Business Magazine | March-April 2018

ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Business HEALTHY DOUGHERTY INITIATIVE A plan for a healthier community THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE A "grow-your-own" approach to health care professionals

MARCH / APRIL 2018

VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 2 ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

BUSI NE S S PRESIDENT & CEO, EDITOR Bárbara Rivera Holmes CHAIR Tammy McCrary VICE CHAIR Scott Tomlinson PRINTING US Business Products PHOTOGRAPHY Todd Stone AD SALES Mary Bickerstaff MARKETING AGENCY MADlab Marketing

Business (U.S.P.S. 886-680) is published by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, 225 W. Broad Avenue, Albany, Georgia 31701. Subscription rate of $50 is included in membership investment. Periodicals postage paid at Albany, Georgia.

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 06 Comments from the Chairwoman

Chamber Chair Tammy McCrary shares why relationships matter

07 A Message from the Chamber President

Bรกrbara Rivera Holmes discusses the health of Albany

10

A Plan for a Healthier Community

Dougherty County prepares for a community health challenge

16

Meeting the Need

Local response to health care professional shortages

20 Health & Wellness

Albany businesses leading the way to healthier lifestyle

24 2018 Snickers Marathon

Albany welcomes runners from around the world Grow Albany held its second Community Planting Day on February 17 at Tift Park, hosted by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. One year following the damaging storms in January 2017, more than 500 volunteers helped restore the historic area by planting 1,000 trees and shrubs. The Arbor Day Foundation donated 500 trees to give to Albany residents during the event.

26 Chamber Highlights

Recent Chamber events and highlights

30 2018 Annual Dinner

Annual meeting brings together community and business leaders

32 The Georgia Quail Hunt

Georgia Chamber of Commerce hosts 30th annual Georgia Quail Hunt

ON THE COVER: Adrian Whearry teaches the 229 Yoga's Rhythm Ride class during which participants ride to the beat of the music.

Class members are energized by the music and the color changing environment of the ride room.

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COMMENTS

FROM THE 2018 CHAIRWOMAN At the recent Chamber Annual Dinner, we recognized 2017 Chairwoman, Jenny Savelle, on a job well done and honored Dr. John Culbreath with our Lifetime Service Award recipient.

I was so honored to present this award to Dr. Culbreath, has empowered so many others. His service to this community does not go unnoticed. Dr. Culbreath has given his time and talents to many organizations in our community.

Thanks goes to the Chamber staff, Ambassadors and the many volunteers that help make these events a success.

In business, we are always looking for new opportunities, to make connections and to grow our business. What unites us all and allows us to make these connections is the organization that I am proud to represent as the Chair of the Board, the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

While we live in a world where exchanging Twitter handles has replaced shaking hands, or FaceTime conversations have taken over face-toface conversations, the Albany Area Chamber stays relevant knowing relationships matter, people matter, and interpersonal relationships are not a thing of the past. While we continue to embrace technology, we will not lose sight of these values taught to us by generations that have come before us.

I ask that you join us at the many events that our Chamber team has planned for us this year. You will be surprised by the difference it will make.

-TAMMY MCCRARY

6 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

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MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO There are so many components that contribute to a healthy community − everything from a stable economy to educational opportunities to recreational and medical assets.

Albany-Dougherty County and the Albany Area, through a series of initiatives, investments and partnerships, continues to grow the health and wellness amenities available to area residents.

One of the most encouraging initiatives are a series of trail systems that leverage naturebased recreation to increase quality of life, promote a healthier lifestyle and provide residents and visitors with more chances to mingle and get outdoors. Business opportunities flourish through a renewed focus to expand access to healthier and locally-grown foods.

A healthier lifestyle complements local efforts to enhance medical education in the region. Albany has created an environment conducive to health education − from K-12 opportunities to higher education to a residency program − and supporting health care-related jobs.

Like so much in life and in business, it’s the sum of parts that allow for long-term, sustainable success. Connecting our assets, leveraging our resources, encouraging the right partnerships and allowing for visionary leadership will yield a bounty for Albany-Dougherty County and the Albany Area. I believe that the Albany Area’s best days are yet to come, and that together we are stronger. I thank you for your engagement and partnership during 2017, and count on your continued investments throughout 2018.

- BÁRBARA RIVERA HOLMES

March | April 2018

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H Healthy Dougherty A PLAN FOR A

HEALTHIER COMMUNITY

U-Save-It’s Jay Sharpe enjoys an afternoon by the river with his sons.

