Biz Magazine | July - August 2021

BIZ ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VOL. 21 / ISSUE 4 President & CEO, Editor Bárbara Rivera Holmes Chair Matt Reed Chair-Elect Don Gray Printing South Georgia Printing Photography Todd Stone Ad Sales Mary Bickerstaff Marketing Agency MADlab Marketing Biz (U.S.P.S. 886-680) is published by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, 225 W. Broad Avenue, Albany, Georgia 31701.

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TABLE OF

CON T E N T S 06 Comments from the Chairman

07 A Message from the Chamber President

Together, we got this!

08 Streamworks. Dream Works.

Students diving deep into aquatic robotic innovation.

14

2020 Young Professional of the Year: Sarah E. Holloway Reaching and teaching more students.

20 The 2021 Star Students

Meet the 2021 STAR students. Excelling and representing.

The #ILoveABY Scavenger Hunt, developed by the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau, turned up the fun in July as residents and locals explored Albany and discovered — and in some cases, rediscovered — why they love Albany. Elliott Hutchinson, 9, made a stop at Albany's Ray Charles Plaza as part of the 50-clue hunt.

Rediscover Albany at visitalbanyga.com.

23 Star Student Highlight: Ashlynn Dapper

From high school to college, the whole world is

now her stage.

28 Choosing Albany: Milan Patel

Invest back in your community.

32 Chamber Highlights

Celebrating the Chamber and its members.

ON THE COVER: Dougherty Comprehensive High School's Sarah E. Holloway, the 2020 Albany Area Chamber Albany Under 40 Young Professional of the year, devotes her heart and talent to making a difference. Read more on page 14.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and at AlbanyGA.com.

COM M E N T S

FROM T HE 202 1 C HAI RM AN I hope you and your family are having a great Summer!

While Summer in the Chamber world usually is pretty quiet, your Chamber staff and board have been very busy. The work continues with our divisions and working groups implementing our strategic plan and building a future focused chamber that we can all be proud of. I appreciate all of the work by both Barbara and Mary - we are truly blessed to have them at our Chamber and do not know how they get it all done.

We hosted our first Business After Hours recently at Colony Bank’s new location which was well attended by members and have since had members reach out to plan to host future ones for the next year. We are looking forward to hosting our members more as the year progresses.

The highlight of the Summer was the Phoebe Medical Residency Welcome. Thank you to all the businesses who donated to the now “welcome wagons” we presented to the new residents. I remember not too long ago upon attending my first ceremony how these were nothing more than stuffed beach bags. The generosity of this community continues to always amaze me. This makes such a huge difference when these professionals are deciding on whether to stay in our community.

With all that being said - please remain vigilant as we continue to work as a community, state, and nation to prevent the spread of Covid-19. As I write this, our hospital is seeing increasing numbers, and mostly all being admitted are unvaccinated. The vaccine saves lives and has been proven to do so. Please consult your primary care doctor if you have any concerns.

Lastly, congratulations again to Sarah Holloway on being named the Albany Under 40 Young Professional of the Year. Sarah is an inspiring individual and we are lucky to have her in our community.

Thanks you as always for the opportunity to serve the Chamber and this community.

6 JULY | AUGUST 2021

- MATT REED

M ES SAGE

F RO M T H E P R ES I DE NT & C EO

Most often, residents and visitors alike will credit “people” as Albany’s No. 1 asset.

And we couldn’t agree more. While the community boasts an enviable business climate, ease of access and ready-abled work force, it is the determination, hospitality, resiliency and innovation of its people that so often leaves the greatest impression.

In this issue of Biz, you get a taste of people. Young people embarking on college careers; professionals making their mark; innovators investing and developing the economy.

Want to be inspired? Read our profile on Sarah E. Holloway, the Albany Area Chamber’s 2020 Albany Under 40 Young Professional of the Year, who was honored at the 111th annual meeting. Holloway, a teacher and instructional coach at Dougherty Comprehensive High School, provides her students with not just education; she fills them with inspiration and supports their goals and dreams. Read more about Holloway on page 14.

What’s the future look like? We’re not certain, but we do know that Dougherty County’s STAR students and teachers will make an impact for the better. Meet the community’s academically highest-achieving students, what they’ll miss about Albany as they head to college and what’s ahead for them starting on page 20. We hope these students will grow and learn in college and bring their expanded talents back home to Albany.

Albany developer Milan Patel shares his story of Choosing Albany; students get innovative with aquatic robotics; the Marines win the cup at the spring Salty Sandbagger Golf Tournament hosted by the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee; and businesses celebrate with ribbon cuttings, Business After Hours and more.

