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8 16 4 4 WHY THE RAY

25 MOUTH OF THE SOUTH

Casting light on the light and soul of Albany

Content from Georgia-based podcasters

6 COVER ARTIST BIO The works of Charles R. Williams

8 SOUTH GEORGIA HONEYBEES The big role of little bees

16 THE THINGS THAT MATTER

28 THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS 4C Academy drives innovation through industry-focused education

36 ASU MARCHING RAMS One of the best in the nation

38 SOUTHBOUND QUIZ Check your #MadeInAlbanyGA knowledge

A discussion with native writer Sue Monk Kidd Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, Publisher & Owner 225 West Broad Avenue, Albany, Georgia 31701 (229) 434-8700 | albanyga.com

42 50

28 Albany residents on keeping it local

40 #SHOPABY

48 SOUTH GEORGIA RESTAURANT ROAD TRIP

42 HOOK, LINE & SINKER

You don't have to go far to feast on some of the South's best fare

Matthew Shoemaker makes a splash with an oponymous line of fishing worms

50 AUTHENTICALLY ALBANY Actress, writer and director Lisa Arnold on Albany's impact on her film career

46 HAPPY CAMPERS Chehaw Park offers campers an in-town getaway

Bárbara Rivera Holmes, CEO, Editor In Chief

Writers: Rachel Elizondo

Photography by Todd Stone

Mary Bickerstaff, Membership Director, Ad Sales

Carlton Fletcher

Design by Rich Graphics

MADlab Marketing, Marketing Agency

Jim Hendricks

Why The Ray Other arms reach out to me Other eyes smile tenderly

Still in peaceful dreams I see The road leads back to you Getty Images

egendary musician Ray Charles brought new life to that old, sweet song that keeps Georgia on people’s minds. Anyone who experiences his soulful delivery of Georgia’s state song will feel a pull to this Southerly locale. Charles, an Albany native, couldn’t see — he contracted glaucoma ag age six and went blind thereafter — but I like to think that his hometown of Albany was in his mind’s eye as he delivered these special words. For Albany is indeed special. A place rooted in history, in culture, in industry, in nature, in progress. A place at the bottom of the map to which all roads lead. A place about which no one forgets. A place home to one of Georgia’s seven natural wonders, a place about which people wonder and a place that offers opportunities to wander. This magazine, published by the Albany Area Chamber for many years, is a tribute to Albany. A field guide to the community and her people. With our 2022 edition launch, we've aptly renamed the popular publication The Ray. Our most famous Ray is centrally featured in this edition’s striking cover art, commissioned by the Chamber and produced specifically for this issue of The Ray by Albany State University Professor of Art Chazz Williams, whose intricate and kaleidoscopic work showcases uniquely Albany scenes and inspires curiosity to learn, to interpret, to decipher. It's a piece that captures attention immediately, and lingers lightly in the mind, nudging the viewer to revisist, re-examine, reexplore its layered scenes from the Flint RiverQuarium's albino alligator, Moonshine, to the Arctic Bear's iconic sign; from the Bridge House designed by freed slave Horace King to the stained glass windows of historic

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Old Mt. Zion Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. preached and led a movement. I hope you appreciate this spectacular and authentically Albany work of art, and enjoy discovering its stories, histories and nuances. “I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great,” Ray once said. Through The Ray, we aim to stream light onto that and those building greatness in and around Albany. Stories of people, stories of innovation, stories of community. Stories of what led us to where we are and stories of what’s leading us to where we’re going. Stories of who we are and what we are and what together we can be. At the Albany Area Chamber and throughout our community, we, too, strive to be great − for our citizens, our visitors, our businesses, our generations present and our generations to come. Great for the young and the old, the native and the transplant, the small business and the global industry. Our goal, too, is great though simple: To build a community in which people want to live and businesses want to invest. It is our hope that through The Ray, you discover and feast on what is sweetly, authentically Albany.

Just an old, sweet song Keeps Albany, Georgia, on my mind Songwriters: Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorell

Bárbara Rivera Holmes President & CEO, Editor In Chief bholmes@albanyga.com

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A RT I ST BIO CHARLE S R. W ILLIAMS Charles R. Williams is an artist and educator. Williams grew up in Central Florida and spent his childhood visiting relatives in Georgia. His time spent between these two states allowed Williams to develop a deep understanding of the South that is seen implicitly in his work.

“The South is a cultural melting pot filled with harmonies and dissonances,” Williams said. “It is a place of beauty and tragedy, and the more that one understands how the beauty and tragedy are enmeshed, the more the place and the soul become one. I am fascinated by perceptions of our world as natural and constructed. Myths, memories, storytelling and folklore are so much a part of who we are, how we speak and how we spend our time. I am piecing together a puzzle that will never be complete.” Williams earned his Master of Fine Arts from Florida State University in 2003. In 2004, he came on faculty at Albany State University as a professor of painting and teaching. Today, he's the associate vice dean of ASU's College of Arts and Sciences, and teaches courses in art history and museum studies. He and his wife, Nicole, executive director of the Albany Area Arts Council, enjoy the outdoors, music, museums and traveling. “She tolerates my idiosyncrasies, and I do my best to keep her laughing.” Visit chazzwilliamsart.com to view more of Williams' art. Get the one-of-a-kind piece of art featured on the cover at the Albany Area Chamber. Contact us at (229) 434-8700 or marketing@albanyga.com.

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honey bees

South Georgia

all the

Buzz... Photos courtesy of Todd Urick, 4C Academy and Kat Tucker

Dale Richter’s roots with beekeeping go deep, all the way back to when he was just five years old, learning the ropes with his grandfather.

“He had bees, and I just ventured out there and started helping him with it,” said Richter. “As I grew up, going through school, people, teachers and students, knew me as a beekeeper, so I was always doing presentations in school.” Now, Richter has the prestigious certification of Master Beekeeper, manages the apiary at President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home in nearby Plains, and owns and runs Buzz Fuzz Bee Removal. Pollination, which is so often done by honey bees, has a statewide economic impact of $267 million, according to data from the University of Georgia (UGA), and honey bees are responsible for pollinating many of the crops in Southwest Georgia, including blueberries, watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes and, occasionally, cotton. Many of these crops – whose production plays an important role in the Southwest Georgia "breadbasket" that supports Georgia's top industry of agriculture − would be much smaller and have smaller yields without the help of the honey bee. “You can take a beehive − normally you want at least 10, but sometimes you take as many as a semi-truck load − and you put them on the crop,” said Richter. “That just, literally, saturates the crop and the bloom with pollination. You get stronger blooms, bigger blooms, and therefore a stronger crop. “When I was at UGA, we actually had a graduate assistant and her job was to go out and cover blooms individually with pieces of screen, and then we would see what the difference was between the ones that couldn’t get pollinated and the ones that did get pollinated. This particular crop was watermelons, and there was a huge difference in the size (between the two groups).”

