Mount Vernon church plans redevelopment
Nonprofit group links employers with job seekers
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Francis K. Horton III, chief executive officer at the Community Assistance Center, said there are two sides to the growth of the nonprofit’s biannual Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo.
The Central Perimeter nonprofit hosts a variety of programs for low-income families, including career assistance, food, clothing, essentials, tax preparation and youth programs. Its Career Center launched in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Horton said attendance at the job fair continues to climb, and the trend indicates that needs are growing in the community – from the unemployed and the underemployed.
“Generally, across our programming, almost 77 percent of the folks that come to us for help are already working at least one job,” he said. “Prices are up everywhere. Wages haven’t tracked. So, they’re a flat tire away from a crisis for their family.”
Horton said the Community Assistance Center’s clientele has changed over time, and it’s generally the “working poor” coming to the nonprofit for help.
The Sept. 10 job fair featured a host of Sandy Springs’ Fortune 500 companies, public institutions and several local businesses, including United Parcel Service, State Farm, Graphic Packaging International, InterContinental Hotels and Fulton County Schools.
Sandy Springs is home to six Fortune 500 companies, hundreds of mid-size companies, and thousands of small businesses that offer a wide range of career and industry opportunities.
See EXPO, Page 13
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE CENTER/ PROVIDED
More than 400 jobseekers scout out small and large employers Sept. 10 at the Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo, hosted by the Community Assistance Center within the Studio Theatre at City Springs. The biannual job fair continues to grow, nonprofit leaders said.
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Dunwoody Baptist Church 1445 Mt. Vernon Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338
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SPIES, SABOTEURS and OTHER EXCITING STORIES of WW2 – DAN O’LONE will discuss discuss three of the most important female spies of WW2, the real James Bond and the D-Day deceptions. He will also present the stories of two men, one a diplomat from a country he’d never seen, the other a British spy, each of whom rescued over ten thousand Jews from the Holocaust.
NOTE: The first 2 weeks will feature a guest presenter dealing with similar topics.
10:00 – 11:00
FOLK MUSIC and the DOO-WOP YEARS (1946 - 1966) –
TOM DELL will finish up the history of Folk Music and then turn to the Doo-Wop years, a genre that began on street corners and subway stations as groups of teens used the natural reverberation of those locales to enhance the songs they created or copied. Some of these groups recorded their songs and became among others the Robins, The Flamingos, The Cadillacs, The Teenagers, The Dell-Vikings, The Midnighters, and The Coasters.
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THE HISTORY BEHIND -- BETSY JONES will tell us the whole story behind the song “We Shall Overcome,” which music is based on a 18th century hymn with words first added before the Civil War and then becoming a protest song in the 1940s; as well as “Hold the Line, “a song first sung by The Weavers about a long forgotten week of riots when Paul Robeson came to sing in the little town of Peekskill, NY. Another favorite story is called “The Bench,” a story of faith and perseverance that finally freed an inmate wrongly imprisoned for 18 years in Sing Sing prison. Other topics include the discovery of unknown and untrained great artists, the history behind famous - and sometimes tragic – photographs; and the centuries old source of a line in a Bugs Bunny cartoon!
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PERSUASION -- MICHELE FRIEDMAN will present an exploration of the concept of PERSUASION from the perspectives of psychology, history, literature and film including Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
Sandy Springs UMC to redevelop property
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — After more than 150 years of ministry, Sandy Springs United Methodist Church announced plans to demolish its primary church campus Sept. 8 to make room for a reimagined place of worship.
The church scheduled a “deconsecration” service for the primary campus buildings on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Church leaders say the decision to demolish the campus at 86 Mount Vernon Highway, which includes a large sanctuary, fellowship hall, classrooms and business offices, follows the Aug. 1 sale of the church’s nearby activity center.
The activity center property south of Mount Vernon Highway is being redeveloped as a multi-family rental and community retail space, while Sandy Springs United Methodist plans to rebuild a new campus on the site of its current sanctuary.
The sale of the activity center and the decision to demolish the primary campus comes after a multi-year research and revisioning process. Church leaders say they determined the campus was too large for the congregation’s long-term needs and prohibitively expensive to maintain.