We’re proud to be a central support to the people and businesses that make Albany who and what it is — and what it can be. We’re working on the now and working on the future. Thanks for being part of Team Albany and Team Chamber.

-BÁRBARA RIVERA HOLMES

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Winners of the first M.A.T.E. Underwater Robotics competition at Albany State University were Baconton Charter seventh-graders were, from left, Amekah Keaton, Aby Shumate and Kennady Hurst. Special Photo: Albany State University

One thing you should know about Dennis Courtney...

He dreams big.

After recently brokering a partnership between Albany State University and Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) STREAMWORKS to assist in its efforts of educating young students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, Courtney is

already talking about hosting regional and national underwater remote operated vehicle championships at Albany State.

Courtney, the founder, executive director and regional coordinator of STREAMWORKS, was running a robotics program that helped disadvantaged minority students develop skills that would take them into college and beyond at Albany Technical College when a brainstorm hit.

He met up with a former classmate, David Golden, who was a vice president at Eastman Chemical.

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Dennis Courtney, Founder, Executive Director and Regional Coordinator of STREAMWORKS

2019 MATE ROV International Competition, Kingsport, Tennessee

What started as a pleasant conversation turned into a seven-hour discussion, at the end of which Golden convinced Courtney to come to Kingsport, Tenn., and bring his robotics programs with him under the auspices of an organization called Streamworks, powered by Eastman in Education.

"The cool thing about STREAMWORKS is that what we do with robotics is relevant to whatever community we're in," Courtney said. "It's a program for all kids ... the haves and the have-nots.

"As a matter of fact, our motto is 'Every kid deserves to go pro.' "

MATE, Courtney notes, came to be 21 years ago when the Maritime Technical Society had trouble finding robotic pilots to work in the Gulf of Mexico. With funding from the National Science Foundation, an underwater robotics competition was organized to help find future robotics experts. Now that competition draws competitors from all over the world.

Courtney said the pieces are in place to eventually bring that national competition to Albany.

"Imagine 1,500 kids from around the world — Russia, China, Australia, Japan, Mexico, England and all over the United States — coming to Albany for the national championship," Courtney said. "My vision is that — and I mean very soon, even by next year — we partner with the local school system to hold a regional competition for schools in south Georgia and north Florida. Part of that plan is to teach the educators, to offer professional development to teachers in area schools who are interested in teaching robotics.

"One thing we'll stress, though, is that there will be no 'Pinewood Derby Syndrome,' you know, where parents do all the work on their kids' racers. We want the kids to learn from each other, a true team concept. And, remember, a lot of these kids involved in robotics have never played team sports. But this can be the ultimate team sport for the students who buy into what we're doing."

Albany State quickly saw the potential of the STREAMWORKS program and agreed to partner with Courtney and his organization. ASU Vice President of Institutional

MATE II, in partnership with the MATE Center, uses underwater robots – also known as remotely operated vehicles or ROVs – to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and prepare students for technical careers. The 2019 MATE International ROV Competition took place June 20-22 in Kingsport, Tennessee.

10 JULY | AUGUST 2021

Advancement A.L. Fleming said the program fits well within the university's STEM-laden curriculum. “Albany State University is proud to partner with the M.A.T.E. Underwater Robotics competition,” Fleming said after a recent competition among area schools at the Jones Brothers Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Complex on the ASU campus. The underwater robotics event, won by students from Baconton Charter School, was the first of its kind in Southwest Georgia. “This is a great opportunity that encourages students to learn and apply STEM to create solutions for important issues we face,” Fleming added.

Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy (4C Academy) CEO Chris Hatcher said that while the Dougherty County school does not currently have an underwater robotics team, there is a simple reason: There's just too much currently going on at 4C. "Most of our robotics focuses on FIRST Robotics competition, but I'm very aware of what Dennis is doing with STREAMWORKS," said Hatcher. The 4C's robotics team, "The Commodores," are multi-year, FIRST Robotics global champions. The academy is a convener of robotics teams from schools throughout the region. "I know there are a lot of people in industries across the country who are very much behind underwater robotics. When you look at STEM-based projects, that is what is on the minds of businesses today.

"STREAMWORKS focuses on STEM-related projects, on engineering processes, as they build robots to solve aquatics issues that are actually vital to the future. Their philosophy is

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very much in line with what we do with our program, and I'm certain we'll discuss our involvement soon,” said Hatcher.

Courtney, meanwhile, said the concept of operating underwater remote operated vehicles (ROVs) even in a city like Kingsport, some 400 miles inland from the Atlantic, seemed unusual to many at first. But most soon saw the method to his "madness."

