.

She said the luncheon series is similar to that of other chambers, and the Chamber of Commerce hopes to have local and regional speakers from all sectors of economic development.

“It will be a good mixture, so that people will get a good overview,” Glover said. “We just felt like it was something we could provide to the membership and the community in general.”

The series is set to run the third Thursday of the month, from October to December and February to May, according to Glover.

“It’s a great chance for a lot of people to tell their story,” Glover said.

She said the Chamber is thankful for its sponsors because they made the series possible.

Phipps said he hopes the audience on Thursday will learn and leave knowing more about the school system.

“I hope that folks in our community are connected to the work we are doing,” he said. “Some building awareness will certainly be a goal.”

The first session of the Power Luncheon Series will be Thursday, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Washington Yacht & Country Club. Cost is $15 for Chamber members and $20 for non-members. For more information, call the Chamber at 252-946-9168.