Sharpe is a partner on the Healthy Dougherty Initiative.

10 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

AlbanyGA.com

W

hen Dougherty County Commission Chairman Christopher S. Cohilas witnessed county employees who took part in his “Chairman's Challenge” health initiative dropping hundreds of pounds in excess weight, he realized there was a broader opportunity for wellness.

Why not, Cohilas reasoned, take this initiative countywide?

That, it turns out, is what Cohilas and Dougherty County will do through the new Healthy Dougherty Initiative that is set to kick off this spring.

Partnering with stakeholders in the health care community as well as nonprofits and local businesses, the county will kick off a wellness challenge with the primary goal of “creating a culture centered on a healthier lifestyle.”

“We,re still working out the details, but the way we envision this challenge is for it to be a community-owned, self-sustaining initiative that leads to healthy conversation and maybe even a healthier lifestyle,” Cohilas said. “One thing we know for sure is that we don’t want politics to enter into this at all. And we don’t want to use taxpayer money.”

The commission chairman noted that, in an area of poverty, lack of funding for gym memberships and other health-related programs, as well as a lack of access to information about healthy lifestyles and difficulty in obtaining healthy foods, add to the region’s general poor health.

The wellness challenge, he said, will take a multi-pronged approach to educating the public, providing wellness checks and utilizing assets such as community gardens to provide healthier food.

“We’re not looking to get a bunch of people ready to compete in a triathlon,” Cohilas said. “We primarily want to increase awareness of the aspects of a healthy lifestyle: eating better food, health care opportunities, access to recreation that is available to the public. We want to highlight the opportunities that are available and increase awareness of available public resources. Through partnerships, we hope to find ways to provide the public infrastructure that will allow our community residents to live healthier lifestyles.”

Cohilas pointed to the Albany-Dougherty Flint River Trails System that will eventually encompass the north-to-south length of the county – from Chehaw Park to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and will stretch east-to-west from the Flint River to Sasser in Terrell County – as a vital recreational possibility that will not only be utilized by all in the community, but has the capacity to increase economic development opportunities.

March | April 2018

CHRISTOPHER S. COHILAS, DOUGHERTY COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

“We’ve already created partnerships that will help sustain efforts to complete and enhance the trail system,” Cohilas said. “We’ve partnered with the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, the Friends of the Flint River Trails group and soon we hope to incorporate the Flint River Fresh initiative into the countywide wellness initiative. What the studies have shown is a frightening lack of healthy food choices for many in the community. We hope to use the information from this study to provide access to healthier food.”

Businessman Jay Sharpe said he sees the impact of poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles in his work at his family’s U-SaveIt Pharmacy business, one of the Healthy Dougherty partners.

Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are among the common ailments in a population whose lifestyle offers little in the way of recreation and provides poor food choices.

“I think the problem today is that we tend to ‘major in minors,’ and we forget what’s important,” Sharpe said. “Partly because of economics – it’s unusual today to find families where both parents don’t work – and partly because we place priorities elsewhere, we’ve forgotten what’s important. One of the ways to address that is to find something to be a part of.

“I make a point of trying to do something with my family every weekend, to go to a public place where we can be outdoors and active,” he said. “That’s why this trail system, I believe, is going to be such a benefit to our region. It gives everyone access. It’s the kind of thing we need more of.”

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 11

H Healthy Dougherty Cohilas said that one county employee lost almost 30 pounds during the month of his Chairman’s Challenge and has lost a total of 70 pounds in the days since the challenge officially ended. That’s the kind of success stories he wants to see throughout the community.

“A lot of times in communities like ours, our citizens aren’t aware that we have assets to meet a lot of their health needs,” he said.

“If we’re smart, we find ways to build connecting bridges between seemingly disparate groups for a common goal. We have to be smart.

We hope this initiative will be a step in that direction.”

12 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

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M Medical Education

MEETING THE NEED THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE “Could you imagine where our community would be,” he’d just said, “if we hadn’t taken this ‘grow-ourown’ approach to bringing doctors and other health care professionals to our community? The shortage is scary to think about.” Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital CEO Joel Wernick grew silent after he made the statement, staring momentarily into the distance the calamity he envisioned.

