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CHAMBER BRIEFS Learn about the great things that are happening in our community… Alethia Barnes Named Chamber Ambassador of the Month in January For her dedicated service, Chamber Ambassador Alethia Barnes (l.) was awarded January Ambassador of the Month at the monthly Ambassador’s luncheon held at Cowboy Chicken located in South Point Shopping Center. Presenting the award was Board member Ambassador Committee Chair, Genie Moore. If you are a Chamber member with good news to share, send your logo and/or photo and information to bingram@henrycounty.com and let us spread the word!
Leadership Henry learns about County Government during January class By Trisha Colpetzer January was all about county government as the Leadership Henry class visited with leadership from a variety of county departments. The morning session was held at the Cotton Fields Golf Course where County Manager – a member of the Leadership Henry class of 2017 – Cheri Matthews welcomed the class and gave an overview of Henry County. Johnny Wilson, District I Commissioner, discussed with the class many of the issues that he and the other commissioners are facing, followed by a question and answer session. Over the course of the morning, the class heard from several other speakers including: • Daunte Gibbs, Planning and Economic Director
• Ron Burkhalter, Public Works Director • David Curry, Tax Commissioner • David Smith, Financial Services Director Following lunch provided by Pippin’s BBQ and Catering, the class moved to the Henry County Judicial Center. Henry County Solicitor Pam Bettis provided an overview of the Henry County Judicial Center before Henry County District Attorney Darius Patillo – a member of the Leadership Henry class of 2018 – gave the class more information about how his team helps
Cheri Matthews, County Manager, and Brad Johnson, Deputy County Manager, updated the class on some of the many services the County provides.
represent the citizens of Henry County. They also learned how the Sheriff ’s Department keeps our court facilities safe and secure for the over 200,000 people that visited last year.
To finish the day, the class spent time working on their legacy project, the capstone assignment they must complete as a class prior to graduation.
YLH experiences Georgia state legislation in action
By Lyndsay Theado On Tuesday, February 5th, the Youth Leadership Henry Class of 2019 visited the Georgia State Capitol for their day of focus on Georgia state government. Many of our Henry County Representatives and our local Senators stopped by to talk with the class about what their daily life in policy making entails. The students were able to ask lots of questions and were all surprised to learn that most of our local legislators didn’t start out pursuing these careers, but had life experiences that lead them to this path. Our thanks go out to Senator Emmanuel Jones, Senator Brian Strickland, Rep. Andy
Welch, Rep. El-Mahdi Holly, Rep. Karen Mathiak, Rep. Demetrius Douglas, and Rep. Dale Rutledge for each taking time out of their busy morning to talk with our class! The students joined the gallery in the House of Representatives and were able to watch how the daily agenda unfolds when in session. Once the sessions were completed, they toured the Senate floor and then spent time with Senator Strickland who answered all of their questions. The class made a stop at the Georgia Department of Education where they dialoged and asked questions about their personal, educational journeys. Finally, they visited the Georgia Department of Transportation 511 Center and observed how all of our roadways are monitored and learned how roadside assistance gets disYLH Class poses with the Henry County State legislative body and Governor Bryan Kemp. patched.