“I have to give credit to Eastman because we wouldn’t have underwater robotics if it hadn’t been for their interest in the ocean sciences,” he noted.

The chemical company's close relationship with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth, Mass., proved to be fortuitous for STREAMWORKS. Courtney visited Woods Hole, where he observed the institute using ROVs to study how microplastics were being introduced into the food chain.

Courtney became fascinated by the underwater ROVs and how they could benefit students in the Appalachian highlands. His research led him to the MATE Center.

Courtney cold-called the center, asking if they would be interested in working with entities in Tennessee. It seemed a stretch, since MATE was created to help develop the ocean-related work force, but MATE Inspiration for Innovation President Jill Zande

was open to the idea. And when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which had been selected to host the 2019 national competition, decided that 2021 would be a better fit, Kingsport stepped in to fill the void.

"That shows you what can happen," Courtney said. "I don't see why we can't have the same kind of thing in Albany at Albany State.

We can host a regional in the next year or so and then start looking at nationals."

Among the benefits of robotics, Courtney, who also taught science in the Lee County School System, said, is the impact the activity has on students' futures. "I've learned that of the students who are involved in robotics as a STEM-initiated extracurricular, 75% of them pursue post-secondary education," he said. "The beauty of that is, you now have successful citizens who might not have turned out that way without being involved in the program.”

"And if you catch these kids at the upper levels of elementary school, in middle school and high school, they gain a decade on their professional careers. It's closer to the German model, where kids in their early 20s go right into their profession and stay in it for life. In the U.S., where we rank 38th in the world in science and math, individuals waste a decade in five or six different jobs — with or without a college degree — before they find the right job."

Courtney, who retired from the Navy in 2004, becomes animated as he talks of the STREAMWORKS program. Listen to him talk about hosting a robotics national championship in Albany long enough, and you, too, will believe.

"Man, I thought I loved the Navy," he said. "But right now, I really love what I do."

12 JULY | AUGUST 2021

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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2020 ALBNAY UNDER 40

Y

oung

professional of the Year

sarah

holloway

Sarah Holloway was a teacher before she even realized it, working with her younger siblings and helping her mother as a young girl growing up in Albany. Despite this, she originally wanted to be an OB/ GYN when she started college, never dreaming that she would one day be awarded the 2020 Albany Area Chamber's 2020 Albany Under 40 Young Professional of the Year for her work as an educator.

When she did find her way to education, she set her sights high, telling her college advisor she wanted to be a school principal.

“My advisor told me if you want to be a principal then you have to teach,” she said with a laugh.

She settled on middle Grades english and social studies, and now there’s no doubt that she has found her true calling. Although she started her career teaching middle school English in Americus, she eventually found her way to Dougherty Comprehensive High School where she now teaches U.S. history to 11th graders in the morning and works as a social studies instructional coach in the afternoon.

“I started teaching middle school, and I didn’t think I was going to end up in high school,” said Holloway. “I thought, "Those kids are my size, my height, and I look like I’m their age.' ”

When her principal at Albany Middle School left to be the principal at Dougherty High, she took a chance and followed him. “(I liked it) much more than I thought I would,” Holloway said. “They’re getting ready to go out and experience life and everything that it has to offer, the good and the bad, so it has more of an impact than (I saw) in middle school.”

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And throughout her journey as a teacher, she was continuing as a student for much of the time. After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in middle grades English and social studies from Albany State University and while continuing to work as a teacher, Holloway went on to get a Master’s in middle grades education and a specialist’s degree from ASU. Even while pregnant and with a newborn, Holloway continued her studies. Her now five-year-old son, Cody, was born on January 11 and her last semester of classes for her specialist’s degree started the very next day. Still in the hospital with her son, Holloway worked on online discussion questions for her new classes.

“My son was four months old at my graduation, and he had on a shirt that said ‘My mom is graduating today, so she can be my principal someday.’ That was very exciting and rewarding, doing it for him.”

Not long after finishing her specialist’s degree, the position for the social studies instructional coach became available.

“I like being an instructional coach,” said Holloway. “I’m able to collaborate with the teachers and see their strengths, and I take things from them. We just collaborate, building on each other’s strengths and any weaknesses we have, trying to see how we can get better for the children. … I still get the joy of still seeing my babies and teaching these children, but I also play that administrator role to a certain extent.”

Although Holloway still has her sights set high, her goals have shifted over the years.