A

nd while there are specific needs in the Southwest Georgia region for well-trained professionals in specific health care-related specialties, Phoebe’s relationship with the Medical College of Georgia, the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and the hospital’s Southwest Georgia Family Medicine Residency have helped lessen the severity of shortages in areas such as nursing and general practitioners.

Yet all associated with health care in the region acknowledge frightening shortages that even the programs like those at Phoebe haven’t managed to fill. The challenge isn’t just local or regional; it’s a state and national issue as well.

“There is a high demand for personnel in health-related fields already, and with our population getting older and living longer, that need is only going to increase,” said Chris Hatcher, CEO of the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy.

“That’s one of the reasons three of the 14 pathways at the academy (which trains students in specific career choices) are health care-related.

“We haven’t had trouble finding students who have expressed an interest in health care because kids know that, even in a tenuous job market, there is always going to be a need in those areas,” Hatcher said.

One of the pressing needs not only impacting Southwest Georgia but reverberating throughout the state and the nation

16 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

is the call for qualified nurses. Albany State University’s Darton College of Health Professions is helping to fill that specific need.

“Albany State University’s Darton College of Health Professions constantly strives to remove the barriers that prevent students from entering and completing our programs so that we can help them be successful in graduating and get them into the work force as quickly as possible,” said Larecia Gill, assistant chair and nursing associate professor at ASU. “The college meets with our clinical partners to obtain feedback on our program graduates, as well as on what their most pressing needs are at the time. We do our best to give priority to the areas of highest need.

“We also perform our clinical experiences in health care facilities across the state in many rural settings to expose our students to those facilities as possible future employers,” Gill said. “We invite many of these facilities into our classes to recruit our senior students. By offering programs ranging from certificate to the post-graduate level, ASU is listening to the community’s needs and offering the programs that are in greatest demand.”

Wernick said one may go back a couple of decades to understand the impact Phoebe’s relationship with the Medical College of Georgia and its other programs has had on health care in and around Albany.

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“(Albany-based businessman and philanthropist) Harry Willson was on our board back in ’88, and he was especially concerned that our ratio of primary care physicians to our population was well below state and national averages,” Wernick said. “His concern was that this deficit was a good indicator of our future quality of life.

“Now there are a number of ways you can increase the supply of health care professionals in a more rural setting like ours, but convincing them that they should come to Southwest Georgia if they’ve never lived here is not very effective. So we came up with a ‘grow-our-own’ approach,” Wernick said. “We created partnerships with the state, knowing going in that they were more likely to work with us if we put skin in the game. Instead of asking for funding to create these programs, we asked for matching funding.”

Creating an atmosphere in which students in the highly competitive medical field will have an opportunity to get real-life, hands-on experience has been a draw that’s helped create a 1,000-student waiting list to get in programs at Phoebe.

“The first two years (of medical school) are years of book-learning, and the next two are clinical rotations,” Wernick said. “The students who come here will call their friends in Augusta and talk about their hands-on experience for things that 10 or more students only had March | April 2018

Leading the education of medical professionals in Southwest Georgia are Dr. Doug Patten, associate dean of the Medical College of Georgia in Albany and Dr. W. Anthony Hawkins, clinical assistant professor with UGA Pharmacy School in Albany.

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 17

M Medical Education HEALTH CARE DEGREES & PROGRAMS ALBANY TECHNICAL COLLEGE Dental Assisting EMT/Paramedicine Technology Health Information Coding Health Information Technology Medical Assisting Nurse Aide Nursing Pharmacy Technology Practical Nursing Radiologic Technology Surgical Technology

the opportunity to watch at the hospitals up there.

“We’ve also taken care of a housing issue – some of these students come here for only six weeks, and where are you going to be able to rent a decent place to live for that short a period of time? – with our on-campus housing,” Wernick said. "The one big step remaining is to turn the old Albany Middle School into a computer simulation facility.”

albanytech.edu ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY'S DARTON COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Even with the 4C Academy, Albany State and Phoebe working together at all levels to address the shortages in regional health care professionals, challenges persist.

“But,” Wernick said, “thanks to efforts begun decades ago and numerous new initiatives, Southwest Georgia has programs in place to help pare the deficit down to manageable levels. That can only bode well for the future health of the region.”

ASU students from left to right Sanjay Patel, Bianca Ashley and Alana McClellan in the nursing skills lab.