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And for some beekeepers, it was this connection to pollination that drove them to get involved with beekeeping in the first place. That was certainly the case for Monte McDonald, the owner of McDonald’s Farm and a huge honey producer in Lee County, who works as a contractor at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany full time and runs his honey business on the side. “I like to grow gardens and all that kind of stuff,” said McDonald. “There came a time that we had a pretty nice garden growing and everything was blooming. But we weren’t getting any fruit. My friend next door was experiencing the same problem with his garden, and he came over one day.

be found at his booth at Tift Park Community Market in downtown Albany, as well as at a few local festivals throughout the year. Now McDonald is working toward obtaining a certificate from the Georgia Department of Agriculture that will allow him to sell his honey to retailers and get his honey in stores throughout the area. Although McDonald is still a relatively new beekeeper (at least compared to Richter, who has been doing it since he was a child), he understands how important bees are to the area. “Beekeeping and farming and agriculture, they go together,” said McDonald. “They go hand in hand because without the bees, a lot of the crops wouldn’t get pollinated. A lot of the food you eat is pollinated by bees. There’s other pollinators, too, not just honey bees, but a lot of crops depend on pollination. They’re necessary and they’re great for your flowers and all these individual gardens that people have. There’s a lot of benefit to the honey bee.”

We were standing out there in the garden, and we came to the realization that we needed bees. "I said, 'Normally I can come out here and all you can hear is a buzz of bees, and there aren't any bees here.' He said it was the same way at his house. “Right then (I decided). I’d already been considering (beekeeping) because I have a friend in South Carolina that started keeping bees,” Richter said, “and he’d been encouraging me to start doing it. I just decided that it was time to get in it.” McDonald and his son started off small back in 2014, but he now keeps an average of about 40 hives and in 2021 produced 1,500 pounds of honey. His honey has won multiple local awards and in 2017, it won the local and state competition for “Black Jar Honey,” a title that judges purely on the taste of the honey. “That was real rewarding to get that kind of accolade,” said McDonald. “We’re fortunate to make some good honey out here in Lee County. When we process honey, it’s all pure raw honey.” McDonald’s award-winning honey can most often

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While more experienced beekeepers like Richter are often still the norm and bee populations have continued to decline in recent years, Southwest Georgia has seen growth in beekeeping interest thanks to the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club. Membership in the club - which meets at Albany's famed Chehaw Park - has tripled in the past year, and the group saw record attendance at its most recent beekeeping school in February 2022, with 114 students. According to club president Kat Tucker, they average one new member each week, not including all the students from the school who automatically became members. Having got his start in the club, McDonald stressed the importance of the club for those interested in beekeeping without any real experience. “When you become a member of a bee club like that, you meet a lot of different people in all stages of beekeeping from a novice right on up to the commercial guys,” said McDonald. “You get a lot of free advice, you might call it. You get a lot of opinions as well, so it’s one of those things, you just mix them all up and pull out what you think is what works for you the best. But the bee club is definitely for anybody, and I encourage people all the time to come to the club meetings if they’re interested in bees.” And while McDonald fits the image people often have in their head about what beekeeping looks like, keeping bees to sell honey is just a small snapshot of the industry as a whole. Richter is an example of another important aspect

of the beekeeping industry with his professional bee removal service. Richter spends his days traveling all over South Georgia performing inspections of homes or other buildings where bees may be living, removing the bees, taking the bees either back to his own hive or one of the many teachers and mentees he often gives bees to, and sterilizing all of his equipment. Although Richter’s side of the beekeeping industry takes much more experience because of things he may encounter, such as plumbing and electrical wiring, it still shows that the world of beekeeping is much broader than outsiders often think. Richter’s managing of the apiary at Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home is yet another side of beekeeping, and an an example of how bees have an impact not just on agriculture, but agritourism. In addition to being a part of the attraction for visitors at Jimmy Carter’s home, bees are also crucial to places to places such as Mark's Melon Patch in nearby Dawson and Calhoun Produce in nearby Ashburn. The crops these places produce, such as pumpkins, melons and strawberries, draw visitors year after year. Beekeeper Broadus Williams highlights another side of beekeeping: raising queens. Williams’ interest in raising queens started out of necessity because, as he puts it, he was getting tired of coming home from work, seeing his bees swarming in a tree (a behavior that’s seen when the hive gets too crowded and part of the colony tries to find a new home), and having to climb up there to catch them. Although he has sold some of his queens, he does it more out of “necessity” so he doesn’t have to catch so many swarms and also for beekeeping friends. Patrons of Albany's Pretoria Fields Brewery and Pretoria Fields Collective can appreciate the more commercial side of beekeeping and the contributions that chemist and beekeeper Liv Lawnick and her team have made to products there. Bees

Learn more about the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club at sowegabeekeepersclub.com, (229) 854-6135 and on Facebook.

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Membership in the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club has tripled in the last year. helped with the pollination of berries for the collective's Farmberry Gose, the strawberries and the basil for the Strawberry Basil Gose, and provided honey for the popular Brown Thrasher, an American brown ale named after the state bird of Georgia. Although honey is often the most common byproduct of beekeeping, beeswax, too, has its impact on the region as it can be used to make cosmetics, furniture polish, and candles. And then of course, there are hobbyist beekeepers like Kat Tucker with the SOWEGA Beekeeping Club, who was drawn in after she and her husband attended a 2018 bee lab hosted by the club. “We just fell in love with the beehives and the bees,” said Tucker. “We just knew someday we were going to have hives.” Other members of the club, such as Stan Okron and Sophie Rabun, are hobbyist beekeepers drawn in as adults by the awe-inspiring bees. “I was just totally blown away,” said Okron. “I still remember when I pulled my first frame and you can get that smell of the nectar and the honey. It just had this scent. I was totally hooked.” “I’m just fascinated with them working themselves to death, but then someone comes to carry on the same,” said Rabun, who just got her start in beekeeping with the school hosted by the club back in February.

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For Rabun, at least, these tiny, fascinating creatures have something important to teach us all about life. “I want (my son) to learn the importance of how this little honey bee starts off,” said Rabun. “I want him to see that it's home based. Young people need to see that they need to take care of their homes first.”

Broadus Williams raises queen bees that are used to start new hives when the orignal hive gets too crowded.

For all of us who call Southwest Georgia home, the importance of what home means and what we can do for our home may be an important lesson to learn from the humble honeybee.

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french 75 CLASSIC COCKTAIL The French 75 is a classic cocktail that is easy to make. Fresh lemons are used for a refreshing citrus flavor, honey simple syrup for a bit of sweetness, and champagne for the luxurious bubbles!

INGREDIENTS

1.5 ounces quality gin such as Hendrick’s ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice ¼ cup raw local honey ¼ cup water 3 ounces chilled quality Champagne

DIRECTIONS

1. For simple syrup, combine raw honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the honey is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. 2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake for 20 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with champagne. 3. Garnish the glass with a twisted lemon peel.

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SUE MONK KIDD A childhood in Sylvester in the 1950s inpired the works of this world renowned author.