“I call my classroom Holloway’s Academy, and we have t-shirts and blazers,” Holloway said. “I do this thing called Lunch and Learn

16 JULY | AUGUST 2021

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where their parents can come … and hear them sing. (They can) see a day in the life of their child’s experience in my classroom.”

Through Holloway’s Academy and the yearly Lunch and Learns, which she has done since working at Albany Middle School, Holloway has set her sights on the possibility of opening her own school one day.

«I tell my children that you don't settle,»” said Holloway. «Don't be okay with barely making the mark.

And so I have to look in the mirror at myself and say, ‘Am I okay with where I am or do I want to reach and teach more children and have my stamp on more kids?’

I’m kind of leaning in that direction now.

“I would be able to impact children of all ages (with my own school),” said Holloway. “I want to start at three years old and end at 8th grade. I want that beginning stage to really impart that love for learning and that love and motivation and to watch that grow.”

18 JULY | AUGUST 2021

And it’s no wonder that all this hard work that led to Holloway to being where she is today and the motivation and determination that drives her to want to open her own school one day, also led to her being nominated and named the 2020 Albany Under 40 Young Professional of the Year.

Having won this award for the pandemic year of 2020, Holloway said she doesn’t take it lightly that an educator was the one chosen.

“With the pandemic, there were a lot of changes,” said Holloway. “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the classroom, two years, 20 years, it didn’t matter. We all started over as first-year teachers teaching virtually online. It was a lot, especially at the beginning because it made it harder to build those relationships. …

We had to find creative ways to reach our kids, creative ways to still hook them, let them know we still care about them, and let them know that content is still important.

“I was so shocked (the night I received the award), but I really wanted to convey to everybody that this is not just for me. This award is for every educator because we made it. It was a lot going through our own personal family issues and losing loved ones and friends and still trying to come to the classroom and be a bright light in someone else’s life. ... I’m just grateful that I was recognized, for all educators to be recognized.”

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STAR STUDENTS The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize the community’s highest achieving high school seniors and the teachers who support them during the annual Dougherty County PAGE Student/Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Awards. To qualify for the STAR competition, a student must have the highest score on a single test date on the three-part SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of his or her graduating, class based on grade point average.

Li'Trell

FRANK

DREW

STAR TEACHER:

STAR TEACHER:

STAR TEACHER:

Mrs. Tracy Stolze

Mrs. ALEE MILLER

Mrs. Janet Guiellebeau

Monroe Comprehensive High School * Attending Alabama State University as a Business Management major.

What I will miss about * Albany is my family and friends that I have meet.

* Deerfield-Windsor School * Attending Georgia Tech as a

* Deerfield-Windsor School * Georgia Tech - Mechanical

Stamper

*

20 JULY | AUGUST 2021

FAISON MIDDLETON, V

Stamps President’s Scholar as a Biomedical Engineering major on a Pre-med track * I will most miss the people in Albany as well as easy access to outdoor activities such as hunting.

REICH

Engineering major

* Because I am going to college in Atlanta, I will miss the more relaxed lifestyle of Albany as well as spending time with friends and family.

Deerfield-Windsor STAR Student winners, Frank Faison Middleton and Drew Anthony Reich, tied as the countywide STAR winners. The pair, along with their STAR teachers, will represent Dougherty County in the regional STAR competition.

Brystan

Davon

STAR TEACHER:

STAR TEACHER:

Carthon

Mr. Corey Moore

davis

Ms. Jasamine Dixon

* Westover Comprehensive High

* Dougherty Comprehensive High

*

*

*

School Attending the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Co. to study chemical or astronautical engineering major I will miss my friends and family while I’m in Colorado - playing video games with my gaming buddies and I will miss my Eagle Scout teammates.

School Attending Edward Waters University in Florida as a political science major on a pre-law pathway

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Middle Magnet School

Soaring: Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School has been named among the top 5% of Title I schools in Georgia based on student achievement and performance scores.

We congratulate the students and employees for all of their hardwork. We knew DCSS Schools were among the best in Georgia, now the rest of the state does too!

Dougherty County School System 22 JULY | AUGUST 2021

STAR STUDENT HIGHLIGHT

With her beaming smile and joyful disposition, Ashlynn Dapper, a 2021 graduate of Sherwood Christian Academy (SCA), shines from within—a combination of intelligence, creativity, enthusiasm, and the faith that she credits with so much of her success.

By anyone’s standards Ashlynn earned an impressive amount of high school honors, including STAR student and valedictorian of her graduating class, numerous academic and extracurricular achievements, and a full-tuition

scholarship to her chosen college, Anderson University in Anderson, S.C. She and her older sister, Alana, also manage a YouTube channel, “Growing Up Godly,” which just hit the five-year mark and boasts more than 900 subscribers.