SANDY SPRINGS UMC/PROVIDED
Sandy Springs United Methodist Church is planning to demolish its primary church campus north of Mount Vernon Highway to make room for a reimagined place of worship amid the recent sale of its activity center.
The church says it will use proceeds from the sale of the activity center property to reimagine the primary campus as a place of worship that will further the church’s mission of building life-changing relationships, nurturing spiritual growth, and fostering community service through Jesus Christ.
Beginning Sunday, Oct. 12, the congregation will gather for worship weekly at 11 a.m. at the Abernathy
Arts Center at 254 Johnson Ferry Road. All are welcome to attend.
The Rev. Kate Floyd, senior pastor of Sandy Springs United Methodist Church, said it has been a place where lives are changed and faith is deepened for generations.
“Though saying goodbye to our current sanctuary is difficult, we believe God is calling us into a new season,” Floyd said. “Our mission is not tied to a building — it’s rooted in Christ and in this community”
The church is working with Wesley Community Development, a North Carolina-based nonprofit that helps congregations explore options for redevelopment that fully support the church’s ministry.
President and CEO Joel A. Gilland said churches across the country are facing similar challenges, and Sandy Springs UMC is demonstrating what it looks like to steward resources wisely while staying true to their mission.
“This is a faithful and courageous step,” Gilland said. “We are honored to walk alongside them as they reimagine their ministry and prepare for a vibrant future.”
Stay up to date on plans at ssumc. org/latest.
— Hayden Sumlin
DASH Hospitality to guide Doraville City Center
DUNWOODY, Ga. — The master developer of the new Doraville City Center, Kaufman Capital Partners, announced the Dunwoody Village’s own DASH Hospitality Group will help curate the redevelopment’s entertainment and dining experience.
Kaufman Capital Partners, an Atlanta-based real estate investment firm and the project’s master developer, says Doraville City Center will transform the downtown district into a vibrant and connected gathering place.
Located on more than 13 acres south of I-285 between New Peachtree Road and Buford Highway, the Doraville City Center is within walking distance of a MARTA Station and features future connections to the Peachtree Creek Greenway and the Atlanta Beltline.
DASH Hospitality Group was founded by David Abes in 2019 after he stepped down as chief operating officer of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group.
The announcement says Abes and his team will use their decades of experience in restaurant and hospitality leadership to curate a retail lineup that is dynamic and approachable for all ages.
The local management and consulting company has a proven track record of owning, managing and operating restaurants like Funwoody, a multi-concept dining and entertainment destination in the Dunwoody Village.
Funwoody features Bar{n}, a community wine, craft beer and whiskey bar, as well as Morty’s Meat & Supply, Message in a Bottle, Good Vibes and Yoffi.
Like the new Doraville City Center, the restaurants are located around an outdoor plaza that serves as a community hub. Abes also consulted on The Hub at 30A in Florida.
Garry Sobel, senior vice president for KCP, said dining and gathering are at the heart of the vision for the new Doraville City Center.
“David [Abes] brings unmatched expertise in creating energized hospitality destinations that bring people together,” Sobel said. “DASH’s guidance will ensure the restaurants not only enhance the City Center experience but also strengthen its role in fostering connection and community.”
Abes said what excites him most about working on the new Doraville
City Center is building a restaurant and retail mix completely from scratch.
“We will curate concepts that are thoughtfully selected for this community and offer something for everyone,” Abes said. “We are energized by the opportunity to create a true sense of ‘place’ for residents and look forward to working alongside KCP and the city to create the new heart of Doraville.”
Abes and his team will also advise on community programming, which could include activations such as cultural events, live music and farmers markets.
Doraville is one of Dunwoody’s sister cities in northern DeKalb County.
Kaufman Capital Partners says construction will begin this fall following the demolition of vacated buildings on the site. The firm expects to complete Doraville City Center in 2028.
The project is anchored by The People’s Building, a roughly 30,000-square-foot community hub set to house City Hall, a public library, creative studios, two rooftop spaces for private events and ground-floor restaurants that open to a large greenspace.
— Hayden Sumlin
Greater Perimeter Chamber lists women’s award nominees
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Greater Perimeter Chamber announced the nominees for its 2025 Woman of Distinction Award, selected by their peers across the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs business community.