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The things that

Matter Award-winning and international best-selling author Sue Monk Kidd knew early on in her childhood in neighboring Sylvester that she wanted to become a writer. “I knew very early,” said Kidd. “I think a lot of it was because of my father telling stories. He was a masterful storyteller, and when I listened to his stories, it made me want to tell stories.” When she was 10 or 11, Kidd said she began to start telling people that she wanted to be a writer, “whether they wanted to know it or not.” But as she got older, people that she told began to advise her to choose something more “practical.” “You have to understand the time,” Kidd said. “I graduated from high school in 1966, so the feminist world hadn’t made a big dent in Worth County. They would say things like ῾maybe if you could become a teacher or a nurse, you would have something to fall back on in case you ever had to work.’ That was the assumption. It was a long time ago and a different world. But at the time, that made sense to me, I guess, because I became a nurse.” Abandoning her love of writing for more than a decade, Sue Monk Kidd got her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University, married, and had children. It wasn’t until she was 30 years old that she began to listen, intently, to her childhool desire.

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“I was miserable without writing,” said Kidd. “I got very homesick for myself I guess.”

Co-written in 2009 by Kidd and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, Traveling with Pomegranates explores and records the changing stages of a woman's life.

Sue Monk Kidd with her mother, father and daughter at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

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But at that point, with a family to support, Kidd knew that if she wanted to write, she still had to earn a living to help support her young family. Despite wanting to write fiction - the type of fiction she'd one day be known for - Kidd turned her attention to writing nonfiction instead. “I started freelancing articles and short stories that were based on my life,” said Kidd. “I wrote for Guidepost Magazine, inspirational stories and newspaper articles, all kinds of things like that, and I eventually wrote two books of nonfiction.” Those two books were When the Heart Waits published in 1990 and The Dance of the Dissident Daughter in 1996. “They are called spiritual memoirs, although I didn’t know to call them that at the time,” said Kidd. “I was just writing about my life and my spirituality. “Somewhere around the age of 40, I began to want to write a novel. It was very scary for me because I had spent the last 10 years developing a career of writing nonfiction, writing spiritual books. I was a contributing editor at Guidepost Magazine at that point, and I think the expectation was that I would just go on doing what I was doing. This was a whole other brave new world for me. I knew nothing about how to write a novel.” But Kidd stepped foot into that brave world and wrote the first chapter of what would eventually become her debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees. However, the book had a few setbacks before it became the overwhelming success Kidd is now known for. After writing the first chapter, Kidd took what she had to a writing conference where a teacher looked over it and said he didn’t think it had “novel potential.” He advised Kidd to turn it into a short story, which she did. The short story was published in a small academic journal, and that was that for three years. But later, after winning a fiction contest, Kidd got the chance to read in New York at the New York Arts Club, and she decided to read that first chapter turned short story. That night, a literary agent came up to her after

her reading and said they hoped the story was the first chapter of a novel, and Kidd replied that, as a matter of fact, it was. But still, after Kidd went home and turned back to the project, it took her another three years of writing before she sent it to the inquiring agent. Before she knew it, Kidd’s debut novel was an overwhelming success, with the movie rights being auctioned before the book was even published. And the inspiration for this first novel that was such a success? Kidd’s childhood in Sylvester, a small town just outside of Albany. “When I was growing up in Sylvester, we had a house in the country right outside the city limits where bees lived in a wall inside of the house,” said

and I developed the story from there.” The inspiration from her childhood didn’t stop there though. Growing up in the rural South during the 50s and early 60s, Kidd said she witnessed and took in so much of the racial injustice of the time and the Civil Rights Movement. “It turns out that my first novel is about civil rights,” said Kidd. “The Secret Life of Bees is based largely on growing up in Sylvester during this time. I knew from the very beginning when I decided to become a writer and write my first novel that it would be about civil rights. I felt a responsibility to tell about that, to see if there was something redemptive that could be in this story. “While it wasn’t really autobiographical in the

Sue Monk Kidd and Oprah Winfrey after an interview on "Super Soul Sunday" in 2014.

Kidd. “They came literally every year for I think it was 18 or 20 years those bees showed up. They tunneled into the wall and they made honey in the wall.” Kidd said she can remember cleaning up puddles of honey off the floor in the guest bedroom where the bees had made their home. It was while talking about this experience that Kidd got the idea for the opening scene of The Secret Life of Bees.

“I got a picture in my head of a young girl around 14, lying in bed while bees leaked out of the wall and flew around the room,” said Kidd. “That’s how it started with that particular scene

sense that I’m not anything like my character or my family is not like that family I wrote about, it was autobiographical in other ways. In the setting and in the time and in the events that were taking place and I did actually draw on specific things that happened in my life at that time that I put in the novel.” Although it would take seven years (from 2001 to 2008) for the novel to actually be turned into a movie, Kidd said that this was a very interesting and fun process. “When I got a call one day from a producer in Hollywood who introduced herself and said she would like to turn this into a movie, (I had) that kind of feeling where you think someone is pulling a massive prank on you or something,” said Kidd. Throughout the filmmaking process, Kidd was a consultant, giving feedback on the script, the cast, and other details. “I got to be on the movie set,” said Kidd. “I

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 21

even got one of the director’s chairs with my name on it, so you can imagine how much fun I had with all of that.” More recently, The Secret Life of Bees was turned into an off-Broadway musical. And while 2002's The Secret Life of Bees is one of Kidd’s most well-known works, she has published another five books – fiction and nonfiction – and is currently working on another nonfiction book. Her most recent novel, The Book of Longings, she describes as her “most audacious novel.” It imagines the possibility of Jesus having a wife, her life, and her telling of the stories of Jesus in the Bible. “I have tried not to shrink away from anything controversial if I’m following the true thread inside of me creatively,” said Kidd. “I feel like I have to be true to that. This novel began when I was reading National Geographic magazine about an ancient manuscript that by the way turned out to be false, it turned out to be forgery, but at the time, no one knew that. It was a manuscript about Jesus’s wife, and I was struck by the idea of that, and it occurred to me that the world would be very, very different if Jesus had had a wife and her life and her story had been part of all of it. “It was a way to (show a feminine lens), and those things matter a great deal to me. I was asked not long ago in an interview, they said, ‘You write mostly about race and gender, why is that?’ and I said, ‘It's because they matter to me.’ They matter deeply to me and much of why they matter to me is because of where I grew up and in what time (period) I grew up.” Kidd said she wouldn’t change her childhood nor the things she saw growing up in Southwest Georgia. “I wouldn’t take anything in the world for growing up in that area,” said Kidd. “It offered me a great deal of beautiful memories, but it also gave me so many challenges. It gave me the impulse to write, and it gave me the stories to write about. It gave me reasons to write. I’m very grateful. I go back.

Sue Monk Kidd on the set of The Secret Life of Bees.

All my life I’ve returned there over and over. It’s my ancestral home, and it means a great deal to me.” Learn more at suemonkkidd.com

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Sue Monk Kidd with her newest book, The Book of Longings.