“I am very stubborn and very driven,” Ashlynn laughs. “When I was two years old that was not a good trait, but thankfully I have learned to funnel that into good things!”

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She credits her father for her work ethic and her mother for instilling her love of learning, but she is quick to share her faith as the cornerstone on which she has built her life.

“I’ve always been different, and I’m okay with that,” she says. “I hold myself to a higher standard. Honestly, it’s because I want to glorify God in everything I do. I’ve always believed that if I shoot for the heavens, I’ll land in the stars. But I’m also too stubborn to land in the stars!”

One of Ashlynn’s personal goals for her senior year was to earn the title of SCA STAR student by scoring the highest in her class on that year’s SAT, but she had an underlying motivation.

“The only reason I wanted to be STAR student was so I could choose a STAR teacher. There are so many people at my school that have done so much for me. Selecting a STAR teacher was something that I could do for one of them.”

Ashlynn chose James Byrd, her sophomore history teacher, as her STAR teacher.

“It’s not every day that you walk into a classroom excited to be there,” she points out. “I hated history before I had his class, but Mr. Byrd told stories and made history come alive.”

Ashlynn’s newfound appreciation for history may have been a catalyst for one of the high school accomplishments that meant the most to her, an original play she wrote about the Berlin Wall.

“If I still hated history I would never have done all of the research I needed to write the play. Mr. Byrd was someone God used to put me in that position.”

Ashlynn’s play, “Berlin,” debuted this spring at SCA, but the idea was born during COVID quarantine. Ashlynn, who loves both writing and acting, was searching for a way to produce a socially distanced play in her senior year.

“I started brainstorming. What if there were just two people at a time on stage, six feet apart, and they didn’t touch or interact with

24 JULY | AUGUST 2021

each other? Maybe part of the dialogue was writing letters to each other. We could put up a dividing wall to be even safer. That’s when it hit me. I’ve always been fascinated with the history of the Berlin Wall and the thought that it divided family and friends. That was the subject of my play!”

Ashlynn presented the idea to her drama teacher at SCA, Brydon Fox, who liked the idea but encouraged her to wait for better timing.

Then, at the beginning of 2021, Fox offered Ashlynn the opportunity to put on “Berlin” that semester. In her final stretch of high school, Ashlynn was already busy, taking four dual enrollment college classes. She spent every spare minute for the rest of January writing.

After presenting the initial draft to Fox, the two spent seven-hour days, working together and making adjustments. By early February, the script for the two-hour play was complete.

The entire Dapper family pitched in to help bring Ashlynn’s idea to life. Ashlynn’s mom handled ticket sales and publicity, her dad constructed the sets, and Alana, her sister, served as stage manager.

Ashlynn also acted in the project.

“Production week was one of the best weeks of my entire life,” Ashlynn recalls. “The cast and crew were amazing, and seeing the audience react with such enthusiasm to something I had created was exciting and encouraging.”

She is quick to deflect the praise from herself, though. “I don’t know how we pulled it all together so quickly. That’s when you just have to give all the credit to the Lord. God is the author of all creativity. I don’t believe He is done with this project yet.”

Ashlynn is currently tweaking the play as she looks into copyrighting and publishing to make it available to other Christian schools. She has even written songs so that the play could be

converted into a musical. She is excited to see what options the future holds.

“I’ve thought about writing a book, writing a sequel, even developing a script for a TV series. But I’m going to step forward when I feel the peace of the Lord and wait when He tells me to wait. I know it’s all about His timing. I’m just leaving this project completely open if there’s something He wants to use it for now or 20 years from now.”

Ashlynn is also looking ahead as she prepares to move to Anderson University this fall. While she says that she will miss her hometown, her church friends at Sherwood Baptist Church, and her close-knit family, she is also excited about the new people she will meet and the opportunities that lie before her. As always, she holds fast to her faith as she enters this new chapter of life.

“I always pray and thank the Lord that I’m a thread in His tapestry.

I don’t know how I’m being woven into other people’s lives, but I know that I am.” She pauses and flashes another one of her sunny smiles as she continues confidently.

“It’s okay if I can’t see the bigger picture, because I know He can.”