This year’s winner will be announced Oct. 22 during one of the Greater Perimeter Chamber’s Signature luncheons at the Sinclair Premier Event Venue off Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.
The first woman to win the award was former Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos. Last year’s winner, Clarissa Sparks, is an instructor for the Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship through Cornell University’s eCornell program.
The 2025 nominees include the dean of Perimeter College, the executive director of the one of the nation’s fastest growing theater companies, successful entrepreneurs building companies in their communities and directors of public companies.
This year’s keynote speaker is Atlanta broadcast journalism legend Monica Kaufman Peterson, known for her time as an anchor on Channel 2 Action News for WSB-TV.
Tickets to the 90-minute Signature Luncheon are $45 for GPC members and $65 for nonmembers. Sponsors include the Atlanta International School, Northside Hospital and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
2025 Woman of Distinction nominees:
• Emily Ritzler: WSP in the US
• Jill Post: Face Haven
• Julie-Ann Ried: Hines
• Bari S. Holmes: Pivotal PMG
• Laurie Adams: Certapro Painters of Dunwoody
• Dr. Mojgan Zare: Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition
• Jan Paul: Community activist (retired)
• Lauren Sok: Functionize Health and Physical Therapy
• Natalie DeLancey: City Springs Theatre Company
• Leandra Mabry: Atlanta Marriot Perimeter Center
• Katie Prellwitz: Leverage Communications
• Debbie Emery: Juvo Jobs
• Gloria Mattei: Nothing Bundt Cakes
• Barbara J. Johnson, Ph.D.: Perimeter College at Georgia State University
GREATER PERIMETER CHAMBER/PROVIDED
Seasoned exec to open luxury real estate firm
NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former president of the Atlanta Realtors Association, Bill Rawlings, is launching the metro area’s newest luxury real estate firm, Peachtree Town & Country.
The boutique brokerage is set to launch this fall with two flagship market centers, one in the heart of Buckhead and another in the North Fulton city of Alpharetta. The firm’s goal is to set a new standard for how high-net-worth clients experience buying and selling residential property. founder and CEO Rawlings is one of Atlanta’s most respected real estate executives, serving in leadership roles with Harry Norman Realtors, Jenny Pruitt & Associates and Sotheby’s International Realty, as well as his own firm, Rawlings Fine Homes.
“Atlanta deserves a new standard in real estate,” Rawlings said. “At Peachtree Town & Country, we’re building a culture of excellence that empowers our advisors and delivers a world-class experience for every client.”
Peachtree Town & Country is backed by an esteemed group of local investors, including Brian Brasher, an Atlanta entrepreneur and co-founder of the multi-platinum band Creed and Pitch Hammer Music. Horst Schulze, legendary co-founder and former president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, will serve as Cultural Advisor, bringing his world-renowned service philosophy to guide the company’s culture and client experience.
“Excellence in real estate, like in hospitality, begins with service,” Schulze said. “At Peachtree Town & Country, we will bring the same standards that defined
The Ritz-Carlton, ensuring every client experience is extraordinary.”
With over 25 years in Atlanta’s luxury real estate sector, Rawlings has overseen billions in residential sales, developed many of the city’s top-producing agents, and held senior leadership roles at multiple prestigious national brands.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society named him one of its National All-Star Visionary of the Year, and he continues to champion philanthropic causes.
Rawlings credits much of his inspiration to his late mentor and close friend, the late Jenny Pruitt, a legend in Atlanta real estate.
“Jenny’s wisdom shaped my career for more than 20 years,” Rawlings said. “Her legacy of integrity and generosity is at the core of what we’re building.”
Joining the leadership team is Chief Brand & Creative Officer Erica Jackson Weingart, with more than a decade of luxury real estate branding experience across North America.
“Our brand must be as distinctive as the properties we represent,” said Weingart. “I see my role as a true partner to our advisors, equipping them with cuttingedge creative resources and reimagining how they connect with clients through design, storytelling, and innovation.”
Peachtree Town & Country is now inviting confidential conversations with top-producing agent to become founding advisors, offering them an opportunity to help shape the company from the ground up.