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55,000 hours of giving back. We know what sustainable energy really sustains. That’s why we remain committed to protecting our state’s natural beauty by caring for our parks and lakes. We put in over 55,000 hours of volunteering in our communities last year, and we’re protecting Georgia for years to come by building a balanced mix of hydro, solar, and nuclear energy for a carbon-free future. We’re powering tomorrow, today. To learn more, visit georgiapower.com/sustainability.

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A L B A N Y LOCATI O N

2311 Lake Park Drive, Albany, GA 31707 Phone: 229-435-0525 | Fax: 229-434-9827

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CO R D ELE LOCATI O N

316 E. 16th Avenue, Suite B1, Cordele, GA 31015 Phone: 229-273-1730 | Fax: (229) 273-2782

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What happens when you combine the rise of the internet, the arrival of the first iPod and a former video jockey? You get the birth of podcasts! First developed in 2004 by Adam Curry of MTV fame, podcasts have risen in popularity over the last decade. There are now more than 2 million active podcasts with a combined total of more than 48 million episodes – and among them are creators, hosts, and co-hosts from the great state of Georgia.

That Sounds Fun anniefdowns.com

Hailing Marietta, Christian author, and speaker Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, restaurants, travel stories, musicians not to miss, and interviews with friends. Pretty much, if it sounds fun to Annie, you're going to hear about it.

Tenderfoot TV

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Founded in 2016 by Kennesaw native and Atlanta filmmaker Payne Lindsey and music industry veteran Donald Albright, Tenderfoot TV's debut podcast was the true-crime "Up and Vanished." Other notable shows include Atlanta Monster and Whistleblower.

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armchairexpertpod.com Atlanta native Monica Padman joins Dax Shepherd as co-host, co-producer & co-creator of the Armchair Expert – a podcast with A-list guests ranging from Barak Obama to Justin Timberlake. Explore the human experience with others – the messiness, challenges, and setbacks that lead to growth and betterment.

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Therapy for Black Girls therapyforblackgirls.com

Therapy for Black Girls podcast, hosted by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, Atlanta-based psychologist and speaker, is a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development and the small decisions we can make to become the best possible version of ourselves.

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The bi-weekly 10 Minute Teacher Podcast helps educators become more remarkable teachers who inspire children to learn and grow. Created and hosted by Level 1 Certified Google Educator, writer, and speaker Vicki Davis of nearby Camilla, the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast has been downloaded almost 5 million times in more than 194 countries.

Beyond the Bank

abtgold.com/beyond-the-bank AB&T's Beyond the Bank with Brad McEwan reaches a broad audience interested in learning more about the incredible people and organizations having a profound and positive impact in the Albany area. Beyond the Bank strives to remind us that challenges don’t define us. Rather, those opportunities inevitably show us that our greatest resource — each other — is abundant. Beyond the Bank is a celebration of the best in our community.

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Todd Stone Photography

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THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS For many people, probably most people, in fact, success is measured by tangibles: honors, awards, recognition, trophies. By those standards, Albany's Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy (4C) has enjoyed more than its share of success in its brief history. There are all of those plaques and trophies; a nationally-ranked robotics team; and recognition as the top college and career academy in Georgia after just five years of existence.

For this group, it's the employability of the 4c academy's students when they get ready to depart and how those hirees' work ethic can be translated into useful business practices that are the primary watermarks for success. By those standards as well, the success of the 4C Academy has surpassed even the most optimistic projections for this Dougherty County School System school whose students come from neighborhoods throughout Albany and rural partner counties in the area. The 4C's niche is innovation through industry-focused education, and this clearly informs the academy's partnerships, practices and curiculum.

drew taylor 4C student

But there is a group – headed by 4C Academy CEO Chris Hatcher and joined by a number of business leaders in the community – that has a very different definition of success.

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In an age when business leaders are looking for employees with soft skills that entice customers rather than drive them away and who are familiar with the ethics of successful business practices, the 4C Academy, through its internship program, is helping to prepare a work force that is up to the challenge of a rapidly evolving business world. "There are a couple of reasons, I believe, for the success of our internship program," Hatcher said. "On the front end, our business partners share with our instructors what they are looking for in employees. And our instructors develop programs that prepare the students for successful internships.

"We come full circle: We use input from businesses - and all of our partners have advisory groups that work with us - and we develop a curriculum geared to the skills businesses are looking for." At the 4C, students finish high school requirements in the 9th and 10th grades. In their junior year, they learn soft skills and the needs specific to a career pathway they've chosen. By their senior year, students are ready for a paid internship that not only prepares them for the work force or college, it gives them a real-time perspective of what it takes to succeed in a specific business. "Our goal is to provide all of our students with an internship opportunity," Hatcher said. "Because whether they want to go immediately into a specific field that they now have experience in, whether they want to go to college, or whether they're not quite sure yet what they want to do, they know what is required to be a valued employee. Because, eventually, everyone is going to have to go to work." Tommy Sharpe, one of the principals of U-Save-It Pharmacy, an Albany-based pharmacy with locations throughout the region, said the internship program at the academy can be as beneficial to businesses as it is to the students. "Especially today, with COVID, there is a work force shortage," Sharpe said. "These kids from

32 THE RAY | 2022

mikel hudson 4C student

"As a former athlete, I use a coaching term: We want kids who are coachable. We can teach the kids to perform the skills that are required to do the jobs they do. Those intangibles, though, are just as important. The kids who have worked with us are introduced to the responsibilities, and when they leave, they have an idea of what's required to continue on this pathway." Some students who go through the internship program move immediately into the job market. "We’ve enjoyed partnering with the 4C Academy in recent years through the construction and internship programs, which has led to some full-time employment," said Jake Reese, vice president of LRA Constructors in Albany. "Like most, the construction industry continues to face work force challenges, and we believe the 4C Academy can play a significant role in supporting these work force needs in our community." Hatcher said that while the internship program, much like the aims and goals of the 4C Academy itself, is ever-evolving, the school is fortunate that it has found willing business partners in the community. Some of them are even developing programs directly geared toward utilizing 4C students.

"We are so fortunate that we have business partners willing to work with our students," the academy CEO said. "I've always said that, while there is certainly a lot that students can learn in the classroom, a lot of the real learning comes when they get out and work on a job. "Sometimes, students may not remain in the pathway they've selected here at the academy. But just getting the opportunity to work while they're in high school helps them determine if this pathway is for them or if they want to move on to something else. It's a win-win all around." Stan Curington said the 4C Academy student who worked with him at his family-owned HBT (Hardware, Bolts and Tools) business turned into a full-time hire before that student opted to join the U.S. Air Force. "I told Chris we needed some help with our business, and he recommended this kid who ended up working for us full-time for a year and a half," Curington said. "He was a quiet kid, but he turned out to be exactly what we needed. He had the soft skills that translated well to our business. "When he decided to go into the Air Force, I told Chris he needs to find us another worker. Their internship program is great for the kids, great for the businesses and great for the community. When you get a student from the 4C Academy, you can count on them being able to do the job."

jayden keaton 4C student

the 4C Academy come to you already knowing the soft skills: They look you in the eye, smile, shake your hand.

