The Savannah Downtown Business Association (SDBA) announces Marianne Ganem-Poppell, owner of Savannah Master Calendar, as the newly elected Chairman of the Board. Ms. Ganem-Poppell is preceded by outgoing Chair, Ryan Sewell.

A third-generation Savannahian, Ganem-Poppell has long answered to a passion for helping local businesses succeed while simultaneously giving back to the community. Marianne currently sits on the marketing committee for the United Way of the Coastal Empire in addition to championing numerous philanthropic initiatives over the years, including the Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia Big Wigs and American Diabetes Association Kiss-a-Pig campaigns. She is a graduate of the 2016 Leadership Savannah class and was named a recipient of the Next Generation Rising Stars in Savannah, which honors local business leaders under the age of 40. Marianne has been involved in the SDBA for more than 15 years, having served for over 5 of those as an active Board member. In addition, she was recently named to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The SDBA includes more than 200 community businesses and is dedicated to promoting economic prosperity for businesses downtown. 2023 Board members include: Vice Chair Toby Browne (Comprehensive Business Partners), Treasurer Marcella Cotter (First Chatham Bank), Secretary Jon Mollohan (U.S. Foods), Bryan Cornelius (Hilton Savannah), Jen Davenport (Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce), Kewaan Drayton (Kewaan Drayton Business Strategies), Clinton Edminster (Starlandia Art Supply), Carey Ferrara (Gaslight Group), Derek Goldfarb (EnMarket Arena), Liz Overstreet (Small Business Development Center), Dale Parker (J. Parker, LTD.), Joey Rudder (Telfair Museums), Ryan Sewell (Sterling Seacrest Pritchard), Joe Shearouse Jr. (City of Savannah),and Julie Wade (Wade Law & Consulting)