A P PA R E L

WRITING INSTRUMENTS

D R I N K WA R E

GIFTS

T EC H I T E M S

–left– MARLIN JONES SALES SINCE 2002 ALBANY, GA –center– NIKKI CABALLERO NEW SALES REPRESENTATIVE AUBURN/OPELIKA, AL

L E T U S H E L P YO U B U I L D YO U R B R A N D 229.435.0000 | WWW.LOGOSPLUS.COM

–right– KENDYL WHITE SALES SINCE 1995 ALBANY, GA

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Milan Patel stands in front of his latest project, Bottoms Up!" The upscale package store is the cornestone to the second phase of Shoppes at Westover development, which includes four new businesses. The first phase of the Shoppes includes Surcheros and his Newk's Eatery.

Choosing Albany MILAN PATEL

28 JULY | AUGUST 2021

WHEN MILAN PATEL LEFT ALBANY FOR THE ATLANTA AREA IN 2007, he never imagined himself returning. He had just finished a threeyear stint of running a retail business off of Gillionville Road before selling it to return to the Atlanta area. When the financial crisis of 2008 hit just a year after moving, Patel lost everything. As he built himself back up, he found himself looking at another opportunity in Albany in 2010, just three years after he left without any plans to come back.

That opportunity was the former Holiday Inn property near the Albany Mall that Patel and his partnership group bought, cleared, and then turned into the Olive Garden that stands there today.

“My next opportunity could have been … anywhere, but it was here,” said Patel. “And then when it was here, one thing led to another and I stayed here. And I’ve been here now 11 years.”

And so through a meandering journey that started with being born in New Jersey, living in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and then in Newnan, Georgia growing up, going to college in Athens, coming to Albany, leaving, and making his way back, Patel came to call Albany his home.

“Albany chose me,” Patel said. “A place that welcomes you and lets you be successful, that place chooses you.”

One thing that stood out to Patel about Albany after living in so many different places was the people.

“Everybody knows you in your neighborhood,” said Patel. “Everybody knows you in the next neighborhood. They want to get to know you. They want to find ways to connect with you, and you didn’t get that (in Newnan).

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I lived in Newnan, Georgia, for 10 years, and I only knew one of my neighbors. …

This community (Albany) opens up to you.”

And for what it’s worth, Patel doesn’t necessarily miss the amenities that big city living has to offer.

“If a person who lives an hour away from the Braves stadium and a person from Albany wants to go to a Braves game, it’s no different,” said Patel. “I think sometimes we exaggerate that. I think everything people wish to be accessible in a big city, is just as accessible from Albany. … I think if you have a thirst for the arts or a thirst for cross-cultural cuisine, I think you’ll make that effort to travel to Tallahassee or Jacksonville or Atlanta at your whim. Could you enjoy it on a daily basis? Probably not, but most people who live in Atlanta don’t enjoy it on a daily basis either.

“… I feel Albany is a great place. If we leave work in Albany at five o’clock, we’re home at 5:15. If you leave work at 5:00 in Atlanta, you’re home at 6:15. The

narrative can be twisted so quickly when people say there’s nothing to do in Albany, but you’re also not doing traffic for one hour and 15 minutes each way. It’s all relative.”

In the 11 years Patel has been back, he has been witness to all the growth and development that Albany has experienced over the past decade.

“Albany is a hub for Southwest Georgia,” said Patel. “Anytime you’re a regional hub, no matter where you make your money, you have to have a place to spend it. I’ve seen where Albany has been a benefactor in that.”

To be sure, Patel has had a big impact on that growth himself. What started with the old Holiday Inn turned Olive Garden that led him back here has grown to several retail businesses, restaurants (including Newk’s Eatery and the Dairy Queen in Dawson), and several strip malls in the greater Albany Area.

“ALBANY HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME, AND FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH, I HOPE I’VE BEEN GOOD FOR IT,” SAID PATEL.

“I hope I've worked hard and done good things and made things look nicer.”

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C H A MB ER HIGHLIGHTS

TH E SA LT Y SA N DB AGGE R

G O LF T O U R N A M EN T

EXPEREINCE BEING A KNIGHT

Tuition Assistance Available

www.deerfieldwindsor.com 229.435.1301Option #1

32 JULY | AUGUST 2021

The Albany Area Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee (MAC) hosted its 2021 Spring Salty Sandbagger Golf Tournament, a friendly round on the links that reinforces partnership and camaraderie between the Albany Area Chamber business community and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. For the fourth time in a row, the coveted Salty Sandbagger trophy — created at the tournament’s outset in 1976 by the hard-working men and women of what is now Marine Depot Maintenance Command Albany at U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Command — was won by the MCLBA team and accepted by commanding officer Col. Michael Fitzgerald.