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 33

phillip medlock 4C student Bud Stoudt, the project manager for Outdoor Network Manufacturing in Albany, sang the praises of the 4C Academy student who signed on to work with the manufacturer of diesel boat outboards.

"I love to talk about our 4C intern, Phillip Medlock," Stoudt said. "Phillip has been with us since last summer and will be with us up to his departure for college in the summer of 2022. He has displayed a solid work ethic and attention to detail in his daily duties. His calm demeanor and logical approach to problem-solving is also very good. "He has blended in with the work team very well and is a valued contributor. With the operation just getting started here in 2021, we have faced many challenges with logistics, COVID and supplier delays. But we look forward to expanding our team in 2022, and at that time we also would like to expand our intern program." It's officials at Albany's Phoebe Putney Memorial

34 THE RAY | 2022

Hospital, though, who are perhaps the most excited the 4C's intern concept. While neither Phoebe's Simulation & Innovation Center coordinator, Tracy Suber, nor Hatcher are ready to talk details the pending internship program, both are enthused about providing students with opportunities while addressing a well-documented, crisis-level nursing shortage facing communities and the nation. "We're working on a program for students in the health care pathway at the 4C Academy that will allow them to become certified nurse aides by the time they complete their senior year," Suber said. "They will go through clinical rotations at Phoebe, and the 4C Academy will recommend the cream of the crop for a program that will allow them to work as paid interns at the hospital. "When these students graduate, they will be guaranteed an interview for a position at the hospital. And the ones who are selected will have an opportunity to go to Albany State University or Albany Technical College and have their education paid for by Phoebe. This will be a true partnership, one that could become the standard throughout

Want to get involved with 4C? Contact CEO Chris Hatcher at chris.hatcher@4CAcademy.org or (229) 431-1562. Follow the academy at 4CAcademy.org and on Facebook.

the state. It's an exciting program, and it's not fragmented among the entities involved. We're all on the same page." All of which pleases Hatcher but pushes him as well.

"This is great ; all of these opportunities that our students are getting are great," he said. "But we can always do more. There's no time to reflect on what we've done. We have to be constantly looking for more partners, more businesses, more opportunities for our students to help change the face of the work force in this community and in our state."

detalia milton 4C student

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 35

Albany Area Primary Health Care Patient Services: Family Medicine Internal Medicine Women’s Health Pediatrics Dentistry Podiatry Behavioral Health Vision Care Pharmacy Services

AAPHC Is Now Accepting New Patients Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) is one of the region’s largest physician groups, and the largest Community Health Center, in Southwest Georgia. With more than 70 health care providers, our AAPHC medical team proudly cares for our family, friends and neighbors across nine Georgia counties. Feeling ill? We’ll see you today! 229-888-6559 www.AAPHC.org

Albany Area Primary Health Care Offers FREE HOME DELIVERY On Your Prescriptions It’s time to make the switch to the AAPHC Pharmacy today! Our patients receive access to highly-trained Pharmacists, cost-savings on their prescriptions and the option of FREE HOME DELIVERY. Become an AAPHC patient for quality medical care, access to top medical providers, affordable medications and more! Call 229-405-6192 or visit aaphc.org/services/pharmacy-services

The future relies on

We know that banking isn’t just about numbers and figures. It’s about the relationships we make, the people we love, and the community we build together.

www.abtgold.com

The Alban y State University

Marching Rams

Photo courtesy of Reginald Christian

he Albany State University Marching Rams Show Band has long been recognized as one of the best Historically Black College and University performing bands in the nation by all who have seen them. The band provides unbeatable energy and enthusiasm as they perform their high-stepping shows in parades and shows. Appearances include the Honda All-Star Battle of the Bands in Atlanta amd the Tournament of the Roses Parade in California.

38 THE RAY | 2022

The ASU Marching Rams Show Band is under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Trimmins and is comprised of students from across the country. Every fall, members of the band assemble for the first time as Dr. Trimmins coordinates their marching and playing routines. The valuable training prepares them for performances during football season and functions during the semester. For more information about the Marching Rams Show Band, contact Dr. Kenneth Trimmins at (229) 430-3659 or Kenneth.trimmins@asurams.edu.

Guiding you home 229-436-8811 601 N. Slappey Blvd. Albany, GA 31701

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 39

southbound quiz

Made in Albany

Alb any i s home to innovator s and manufac ture r s making pro duc t s enj oye d by million s o f p e ople around the world.Te s t your knowle dge o f #MadeInAlb any G A pro duc t s in thi s e dit ion o f the S outhb ound Qui z!

What sp e cial ty pro duc t i s manufac ture d by Angelini Pharma to relieve p a in and accele rate healing by u s ing t he rap eut ic heat te chnolo gy? a. b. c. d.

The rmaCare Heat Wrap s Sunb eam Heat ing Pad iReliey D i g ital TEN S Unit S olanp a s Pa in Relie f Patch

S ince 1927, thi s G e org ia-b a s e d c omp any ha s supplie d lumb e r ac ro s s the world and now ha s more than 300 lo cat ion s worldw ide, including Alb any. a. b. c. d.

Weye rhaeu s e r C o. Canfo C orp. G e org ia-Paci fic R SG Fore s t Pro duc t s

From inte r ior de s i gne r to p otte r, thi s art i s an bu s ine s s ha s c reate d more than 4,000 v i sually s tunning, one-o f-a-kind p otte ry pie ce s including va s e s, dinne rware, s e rv ing s e t s and more – s ought a fte r by li fe s tyle celebr it ie s and home s tyli s t s. a. b. c. d.

Bent Tre e Potte ry Cu s tom Inte r ior s The Potte ry G roup Cu s tom Potte ry Inc.

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The s e b ake d s nack s pro duce d by Mar s Wr i gley C onfe c t ionary are bite-s i ze pre t zel s or tort illa s j am p acke d w ith che e s e-fille d deliciou s ne s s and are love d by s nack eate r s ac ro s s the gl ob e. a. b. c. d.

D or ito s C omb o s S ie te Chip s Fr ito s

O wne d and op e rate d by a group o f farme r s, phys ician s and pharmaci s t s, thi s organi zat ion supplie s farm-to-table fo o d s, gra into-gla s s b e e r s and s e e d-toscience hemp pro duc t s to Alb any and b eyond. a. b. c. d.

G e org ia Be e r C o. Mol s on C o or s Swe e twate r B rew ingC o. Pre tor ia Field s C olle c t ive

a. b. c. d.

K imb e rly-C lark C orp. G e org ia-Paci fic Pro c te r & G amble Oa s i s

Powe r ing wate r ve s s el s for gove rnment, c omme rcial, s earch and re scue, and re c reat ional u s e, thi s Alb any-b a s e d manufac ture r supplie s die s el outb o ard eng ine s that lowe r fuel c o s t s by c on suming 25-42 p e rcent le s s fuel than e quivalent ga s oline outb o a rd s. a. b. c. d.