18 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

Computed Tomography Dental Hygiene Diagnostic Medical Sonography Emergency Medical Services Emergency Medical Technician Health and Human Performance Health Information Management Health Information Technology Histologic Technician Histology Medical Coding Medical Laboratory Technology Nursing Occupational Therapy Assistant Phlebotomy Technician Physical Therapy Assistant Radiology Science Respiratory Therapy

asurams.edu AlbanyGA.com

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H Health & Wellness

HEALTH + WELLNESS Yoga Instructor Katy Abell ( right) of 229Yoga instructs her yoga class.

Enhancing flexibility, mood improvements Google “health and wellness” and, chances are, you’ll get hit with

and boosted immune system are just a few of the benefits of restorative yoga.

a lot of buzzwords — essential oils, mind-body connection, raw juices, clean eating, self-care and yoga are just a few. Here in Albany, businesses are leading the way to a healthier lifestyle for the community by offering a variety of natural wellness options. Here’s a look at a couple of them.

229YOGA | 2620 Dawson Road | 229yoga.com Since opening 229Yoga in 2013, owner Penny Gregorio’s mission has been to provide an inviting space for area residents and visitors to pursue health and wellness through the benefits of exercise. The practice of yoga is the foundation of the studio, and classes are available for all experience levels and all ages, including kids’ classes. They offer yoga classes ranging from basic Hatha practices to Vinyasa flows to heated yoga. “Whether you have never stepped into a yoga class before or have been practicing all of your life, we have something to fit your needs,” Gregorio said.

Restorative, or therapeutic, yoga is a class that Gregorio said is beneficial to almost anyone. “So many times in our fitness journey we get caught up in thinking we always have to work hard and fast,” she said. “It’s also important, though, to restore, soothe and release the tension from our bodies.” Restorative yoga can be especially beneficial for those suffering from high stress, chronic illness or post-traumatic stress disorder.

20 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

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In addition to yoga, clients can also select from a full slate of other classes, including RIDE (indoor cycling), Pilates, PiYo (Pilates yoga), H.E.A.T. (High Energy Athletic Training) and Tai Chi Easy. 229Yoga also offers the only barre studio in the area. Barre combines upbeat music with cardio, isometric movements and the use of a ballet barre for a low-impact full-body workout.

Coming this spring, 229Yoga will offer an in-house registered dietitian nutritionist at its new Nutrition Corner. Joy Holway, owner of The Joyful Apricot, will have an office at the 229Yoga studio to meet with clients on a oneon-one basis to establish a nutrition program tailored to individual health and lifestyle concerns.

“I want to help clients take control of their food lives,” Holway said. She plans to do that by focusing on clean eating and offering scientific, evidence-based solutions that take into account special concerns such as food allergies, chronic disease and gluten intolerance. A series of nutrition workshops will also address topics such as the use of nutraceuticals, which are food components used for medicinal purposes.

Barre is quickly becoming one of the favorite classes in the area.

Instructor Stephanie Fountain shows how barre delivers a full-body workout that tones and burns calories while gaining lean muscle.

This spring, Gregorio will offer cooking demonstrations, focusing on healthy eating and meal prep, with Chef Laura Piovesana of The Italian Wooden Spoon. These additions fit right in with Gregorio’s philosophy.

“Here at 229Yoga we are focused on more than just a workout,” Gregorio said. “We recognize the importance of balancing the full spectrum of needs from a health and wellness aspect.”

JOY HOLWAY, THE JOYFUL APRICOT March | April 2018

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 21

H Health & Wellness NATURE’S CURE | 2818 Old Dawson Road naturescureonline.com

At Nature’s Cure, owner Jami Jones has been committed to providing the freshest and healthiest drinks, wraps and supplements available since 1998.

The Juice Box, located inside Nature’s Cure, offers a drink menu of raw juices available in many different combinations with fun names such as “Bunny Love,” a concoction of carrot, apple and ginger; “We got the Beet,” made of (what else?) beet, orange, apple and lemon; and “Orange U Glad,” a zippy combo of carrot, apple, pineapple, lemon and ginger.

To pack another healthy punch, whey protein and energy shots are available to customize the juice drinks. An equally large smoothie selection features fresh fruits and veggies blended with almond or coconut milk.

To help you avoid the afternoon slump, Nature’s Cure offers plenty of options for a light, healthy lunch. From chicken salad to rotisserie chicken to crunchy peanut butter, the menu of nearly a dozen wraps is a great alternative for a quick meal. Plenty of vegetarian choices are available, and you can even pick up extra goodies such as chicken salad, pasta salad, pimento cheese and its signature pimento cheese deviled eggs to take home to enjoy later.