The event, hosted at Flint River Municipal Golf Course, included a special dedication to retired Marine and longtime MAC member Bob Adams, who has played the tournament for 42 years; and a $1,500 donation on behalf of MAC to the Young Marines youth leadership program. The Chamber's Military Affairs Committee is chaired by Col. Dan Gillan (USMC Ret.), CEO of the Albany Area YMCA, and cochaired by the Chamber's chair-elect, Lt. Col. Don Gray (USMC Ret).

MORNING M I X

AND MINGLE

It was all about connections at the June 8 Morning Mix & Mingle at Doublegate Country Club. Participants were able to learn more about the Albany Area Chamber while building relationships with the business community – and enjoying a delicious breakfast.

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ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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BUSIN ESS

A FT E R H O U RS MAY 18 AT COLONY BANK

Laughter, celebration and connection was the theme for the first Business After Hours since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Sponsored by Colony Bank, those who attended the event enjoyed delicious food provided by Stewbos and the chance to meet new contacts and reconnect with old ones. The coveted cash prize drawing winner was Brandon Bates of CTSI.​

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229-431-0800 | www.Central911.com 34 JULY | AUGUST 2021

CH A M BE R EM PLOY EES

RETIRe

The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce proudly honored Lovick Shippley and Donna Gray, two of its employees retiring after many years of faithful service to the business community in Albany and surrounding areas.

Co-workers gave an intimate reception at the Chamber with friends and family attending.

Gray retires with more than 25 years of service as the Chamber's sales director. While her primary responsibility was securing sponsorships for the many Chamber events held throughout the year, Donna could often be found supporting her co-workers in their endeavors as well.

Shippey served as the Chamber's comptroller for 17 years, and supported also to numerous Albany Area Chamber strategic partners. His knowledge of processes and procedures has resulted in proper financials, reporting, and other regulatory aspects of nonprofit accounting.

While we will miss these two individuals who have made such a significant contribution to our organization, we wish them a happy retirement!

DONNA GRAY

LOVICK SHIPPEY

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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We'd love to celebrate your business with an Albany Area Chamber ribbon cutting, one of the many benefits of Chamber membership. For details and to schedule, call Mary Bickerstaff at (229) 434-8700 or email at mbickerstaff@albanyga.com.

BODY PERFECTION STUDIO 731 W. OGLETHORPE BOULEVARD, SUITE 1 MAY 6 Body Perfection Studio offers a full range of professional treatments, from detox, to weight loss and body contouring all in a relaxing atmosphere. To learn more about the services offered, visit bodyperfectionstudioga.com.

RE/MAX OF ALBANY 1819 DAWSON ROAD MAY 5 The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated with RE/MAX of Albany as they cut the ribbon on their new building. Realtors, friends and family were treated to a Cinco de Mayo themed open house. If you are considering buying or selling a home or just curious about the local market you can visit them at www.remaxofalbany.com , call (229) 4341600 or visit them in their new location.

36 JULY | AUGUST 2021

CITY OF ALBANY CAREHERE WELLNESS CENTER 211 N. JEFFERSON ST. MAY 18 The Wellness Center is a free, by appointment only medical clinic offered by the City of Albany for their employees and retirees covered by the Public Employees’ Group Health Plan. The focus of the center is on wellness – taking steps to avoid chronic illnesses and provide medical care for minor injuries and illnesses.

MELTED 2319 GILLIONVILLE ROAD MAY 19

THE PAISLEY FIG 238 W. BROAD AVENUE MAY 26

Melted is passionate about great food, supporting local businesses and giving back to the Southwest Georgia community. Their team strives to provide the best, fastest, most nostalgic meal possible. Check out their menu at meltedrestaurant.com.

For all your personal fashion and home décor needs, visit the Paisley Fig, one of downtown Albany's newest shops. This unique and eclectic store offers something for everyone including original artwork from local artists.

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DOUGHERTY COUNTY’S PINE GLEN PARK JUNE 15 The Albany Area Chamber and Dougherty County officials celebrated with the residents of Pine Glen as the ribbon was cut on the renovated and expanded Pine Glen Park.

38 JULY | AUGUST 2021

A TASTE OF HEAVEN GOURMET KITCHEN 2212 PALMYRA ROAD JUNE 17 Food prepared from the heart to taste good to the soul!

Make plans to visit for dine-in or take out. Follow them on Facebook for the latest yummy updates.

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CALL TODAY 800-479-2091 Terms: Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Mediacom Business Advanced Data Security requires Mediacom Business Internet for additional monthly charge. Bundle Mediacom Business Wi-Fi service ($15/mo.) with Advanced Data Security ($15/ mo.) for $20/mo for 1 year; thereafter, the standard rate of $15/mo. shall apply for both services. Mediacom Business may increase the monthly rate at any time. Price does not include taxes, and other amounts required by law to be collected or paid.