G ene ral Motor s OXE Mar ine Yamaha N i s s an

S itt ing atop a forme r a ir force b a s e, thi s brewe ry employs 600 p e ople that brew up to 10 million b arrel s o f b e e r a year including M ille r L ite, C o or s L i ght and Re dd’s Apple Ale. a. b. c. d.

Toile t p ap e r to ok cente r s tage in the 2020 c oronav iru s p andemic when p anicke d c on sume r s threatene d a glob al s hortage o f the eve ryday e s s ent ial. Thi s manufac ture r double d down to ramp up it s pro duc t ion o f Charmin.

Pre tor ia Field s C olle c t ive Mol s on C o or s Alb any Beve rage C o. O maha B rew ing C o.

What s tarte d a s a s mall ma il-orde r bu s ine s s in 1948 grew into an inte rnat ional supplie r o f S outh G e org ia p e can s. Can you name thi s manufac ture r that call s the “Pe can Capital o f the Wor ld" home?

a. b. c. d.

Alb any Pe can C o. S outh G e org ia Pe can Sunnyland Farm s F lint R ive r Nut s

Thi s manufac ture r call s 10) Alb any home and employs

more than 160 in it s pro duc t ion o f a irc ra ft s s ince 1970. a. Thru s h Airc ra ft b. Ayre s C o. c. Gulfs t ream Ae ro sp ace C orp. d. Airc ra ft Manufac tur ing- D e s i gn

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 41

LD LOCAL I U B

# ShopABY

S H O PPI N G LO C A L I S B I G B U S I N ES S . I t st re n gt h e n s ou r e c on om y, it in ve st s in ou r fu t u re , it oft e n me an s b e t t e r se rvic e s from p e op le y ou k n ow. F or e ve ry $ 100 sp e n t at a loc al b u sin e ss, $ 84 re c irc u lat e s wit h in ou r A lb an y A re a e c on omy. We k n ow t h e imp ort an c e of sh op p in g loc al, b u t d on ’ t t ake ou r word for it ! L ist e n t o y ou r fe llow c ommu n it y m e mb e rs t o #S h op A BY.

"Local business owners invest and donate locally and support other local businesses. Your money stays in circulation locally." TERRY HO

For the region's most comprehensive list of local, visit the Albany Area Chamber's online member director y at AlbanyGa.com.

42 THE RAY | 2022

"I shop local because I love my community! Spending dollars at a local small business means that I am investing in people I see on a regular basis. Over time, this causes our city to grow! " RENATA WILLIAMS

(RIGHT)

"By shopping local, we are supporting our community, friends, family, and the growth of our city! Each local artisan brings their own unique perspective to and from our beautiful city more than a corporation ever could!" SETH BRASHER

( RIGHT)

"I love to shop! Friends ask me all the time, ‘Where did you get that?’ I love being able to tell them about our local unique boutiques and shops. Not to mention the great restaurants, specialty stores, and services you can find right here in our city. It also makes a difference to me to nurture and support our local economy. We contribute to making our city more beautiful when we shop local." KEISHA CORY ( S ECON D FROM L EFT )

"It’s the relationship for me. Knowing my purchase helps buy their groceries or clothes for their children ties my heart to theirs even if I don’t know them personally." KIM RUSSELL Vist the Albany Area Chamber's onlie mebr ectorydi

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 43

Todd Stone Photography

44 THE RAY | 2022

MATTHEW SHOEMAKER CAUGHT

MORE THAN FISH FROM A SOUTH

FLORIDA SALTWATER CATWALK HE

FREQUENTED AS A CHILD WITH HIS

FATHER AND BROTHER. HE CAUGHT A LIFELONG DREAM THAT NIBBLED

AT HIM INCESSANTLY FOR DECADES.

Shoemaker fully realized that dream in early 2021. He left his job to devote all his time to Fishoey Lures, his one-man business that specializes in unique, highquality bass lures.

It started with the love for fishing he developed while casting alongside his dad. “It was the times I spent with my father,” Shoemaker said. “He enjoyed it and I enjoyed being with him. That’s a big part of it. It’s amazing how much you remember those times as an adult. I can almost remember when each fish was caught. “That’s what’s so nice about fishing in general. It’s being outside, on or close to the water. You can do it by yourself in solitude and relaxation. Or you can take a family member or friend with you and share the experience. Even if you don’t catch a fish, it’s still not a bad day fishing. You ask a fisherman and he’ll say, ‘We didn’t catch anything, but we had a good time.’ ”

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 45

IN 2006, HIS DREAM REELED HIM IN A LITTLE MORE. HE “UNOFFICIALLY” BEGAN FISHOEY LURES, A MASHUP OF “FISH” AND HIS NICKNAME, “SHOEY,” AS A SIDE BUSINESS.

The young Shoemaker began creating his own designs for lures. “I had a sketchbook full of lure ideas,” he said. “It’s the one thing I wanted to do ever since I was a kid.” Some of his many designs finally made it from lined paper to fishing lines, and in 2011 he got his first patent, for his Dogger Worm. A decade later, he resigned from digital printing company Matrix Department in Lee County to pursue his lure business full time. And it's not a bad bet: Anglers in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, spend more than $1.3 billion annually on fishing in Georgia, with an economic impact of more than $2.1 billion. “It was a big step,” Shoemaker said. “Having the weekly paycheck was definitely a nice thing. But it was something I always wanted to do, and, in the back of my mind, I would always regret it if I didn’t at least try.” His company now boasts dozens of versions of his 12-inch Dogger Worms, 7-inch Dogger Pups, Hitchhiker Craws and Outlaw Craws. Brandon Classon, owner of local metal fabrication company BSR, is a competition bass fisherman who spends 25-30 weekends a year on the water. He's a fan of Shoemaker’s lures and uses his craws. “They stand on their own,” he said. “It’s got long legs and it’s got more action on the legs. You flip it in the hydrilla or anything like that, it goes through there, but you’ve got a lot of action on the tails.” Classon participates in major tournaments, including Major League Fishing, American Bass Anglers, and the Toyota

46 THE RAY | 2022

Series, and in weekend tournaments. He met Shoemaker when he brought his boats and trucks to Matrix for design wraps. “He was making baits and he brought it up one day. I said let me try some of them,” Classon said. He has evaluated Shoemaker’s lures and has provided him with feedback that has helped Shoemaker improve his designs. “He’s got it down now where it’s good bait,” Classon said. “Matthew cares about his products. He wants feedback, bad or good. “That’s what I like about Matthew. He’s unique himself, a good guy to deal with. If you want a different color or something, he’ll do his best to make it happen. He’s just an all-around super guy.” Shoemaker, who changed his focus from saltwater to freshwater when his family moved to Georgia in 1985, said he designs his lures “backwards.” “I start with what I want the action to be and what I want it to do, and then I go from there,” he said. “My lures are unique. No one else has them. That’s what I try to shoot for — different, unique lures that have a certain action. “The Dogger Worm was designed because no one carried a big ribbon-tailed worm with a little mouse tail on the end of it for action. You could get ribbon-tail

worms, but they were short, and they didn’t have that extra action on the end of it.” Originally, Shoemaker manufactured his products on a small scale out of his home. Tackle Warehouse, an online company in California, was his primary customer. He eventually contracted with a Georgia manufacturer to produce his 12- and 7-inch Dogger Worms. Shoemaker has been making his craws by hand but expected that to change soon.