Nature’s Cure also stocks a wide variety of vitamins and supplements as a natural alternative to many health concerns. One of the most talked-about alternative treatments is the use of essential oils to treat a wide range of emotional and physical ailments. Essential oils contain naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds from plants.

The newest addition at Nature’s Cure is an essential oil bar with a menu of natural options. Featuring therapeutic essential oils by doTerra, customers can purchase oils by the bottle, and can order custom-mixed shots of oil in a pineapple juice base for a quick, high-dose treatment. Jones said that the oils are food grade and pure.

“There are so many things you can do naturally that can keep you from running to the doctor all the time,” Jones said. “We just invite folks to stop by and give us a try.”

22 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

AlbanyGA.com

get to the

gym ADRIAN WHEARRY is a cycling instructor and personal motivator. His energy and “no quit attitude” are some of the things his participants likes most about him. Rhythm Ride at 229Yoga incorporates free hand weights with the indoor cycling class. Check out the healh and fitness offerings of these Chamber members.

229YOGA

DESTINY FITNESS

SOL POWER

TONY’S FITNESS GROUP

2620 Dawson Road C Albany, GA 31707 808-284-7548 229yoga.com

2106 E Oglethorpe Blvd Albany, GA 31705 229-435-9757 destinyfitness.com

1908 Dawson Road Albany, GA 31707 412-719-2071

623 N Westover Blvd Albany, GA 31707 229-483-9977 tonysgym.com

ALBANY YMCA

PT GYM

STUDIO V-FIT DANCE & FITNESS CENTER

1420 Dawson Road Albany, GA 31707 229-436-7117 ptgym.com

2614 N Jefferson Street Albany, GA 31701 229-886-1967 facebook.com/studiovfit

1701 Gillionville Road Albany, GA 31707 229-436-0531 albanyareaymca.org March | April 2018

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 23

H Highlights

2018 SNICKERS MARATHON

The Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau organized the 12th annual SNICKERS® Marathon and Half Marathon on March 3.

O

ne of theTop 10 qualifiers for the Boston Marathon, the SNICKERS® Marathon and Half Marathon welcomed runners and guests from around the world to the area. This year the marathon had nearly 1,300 runners sign up to run for the full or half marathon.

In an effort to increase community support, residents were encouraged to show pride and spirit by setting up chairs and drinking coffee in their front yard and cheering on the runners during the race.

Sponsors included Mars Chocolate North America; Publix; MillerCoors; Procter & Gamble; Pfizer; Phoebe; Mauldin & Jenkins; Reeves Construction Co.; Albany Technical College; and Oxford Construction Company.

Proceeds from the marathon benefit the Willson Hospice House, with proceeds to date totaling $215,000. For more information on the SNICKERS® Marathon and Half Marathon, contact Rashelle Beasley, director of the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 229-317-4760 or rbeasley@albanyga.com.

24 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

AlbanyGA.com

H Highlights BUSINESS

A F T E R H O U RS

The WALB team was on top of the awards podium after hosting a fabulous Business After Hours for chamber members highlighting the winter Olympics.

From left Scott Tomlinson of Flint Community Bank, Natasha Bridges, Tammy McCrary with the Chamber and CTSI and Stephanie Hawke of Pool Bros.

J ANU AR Y 1 8

FEBRUARY 22

WALB NEWS CHANNEL 10

POOL BROTHERS

T

he Albany Area Chamber hosted Business After Hours on January 18 at Merry Acres Event Center. Event sponsor WALB provided guests with an exciting sneak peek of the winter Olympics. Guests enjoyed refreshments, door prizes and a “Go, Team USA” photo booth.

WELCOME MARYLAND FRIED CHICKEN 1926 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Albany | 229-432-9595 510 N Slappey Boulevard Albany | 229-432-9595

STATE FARM INSURANCE KAREN COHILAS 2402 Dawson Road Ste. 1 Albany | 229-496-1760

RW TRANSPORT, LLC (229) 376-9333

26 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

P

ool Brothers Cabinets + Flooring + Lighting and Flint Community Bank sponsored Business After Hours on Thursday, February 22. Hosted at the Pool Brothers Showroom, guests enjoyed onsite cooking demonstrations, food and wine tastings, and grilling with Modern Gas.