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JOIN US
— Hayden Sumlin
PEACHTREE TOWN & COUNTRY/PROVIDED Bill Rawlings is the founder and CEO of the new luxury real estate firm Peachtree Town & Country, with hubs in Atlanta’s Buckhead and Alpharetta.
St. Pius X takes down Northview
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — St. Pius X improved to 3-0 Sept. 5 with a 56-21 gridiron win over the Northview Titans.
It was tick upward for the Titans who lost last year’s matchup, 47-0.
Senior quarterback Dexter Mosley had a 19yard rushing touchdown in St. Pius X’s groundheavy offense. Running backs Scott Ivey II and Alex Nerbonne also scored on the Titans.
St. Pius X’s offense was steady down the stretch, and it didn’t hurt to get a rest when the Golden Lions defense made it to the end zone several times. The defense got their cardio for the day and then some.
The Golden Lions dominated the first half, scoring three touchdowns within nearly 20 seconds in the second quarter. The score at halftime was 42-7. The second half saw some of St. Pius X’s younger players get minutes with the starters sitting.
Golden Lions head coach Chad Garrison said the defense’s three touchdowns was the most he had seen in his 26 years of coaching. Two pick-sixes and a fumble recovery return made for an energized crowd.
After returning only a few starters from last season, Garrison said he has been impressed with the “growing up” the team has done so far to go 3-0.
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
Northview freshman Deuce Johnson takes down St. Pius X sophomore Ryder O’Malley at St. Pius X High School Sept. 5. Johnson later grabbed the Titans’ only interception of the game.
“I’m very proud of our young men,” he said. “A lot of great hustle. They earned this win tonight by the way they’ve been working for the last couple of weeks.”
In the huddle after the game, defensive end coach Camden Wooden was pleased with how the team played with poise.
“When you pay attention to the little things, great things happen every time,” he said.
The Titans won their preseason game against Johns Creek, then kicked off their season with a nailbiting 21-17 loss to West Hall. Community members
have said the new coaching staff has brought an athletic intensity hoping to match Northview’s academic rigor.
First-year head coach Mario Drayton has brought a renewed energy after a 1-9 season last year. Coming from McNair High School, where he broke a 24-game losing streak and a 17-year playoff drought, Drayton looks to revitalize another program at his second head coaching position.
Community members and students say Drayton has already been successful in stirring excitement about the program.
Junior wide receiver Cade Zeman pulled in two of the Titans’ touchdowns, and quarterback Drew Beane rushed for the third. Zeman leads Region 5 of Class 4A in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Beane threw 13-21 for 216 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Beane leads Region 5 of 4A in passing yards. The Titans have found success relying on the junior for offensive production.
Freshman Deuce Johnson was one of the strongest defensive backs, forcing multiple incomplete passes including the Titans’ one interception. Junior linebacker Wyatt Harper led the team in tackles with six solo and two assists. Senior Ghadi Sabra was another highlight of Northview’s defense, with five solo tackles and three assists.
Northview faces Marist at home Sept. 12. The Golden Lions will face off against Druid Hills on Sept. 11.
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Map identified as 1860 landholders
VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist
A recent trip to the DeKalb History Center archives resulted in updated information about a map previously identified as representing landholders from the 1830s. A discussion between Robert Wittenstein, myself and Dunwoody Preservation Trust Curator and Archivist Vanessa Blanks brought the date of the map into question.
Wittenstein, a former Dunwoody City Council member, has been researching Dunwoody history for his upcoming book, “The Incorporation of the City of Dunwoody 2005-2011.”
“It will chronicle the effort to incorporate Dunwoody and document its early city formation,” Wittenstein said. “It will include an appendix with many of the newspaper articles, feasibility studies and documents generated during the incorporation effort.”
As part of his research, Wittenstein wanted to study the oldest maps available of Dunwoody.
Jennifer Blomquist, archivist for the DeKalb History Center, arranged for us to view the map in person. She explained the origin of the map as a combination of an 1860 map of DeKalb County land lots along with property records from that same year. The section shown here is just a portion of the original map.
Walter McCurdy, retired Decatur attorney, merged the 1860 land lot map with property records from the same year. He spent years researching property records at the DeKalb County Courthouse to identify the owner of each land lot in 1860. There were 900 land lots on the 1860 map. The resulting map was completed in 1986 and includes major street names from that year.