Shoemaker says he is fortunate that a lot of anglers support him by displaying his logo on their boats. He also gets good support from local stores. He expects to eventually advertise on TV and radio. His lures are available for purchase on his website, www. fishoeylures.com, and he gains exposure by his lures’ inclusion in subscription boxes. “What you really need,” he quipped, “is for a fisherman to say, ‘Don’t tell anybody, but I caught it on a Fishoey lure.’ That spreads it faster than anything.”

When he left Matrix, Shoemaker started MCAREM Manufacturing (an acronym of his and his siblings’ initials) to manufacture all his products. He ordered machinery that would enable him to inject plastic into cold molds and produce 50-85 baits every 60-90 seconds, depending on the lure design. The equipment, delayed by pandemic supply chain issues, finally arrived in January 2022.

Classon agreed. “Sometimes you’ve got to hide your secret baits,” he said with a chuckle.

Taking over his manufacturing, he knows, means even longer workdays. “It’s a one-man band for right now,” he observed. “I don’t go out (fishing) as much as I’d like to because I’m so busy.”

AND SHOEMAKER IS DOING EXACTLY THAT, GOING “ALL

The pandemic also expanded and rekindled interest in outdoors activities. “The demand for fishing just spiked,” Shoemaker said. “There also was a shortage from overseas to provide people with lures and such.” Shoemaker has his own supply chain issues with which to deal. “Material costs have gone up,” he said. “Shipping right now—I get my bags made overseas—is outrageous. Costs have gone up for everything. In that sense, it’s a different model than in 2019.”

Many industries have waxed and waned over the years, but Shoemaker believes he is plugged into one that is constant. “The great thing is fishing’s universal,” he said. “Whether you’re 4 years old or 90, if you can hold a rod, you can go fishing. It can be a bamboo pole with a line and worm, or you can go all out.”

OUT” TO MAKE HIS LIFELONG DREAM COME TRUE.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FISHOEY LURES AT FISHOEYLURES.COM AND ON FACEBOOK

Like many business owners, Shoemaker wants to reach young demographics, especially those 12-18 years old who are deciding which brands they will use for years to come. “Somebody’ll tell you that when they were 16 years old, they threw a watermelon red flake and they caught an 8-pound bass and, lo and behold, 30 years later there’s a watermelon red flake worm of that style in their box,” Shoemaker observed, noting he is “old school” on colors, but delves into newer colors, too. Social media is a major part of his marketing. He also has two tractor-trailer rigs — one that travels Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and a second one that regularly goes to Ohio — with partial trailer wrap promoting his Fishoey brand. “I’m always looking to grow in the South and all over,” he said. “I sell mainly in the United States online, Texas, California. Sometimes in places I wouldn’t expect.”

ANGLERS IN GEORGIA generate $1.3 billion in retail sales, with a $2.1 billion ripple effect each year. Fishing in Georgia is responsible for 15,644 jobs. Source: Georgia DNR Learn more about fishing in Georgia at georgiawildlife.com.

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 47

c h e h aw m a k e s

happy Campers

ith the arrival of COVID-19 in early 2020, the whole world learned to rethink everything – including how to vacation. Americans wasted no time in finding a solution to airplane travel and resort getaways – camping! According to the 2021 Annual North American Camping Report, more than 70 percent of North Americans changed their camping habits; RV ownership increased; first-time campers increased to five times greater than in 2019; and all campers are showing increasing optimism for camping in the future.

For Southwest Georgia camping enthusiasts, the most beautiful campground is in their own backyard at Albany's Chehaw Park. Campers will delight in 800 acres of beautiful, relaxing campgrounds surrounded by the tall pines of Southwest Georgia. Choose from 40 RV sites with full hookup options, a comfort station with laundry, dump station and a group shelter, or 18 tent sites with electric hookups and unlimited primitive camp sites. While on site, enjoy trails, golf disk, the zoo and other nature-based offerings available at Chehaw. Cabins with air conditioning are also available. Call (229) 430-5275 to book your site or cabin. Visit Chehaw.org to learn more.

Current Rates RV Full Hookup RV Regular Hookup Tent Camping Standard Cabin

48 48 THE THE RAY RAY || 2022 2022

$28/per day $20/per day $15/tent $35/day

Deluxe Cabin $75/day Reservation Fee $15 Pet Fee for Cabins $25/per pet * rates current at press time

south georgia

Restaurant Road Trip

I f the re’s one thing we know in S outhwe s t G e org ia, it’s go o d fo o d and excellent ho spitality. From cla s s ic S outhe rn di s he s to more c ontemp orary and c reat ive fo o d fu s ion s – a culinary e scap e awa it s you in town and nearby!

Albany OSTERIA 629 N. Westover Blvd.

O s te r ia i s the mo s t re cent a dd it ion to the S tewb o s family o f re s taurant s a nd feature s authent ic I talian fo o d c re ate d b y A l b a ny - b a s e d Che f L aura Be rnard i P i ove s a na . Favor ite di s he s include art i s an pi zza s , s mall b i te s, p a s ta s made from s c ratch and ent re e s f rom land a nd s ea w it h c o ckta il , w ine and de s s e rt s ele c t ion s for eve ry p alate.

Albany

ALBANY FISH CO. 1921 Dawson Road

T he fine s t fi s h i n A l b any i s found at t he A l b any Fi s h C o. - whe re all s e a fo o d ne e d s are me t. Pat ron s have t he op t i on o f buy i ng f re s h , s teame d , f r i e d or g r ille d s ele c t i on s. Take your c atch home or s i t down and e nj oy a del ic i ou s f re s h s e a fo o d me al at t he qua i nt e at- i n d in i ng sp ac e.

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Bainbridge THE AMERICAN

112 E. Broughton St. A s A me r ican a s apple p i e, th i s re s taurant i s in t he s quare o f hi s tor ic downtown. The ir fo cu s i s s imple – fo o d made f rom s c ratch da ily u s ing fre s h i ngre di ent s wh ile el im i nat ing a s much o f t he pro ce s s and pre s e rvat ive s a s p o s s ible.

Thomasville LIAM'S 113 E. Jackson St.

L i a m’s i s p a s s ionate ab out fo o d – and t hey prove it ! From t he i r cla s s ic ally - t ra i ne d che f to u s i ng t he f re s he s t i ng re d i e nt s p o s s ib le, t hey k now “ you are what you e at” and s t r ive to e nt ic e your p alate and sp a rk your e nthu s i a s m for a s e a s onal fo o d exp e r i e nc e.

Tifton THE LOCAL 401 Love Ave.