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YOU N G GA MECHANGER S

K I C KO F F E V E N T

T

he opening session of the 2018 Young Gamechangers kicked off in Albany on January 29 . Young Gamechangers is a leadership action program of Georgia Forward that makes a tangible impact in select communities by bringing young minds into the public sphere as respected idea-generators and problem-solvers.

the program by Georgia Forward -- will continue to learn about the community and will work together to craft recommendations that address some of Albany’s most persistent challenges and brainstorm ideas for leveraging new and existing opportunities.

The class will present the recommendations to community leaders during a comprehensive plan presentation in August.

At the kickoff, participants enjoyed a buffet lunch then took a tour of the city, making stops at Albany State University, Chehaw, Phoebe Prince new ad_Layout 1 1/6/14 5:21 PM Putney Memorial Hospital, thePage Flint 2RiverQuarium, Radium Springs, the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, Albany Technical College and the Albany Civil Rights Institute.

Locally, the Young Gamechangers project is coordinated by Matt Reed, a former Young Gamechanger participant and president of Georgia CEO; Bárbara Rivera Holmes, CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce; and Justin Strickland, president of the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission.

During the next few months, the 50-member 2018 Young Gamechangers For more information on the Young Gamechangers program and class – which is comprised of members from throughout the community a complete list of the 2018 class, visit georgiaforward.org/youngand the state who, after a broad nomination process, were selected for gamechangers.

PRINCE OF ALBANY

2701 Ledo Road, Albany 229-432-6271 PrinceAutoAlbany.com March | April 2018

AlbanyGA.com | BUSINESS 27

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H Highlights 2018

AN NUAL D I NN ER THE ALBANY AREA CHAMBER HOSTED ITS 108TH ANNUAL MEETING FEBRUARY 1 AT THE ALBANY CONFERENCE CENTER AT HILTON GARDEN INN DOWNTOWN ALBANY. The annual meeting brings together community and business leaders to celebrate the previous year’s successes and look at what’s to come. The Chamber’s prestigious Lifetime Service Award was presented to Dr. John Culbreath.

Jenny Savelle (right), the 2017 Chamber Chair, presented the 2018 Chair Tammy McCrary with the customary gavel.

The 108th annual meeting was presented by Mauldin & Jenkins and Planters First Bank and sponsored

by Albany Technical College; Phoebe; MillerCoors; Ameris Bank; Georgia Power; Procter & Gamble; LRA Constructors, Inc.; Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission; Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Georgia CEO.

Celebrating a lifetime of service to his community and education, Dr. John Culbreath graciously accepted the Chamber’s prestigious Lifetime Service Award.

30 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

AlbanyGA.com

STRIVE 2 THRIVE ANN UA L R E P O RT UP DATE

In the January/February edition of Business magazine, we printed an error in the Strive2Thrive Annual Report section. For the families enrolled in their Phase II (two-year) program, the job retention after six months of employment is 71 percent.

Strive2Thrive plays an integral part in helping to transform the lives of impoverished citizens in Albany-Dougherty County. Their goal in 2017 was to increase community engagement and their capacity to serve more families, and they achieved that goal by serving 104 families (225 individuals) in their Phase I, Phase II and special programs. In 2017, Strive2Thrive also played a huge role in storm recovery, and received a Station of Hope designation for its assistance with returning citizens.

We are proud of the significant work Strive2Thrive is doing in our community. Please help us in congratulating Strive2Thrive as they continue to empower Albany-Dougherty County families who live in poverty to move successfully toward self-sufficiency.

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March | April 2018

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H Highlights

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF

THE GEORGIA QUAIL HUNT

O

n February 8, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce celebrated 30 years of the Georgia Quail Hunt, held annually in Albany. The Georgia Quail Hunt is one of the state’s premier economic development marketing events, credited with the generation of thousands of Georgia jobs and billions of dollars in investment in the state economy. The three-day event pairs statewide business and economic development leaders with guests whose companies or clients are looking to move to or expand in Georgia. This year, 27 professionals participated in the Georgia Quail Hunt, sponsored in part by the Georgia Allies, the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission and Locate South Georgia.

LBANY ELEVATOR SERVICE

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal addresses participants of the Georgia Quail Hunt during the Governor’s Dinner at Pretoria Fields Brewery in downtown Albany.

32 March | April 2018 | BUSINESS

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