Bennie Wilkins and U.S. Army Col. James Bogle, amateur historians like McCurdy, began the research. McCurdy completed the work which resulted in the map. (Atlanta Journal, Feb. 17, 2000, “Historian just tries to tell it like it was”) McCurdy believed adding names to the map, which previously only showed lot numbers, brought life to the history of DeKalb County. There is Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody and Doraville, and in 1860 Ebenezer and Stephen Tilly were landholders. James Ball and Peter Ball appear on the map, but Peter Ball had not yet acquired the land along what became known as Ball Mill Road and Ball Mill Creek.
The 1821 land lottery sold off sections of land in 202.5-acre parcels. In DeKalb County, the land
This 1860 map with landholder names was prepared by Walter McCurdy and completed in 1986. This section of the map includes Dunwoody and parts of Brookhaven, Doraville and Chamblee.
was home to Creek (Muscogee) people before they were forcibly removed.
Lottery winners often sold their new land quickly. Land lottery winner Redfield sold his property three years after the lottery to James Jones. Jones is shown as the landowner in 1860. In 1861, Jones sold to William Lambert, and in 1862 Lambert sold to C. (Charles) A. Dunwody. After years of ownership moving within the Dunwody family, the property was sold to Steve Moore in 1905 and then to Stephen Spruill in 1918. (“The Story of Dunwody,” 1821-1975, by Elizabeth L. Davis and Ethel W. Spruill)
The 1860 map shows Charles Dunwody owned land west of the intersection of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Mount Vernon Road, however
there are no records to indicate he ever lived on that property. There is history that indicates Dunwody lived on the Redfield property.
I have written about many of these families in the past, and those articles can be found by conducting a search for family names at appenmedia.com. I will return to the map and other historic records to share additional information about these 1860 DeKalb County landholders.
Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.
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OPINION
Roswell vs Milton: a football rivalry for the ages
Milton High School began welcoming students in 1921, with a new campus replacing the old in 2005.
Roswell High School opened its doors in 1950, the year that saw the beginning of one of the most intense athletic rivalries in Georgia history.
Tim McFarlin bore witness to many exciting events during his 42 years as a coach. Born and raised in Milton, Coach McFarlin understood the uniqueness of each community, even though the competing schools were just a few miles apart.
The main rivals, Roswell High and Milton High, have traditionally put strong football teams on the field. The competition is not exclusive to football. The schools compete fervently in basketball, baseball and lacrosse. Local businesses and alumni support their schools, making the rivalry a truly community affair.
The McFarlin family was one of the early families in Old Milton County. The Milton City Hall opened in 2017 on land once owned by the McFarlin family.
Tim McFarlin’s great, great, great grandfather was from a farming family in Northern Ireland. He migrated to South Carolina where he continued as a farmer. His son moved to Toccoa, Georgia, where he raised watermelons and corn. Tim’s father, the Rev. George Washington McFarlin (1917-1976) stayed close to his roots and became a pastor in a small church in Toccoa. In early 1950, he moved to Crabapple and served as pastor of Crabapple Baptist Church where the former city hall is today. His first land purchase was 4.3 acres strategically located at Crabapple crossroads. Tim’s maternal ancestors are of English descent.
Tim’s mother “Lottie” Wood (19202010) worked with George McFarland at the Georgia Department of Revenue until George went into the Army during World War ll. After the war, George went back to work in Atlanta where he wooed his future wife, who at that point was working for Bell Aircraft Corporation during war. Later, she worked for Fulton County Schools. The couple married in 1941 and bought 58 acres in Crabapple in 1953. George provided the produce from 20 acres where the Crabapple Crossing Elementary School is today to the Crabapple Baptist Church. Church volunteers produced cotton
GEORGIA TECH ATHLETICS/PROVIDED Portrait of coach Tim McFarlin, one of Georgia’s most successful and respected high school coaches and currently Georgia Tech’s director of High School Relations.
Georgia Tech Football. He is a founding member of the Georgia Football Coaches Association, a board member of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame and a 30-year member of the Roswell Rotary Club.
and corn throughout the 1950s. The McFarlin Farm began at Birmingham Highway and extended beyond the current location of the Milton City Hall. George named Charlotte Drive after Tim’s sister. McFarlin Lane in Milton is testimony to the family’s active civic involvement.