New S outhe rn cu i s i ne a nd handc ra fte d c o ckta il s are made f rom l o cal purveyor s at T he L o cal . They u s e f re s h ingre d ient s for fo o d w ith great flavor a nd s oul that p ays homa ge to the area they a re p roud to c all home.

Americus

GYRO CITY MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 116 W. Lamar St.

G y ro C i ty i s a t a s te o f t he M e d i te rrane a n r i ght he re in S out hwe s t G e org i a! L a mb Burge r, Fala fel Wrap, Me d ite r ra ne an P lat te r – t h i s l ittle e ate ry p ack s a bi g G re ek punch . S e t i n t he he a rt o f downtown A me r icu s , t h i s i s t he p e rfe c t lunch s top a fte r a mor n ing o f s hopp i ng.

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 51

Authentically

albany Q&A with Lisa Arnold

Although not originally from Albany, Lisa Arnold called Albany home for 20 years before moving to Louisiana. It was while living here that Arnold got her start in the film industry. With more than two decades of experience in the industry now, Arnold is well known for her work in family friendly and faith-driven films such as One Nation Under God, Caged No More, Beautifully Broken and God's Not Dead. That, too, got its start right here in Albany. Arnold worked on the set of the first Kendrick Brothers film, Flywheel, written and produced in Albany.

52 THE RAY | 2022

formerly of albany, arnold resides in New Orleans

How did you first get your start in the film industry? Initially, I was involved in theater, and then moved to TV, and then film work started picking up in the mid-90s in Atlanta. I was driving back and forth to be a part of that. At first, I thought I was not going to like it at all because everything that I had done prior to that had been live and film is slow and tedious, but I ended up falling in love with everything about film. So much so that I moved from on camera to behind the camera. Because I had experience producing and directing, I started helping out with other people’s projects however I could, just so I could learn more about it. Then I started writing scripts, and so by I think 10 years later, I was doing everything. I was writing, directing, and producing original content.

tell us about your involvement with those first two projects of Albany's Kendrick Brothers, alex and stephen? How did that involvement influence you as a filmmaker? The first one was one of my favorites of all time to work on. It was called Flywheel. We had $20,000, which we used to buy the camera. No one was paid. We all just showed up on set, a very minimal crew. It was do whatever you could to get this movie made. It was such a God thing, and a vision of Alex’s. That sacrifice that just doing whatever it takes taught me the mentality of filmmaking. You have to be the make-it-happen person. If you really feel led to make a story, you have to see it all the way through. I definitely learned that temperament from Alex and Stephen. I love the fact that it was my first film experience where everybody was just all hands on deck. It’s very different once you get into bigger budgets and you have hundreds of people on set and everybody’s just doing one job. It’s a very different experience, but to this day, I still like to keep my crew not too large because I think everybody brings so many gifts to the job. As the director, particularly, I want to allow those people to be a part of the creative process and bring what they can. I feel like set experiences are very collaborative.

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Was 'Flywheel' your first time being involved in a faith-based film? I had done one smaller one that had faith elements, but it was not at that level. Faith-based films, you have to give the Kendrick Brothers credit for that in so many ways. There were a couple other brother teams that were doing things like that but there wasn’t a lot of content for faith-based films. They really drove that and are still driving it today with the content that they’re making. I think every one of their stories is impactful and powerful. It’s enlightening. It takes your faith to another level. It shows you how to walk through these different journeys, so their role is huge. The fact that Albany, Georgia, has been the backdrop of that is huge.

After that involvement with those two projects, what led you to keep making faith-driven and family-friendly content? Why was it so important to you to continue creating films like that? You have to go back to when I was on camera, and I was getting projects that I really didn’t want to be a part of. I didn’t like the scripts. I didn’t feel like they were content that I’d want to share with my entire family. I just felt like I wanted to have a greater purpose to my projects than just tell a story, and so that really led me to start writing and creating my own content, which I did. My first screenplay was turned into a film in, I think, around ’09, and then from there I’ve done several.

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How was the transition from being on camera to being the one behind the camera? I really found that I liked participating in more than just one aspect of it. When you come in as an actor, you have to be all about that part and making that role come to life. But that’s it, other than helping each of the other actors do their best and being in the moment with them. When you get behind the camera, from the words that they speak, to what they’re going to wear, to how you’re going to color it to set the mood, to getting involved in the score − I love being a part of every one of those aspects. It’s not just about what I’m seeing through the camera, it is about all of those levels and all of those elements.

Can you talk about your current projects and life in Louisiana now? It’s really interesting because we live in Louisiana but I have not filmed in Louisiana for two years. I’ve been in other places; Tennessee mostly recently. I just did my first musical film, which was so great to do. It was fun to incorporate all the loves that I have − the dance, the music elements, the choreography. All of that was so much fun for me, and we’ll be doing a sequel hopefully shortly on that. I have really stayed in the faith and family genre ever since I left, and I want to stay in that. I do have some female-based stories that are more female driven. I do a lot of coming-of-age stories. I love working with kids. I love working with teenagers. I am always drawn to that coming-of-age story and how we become who we are, that journey. I love telling that through film. I do like action films, and so I’ve got a kid action film coming up. I want to keep growing

Learn more about Lisa Arnold at checkthegateproductions.com.

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as a filmmaker, but I also want to be true to the stories that I like to tell. I’ll always look for the faith elements. I’ll always look through the blinder of “Can the whole family watch this?” and “Is this a story that can really go beyond the screen and touch lives and change lives?”

What do you miss most about Albany? The food, no doubt. We miss our Pearly’s, we miss our House of China, we miss our Gargano’s pizza, all those things. We want to visit, so we can go eat. Our friends and family, too, obviously, but food!

What do you remember most about your time in Albany? Your 20s are figuring life out and finding yourself and then your 30s are stepping into who you’re really meant to be, and I spent those years in Albany. I have to tell you how important it was to have such great friends. With my husband being from there, we had instant friends that he had grown up with and that were so welcoming of me. I had dearest girlfriends. One of my dearest friends is still there and I miss her every day. Our first church was Porterfield (United Memorial Methodist Church), and we were so welcomed there. We got really involved, and I did the children’s choir there for years. Theatre Albany was another extension of a family for me. I loved spending time there. My husband’s parents were there, too, at the time. We were surrounded by great family and friends, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Our kids had such a wonderful upbringing there, and they really loved Georgia so much. We talk about coming back a lot. We really do. It’s always something that we play around with and talk about, and I think if God opened those doors, we definitely would look at that. Georgia has such beautiful people, and particularly Albany. I was already involved in filmmaking before the Kendrick Brothers came. But I don’t know that

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God would have revealed or shown me that 'this is a journey for you, too,' had I not had that experience and, honestly, had some doors shut for me, so that I would learn to walk through doors on my own. When I first got started, I didn't know of many females that were doing any of the things that I was doing early, particularly for faith-based films. I had to create opportunities, and God just allowed it and blessed it. I’m so grateful to do what I do.

I love everything about it.

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