These monthly charges may increase from time to time. Mediacom Business agreement general terms and conditions apply. Offer is available to qualified new and current business accounts located in areas immediately serviceable and not available to bulk accounts, fiber/enterprise accounts or in select markets and offer may be changed or cancelled at any time. Speeds may vary. Advanced Data Security service does not help prevent access to malicious internet sites if connected via a public Wi-Fi. See MediacomBusiness.com/speed-factors for more information on factors that can affect your experienced internet speed. Other charges, conditions, requirements and restrictions may apply. © 2021 Mediacom Communications Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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R E N E W I NG MEMBERS

Albany State Universit y Foundation Albany Strikers Allerg y and A sthma Clinics of Georg ia, PC Arcadia Baptist Church B & B Electrical Contractors of Albany Cask Clenney & Luke, PC ComNet Technical Solution s Doublegate Country Club Dyes Heating & Cooling Econo-Lodge Inn & Suites Eggs Up Grill EMC Eng ineering Ser v ices F lats at 249 Fred Taylor Company Freeman & A ssociates Friend ship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue GA Foam Solution s Georg ia M EN TOR - Albany Georg ia Pacif ic - Albany Lumber Giery ic's Automotive Repair Golden's Fire Fighting Eq uipment Hilton Garden Inn Albany Horizon s Communit y Solution s The Hugh ston Clinic, PC Hutchin s Clenney Rumsey Huckaby, PC Inv i sion Technolog ies Isha Odom Con sultants J. Smith Lanier & Company Kimbrell-Ster n Lee Count y Library Liber t y Hou se of Albany Lily Pad SAN E Center Longleaf Dental Master Body Work s Oak s at Oakland Plantation Pointe Nor th Senior Village Premier Pediatrics Pretoria Field s Collective Pro-1 Spor tswear Red Roof Inn Resora - New Communities River Pointe Golf Course Rober t Baker and A ssociates, CPA's Sadler Retirement Safe Aire Heating & Cooling Co. Secure Record s Solution s Sellers Rental s Senator Freddie Powell-Sims SHOE BOX ONSITE (Work Shoe Mobile) Singletary Rental s South Georg ia Heating & Cooling South Georg ia Printing Souther n Commercial Material s Souther n Premier Suites

40 JULY | AUGUST 2021

Souther n Spine & Health/ Quick Fix Family Southwest Georg ia Pediatrics, PC Sunbelt Bu siness Forms Sunbelt Rental s Sunnyland Farms TaylorChandler Technical A ssociates Thru sh Aircraf t Todd Stone Photography West Food s Westover Animal Hospital Woodall's Convenient Stores W U PA Wy nf ield Plantation

N EW

MEMBERS Bass Entertainment 2412 Bassford Lane | Albany 229-343-4800 The Paisley Fig 238 W. Broad Avenue | Albany 229-894-2297 | Thepaisleyfig.com Do Process 125 Pine Avenue | Albany 229-255-4331 | Doprocessusa.com Love’s Travel Stops 1737 Clark Avenue | Albany 229-405-7021 | Loves.com Select Realty Professional Partners 1794 Lincoln Circle | Macon 229-439-5033 | Selectrealtypartners.com Genesic Nonprofit Organization P.O. Box 4715 | Albany 229-886-9557 | Genesicnonprofit.org The Sig n Store Online 1836 Broadway | Macon 478-785-0610 | Sig nstoremacon.com Marcus, Inman & Daniels Wealth Advisors 613 Pointe North Blvd. | Albany 229-800-8120 | mi-dwa.com Love Your Selfie 229 325 S. Westover Blvd. | Albany 229-302-9536 | Loveyourselfie229.com A Taste of Heaven Gourmet Café 2212 Palmyra Road | Albany 229-405-1662

NOT A MEMBER? Explore the benefits of what joining the Chamber can offer to your business.

Visit us online at albanyga.com/benefits/ or call 229-434-8700.

Questions?

Email us about member benefits at mbickerstaff@albanyga.com.

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Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

41

In-

Person Learning

Starting Aug. 16 The Dougherty County School System is committed to balancing the critical need for student safety with our students’ need for in-person instruction. That’s why, this August, students in the DCSS will enjoy full in-person instruction in classrooms across the county.

Dougherty County School System

ALBANY|ATHENS|ATLANTA|MACON www.pellicanoconstruction.com