Tim’s father went to work in the poultry division of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and became good friends with Herman Talmage and served as chaplin for two governors in their offices, Carl Sanders who served 1963-1967 and Lester Maddox 19671971.
Tim McFarlin was born and raised in Crabapple. He attended Milton High School where he earned 12 varsity letters in five sports and years later in 2025 was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. He attended Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville where he majored in secondary education and played baseball. He met his wife Kay at Georgia College during his second week at school. They have been married for 43 years. Kay never missed a game Tim coached in his 42-year career. Their
daughter, Courtney, and son, Will, are, as you might expect, very athletic. Courtney played basketball and was a pole vaulter at Roswell High School. Will was an all-state golfer before coaching at North Georgia University.
In 1981 Tim accepted an offer to coach multiple sports at Roswell High School before becoming head football coach in 1998. He led the team to the State Championship in 2006 and was inducted into the Roswell Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. Tim’s career record was 216 wins, 60 losses and 2 ties, a record for any coach in North Fulton history.
In 2008, Tim stepped away from football and continued to coach the golf team and his son until 2011. Four years later, he became coach at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, known for its academic excellence and winning sports teams. Coach McFarlin led his team to three state championships and seven region championships. In 2021 he became the coach at Fellowship Christian School. He retired after the 2022 season.
Since 2022 McFarlin has served as director of High School Relations for
Coach McFarlin’s philosophy of coaching is unique in some respects. For example, he did not hold spring practices and encouraged his players to compete in other sports. He believed that cross-training built better and smarter athletes. His focus was not just on winning seasons. He always emphasized program building for the long term. He says, “successful coaching requires strong commitment to the team and to the future.”
Milton Mayor Peyton Jameson, who played football for McFarlin at Roswell High School, says of McFarlin, “He was more than a coach. His influence extended far beyond the field. He was a role model who touched and shaped countless lives in our community.”
The Milton-Roswell rivalry is one of the most remembered high school rivalries in the state’s history. The right combination of coach and schools produced a rivalry for the ages.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS Columnist
PHOTO FAMILY PROVIDED
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key, third from left, and Tim McFarlin fourth from left, during 2023 Georgia Tech game vs Clemson. Before joining Georgia Tech football in early 2023 as director of High School Relations, McFarlin was one of the most successful high school coaches in Georgia for many years.
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Verska
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North Fulton Master Gardners, Inc.
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The Schoenblum Family
Robert Scholz
Stephanie Schuette
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Frances Segars
Tracy Shealy
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Trunnion LLC
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Expo:
Continued from Page 1
The average participating employer at the Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo is recruiting for multiple roles in areas such as IT, sales, marketing, human resources, medical, legal and accounting.
While north Metro Atlanta is one of the wealthiest areas in the country, some Central Perimeter residents are struggling after the COVID-19 pandemic with a tight labor market, continued inflation and wage stagnation.
Driving through Sandy Springs and Dunwoody neighborhoods, you’d never know that residents with full-time jobs make regular decisions whether to buy groceries or pay one of their bills.
The community nonprofit now hosts its Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo twice a year in the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center’s Studio Theatre, which doubles as City Hall.
In March, the CAC brought in 24 employers and drew more than 300 people.
In September, more than 540 people registered.
“This was our strongest event yet, with 672 people registered and 432 attending,” Lisa Guggenheim said. “That’s a 35 percent increase from last September and almost 50 percent higher than our spring expo.”
The first iteration of the job fair in 2022 had one employer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and drew about 50 of the nonprofit’s clients.
The next year, the Community Assistance Center held a job fair in both Central Perimeter cities it serves, Sandy Springs and Dunwoody.
Horton said his team learned that they needed to get people across the table from one another and meet face to face.
“They hired about 20 people out
of that lot,” Horton said. “When that happens, that single mom can explain that 10-year gap on her resume … she can’t do that through the algorithms. That’s what all of this grew out of.”
When he spoke with CHOA recruiters after the inaugural career expo, they said more than 90 percent of the candidates were employable but most of them would not have made it through their virtual recruiting process.
Horton said he spoke with a few employers Sept. 10 that are also looking to get back to in-person recruiting, not just a stack of resumes on the table.
JerNiyah Parris, manager of the CAC’s Career Center, said the nonprofit tries to diversify the industries and levels of employment to provide as many opportunities as they can for prospective employees.
“There are people that are walking in and looking for opportunities,” Parris said. “We also network and work with job training programs and workforce readiness workshops to prepare jobseekers.”
The career expo attendees were most people under age 40 with lots of Gen Zers and millennials seeing what opportunities there are for employment. There were some existing CAC clients, nearby residents who are between jobs and fresh college graduates looking for their first corporate paycheck.
Parris spent most of the three-hour expo chatting with existing clients and familiar faces.
“We have a special career advocate program where we match jobseekers one-on-one with someone who’s in their career field to enhance their job readiness skills,” she said. “It’s largely an event for people to practice their networking skills, because some people do not know that these opportunities exist … this gives them an opportunity to get exposed to an open position.”
To learn more about the CAC and its Career Center, visit ourcac.org/careercenter/.
At right, Nasser Nammari with Spherion Greater Atlanta, chats with a prospective employee about career opportunities at the Sept. 10 Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo. Spherion, a nationwide staffing and recruiting company with a strong presence in Metro Atlanta, was one of 28 employers at the biannual job fair in the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
PHOTOS BY COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE CENTER/ PROVIDED
Employers chat face-to-face with jobseekers Sept. 10 at the Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo.
At right, Chris Wilkins, general manager of Nalley Honda in Union City, chats with a jobseeker about open positions Sept. 10 at the Sandy Springs Connects! Career Expo. Nalley Honda is a part of Asbury Automotive Group, the most recent Fortune 500 company to relocate its headquarters to Sandy Springs.
Administrative and HR Coordinator
The Administrative & HR Coordinator provides comprehensive administrative support to the President and essential human resources functions to the Vice President of People and Culture. This dual role combines executive administrative duties including board meeting preparation, correspondence management, and event coordination with HR responsibilities such as recruitment support, benefits administration, and employee record maintenance.
The Administrative & HR Coordinator takes initiative, can multi-task and remain very organized. The role requires exceptional organizational skills, discretion with confidential information, and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources or another relevant field, at least two years of administrative experience and enjoy project management and coordination, we’d love to hear from you!
Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
Education Manager
The Education Manager is responsible for coordinating the educational activities ranging from formal classroom to on-line programs, and workshops. Programming includes ESL, GED, Workforce Development and Financial Support events for families working toward financial stability. The Education Manager supervises NFCC team members within the program department including the Sr. Education Specialist, Workforce Development Coordinator and contract ESL Instructors.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in Adult Education or other relevant field and 3 years’ experience in a non-profit program manager role or other relevant experience, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
To place a classified ad, email classifieds@appenmedia.com. Deadline is Thursdays by 3pm.
ESL Contractor Instructor (Evening)
NFCC is seeking an Evening ESL Contractor Instructor to teach English classes through our Adult Education program, serving students throughout North Fulton and surrounding counties. Our ESL Program runs three sessions annually, with comprehensive lessons covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, along with regular assessments to track student progress.
We’re looking for an instructor who is available to teach evening classes. The ideal candidate will be committed to maintaining strong enrollment of at least ten students per class and who can create an engaging learning environment that supports adult learners in achieving their English language goals.
If you have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in TESL, TESOL, English with a TESL certificate, linguistics or applied linguistics with a TESL certificate, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
Truck Driver
NFCC is seeking a Truck Driver (Donor Operations Services Associate II) to join our Facilities team. Our Truck Driver collects scheduled donations from businesses, residential locations, and special events while serving as a key point of contact for donors to coordinate pickup appointments. As the face of NFCC during donor interactions, this role requires maintaining a professional and a welcoming presence that reflects the organization’s values. Additionally, this position contributes to facility maintenance operations as needed.
The Truck Driver works Monday through Friday 9am – 2pm and periodically on Saturdays or Sundays for special events.
If you have 1-2 years of Box Truck delivery experience, maintain a valid Ga Driver’s License free of any traffic violations for the past 3 years and enjoy providing excellent customer service, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
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