THRIVE | Issue 8 | Summer - Fall 2020

A Quarterly Business Publication of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber

Inequality of Opportunity The Tools to Lead The Future of Work

Issue 8 | Summer / Fall 2020

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6 Letter from the Editor Addressing the elephant

Inequality of Opportunity

The Tools to Lead

The Chamber readies itself for action alongside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to address inequality of opportunity

18

16 Sowing Seeds of Unity

Advice from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, on liability protection and the back-to-business blueprint

42 Leading by Example Newnan’s Cargill Meat Solutions goes above and beyond to protect employees, the community

Sheriff Lenn Wood of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Department discusses the importance of diversity in law enforcement

46 The Future of Work Coweta’s future leaders discuss the impact that artificial intelligence could have on the workforce

18 The State of the West Georgia Economy The impact on business during the COVID-19 Pandemic

24 Business as Unusual

24

54 On the Bright Side Newnan Internet hoax promotes the love of reading

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28 Be The Helper Local nonprofits help those in need during trying times

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LETTER TO THE READER SUSAN M. KRAUT VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS NEWNAN-COWETA CHAMBER

A

RE

you familiar with the parable

The saddest part, and that which prompted the

The Six Blind Men and the

sharing of this little story, is that none of them -

Elephant? As the story goes, six

not a single one - could actually see the truth of

blind sojourners were introduced

what stood plainly before them. None could see

to an elephant and asked what they “saw.”

the elephant. They were all completely blind.

The first blind man, standing in front of the

The ability to see makes us no less blind. We

elephant, carefully examined the trunk.

“It’s

all view the world, our communities, our

a large snake,” he reported. The second blind

relationships, and our opinions only from our

man, standing at the back of the elephant,

own perspectives. Our truths are informed by

examined the tail and reported that it was rope.

personal experience. And when we argue, we

The third blind man, standing at the side of the

don’t ask questions, we don’t listen, and we don’t

elephant said that, without a doubt, what he

seek to understand the reasons why someone

was standing before was a large leather wall.

might disagree with us.

The fourth blind man, examining the elephant’s

them as ignorant fools and press forward based

ear insisted that he must have been touching

on our perception.

PUBLISHER Newnan-Coweta Chamber EXECUTIVE EDITOR / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Susan M. Kraut susan@newnancowetachamber.org SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Colleen D. Mitchell colleen@newnancowetachamber.org

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Paul Lewis, Luz Design Nikki Rich, Rich Graphics, Inc. PUBLICATION LAYOUT Nikki Rich, Rich Graphics, Inc. CONTRIBUTORS Carla Cook-Smith Melissa Dickson Jackson Susan M. Kraut Larisa Mitchell Scott W. Winston Skinner

Instead we dismiss

a fan. The fifth blind man, standing at one

PHOTOGRAPHERS Matt Cone Susan M. Kraut

of the elephant’s legs, was convinced he was

At a time when we are faced with the personal,

standing next to a tree trunk. Finally, the sixth

societal, and economic challenges of the

man, who laid his hands upon the hearty tusk

COVID-19 pandemic, struggling to identify

TO CONTRIBUTE:

of the elephant, was certain that that which

and address inequalities of opportunity, and

was “very round and smooth and sharp” was

sifting through what seems like unprecedented

a spear.

amounts of bias, mis-, and disinformation in a

THRIVE welcomes your ideas. Please send inquiries to Susan M. Kraut at susan@newnancowetachamber.org for consideration.

THRIVE is published quarterly. Neither the Newnan-Coweta Chamber nor THRIVE is responsible for unsolicited material. Such material will become the property of THRIVE and is subject to editing and digital use.

Reproductions of this publication in part or whole is prohibited without the express consent of the publisher.

THRIVE is available at various locations throughout Coweta County. You can also email info@newnancowetachamber.org to request a copy.

polarized and polarizing political environment, In a sense, each of the men was right. Yet, each

the remedy is not to blame one another. We

was so very wrong. Still, the men continued to

cannot blame the media. We can’t even blame

argue, each concerned only with their own

the politicians.

idea and none of them possessing the full picture or a willingness to explore the others’

Instead, we must try to understand the

viewpoints.

perspectives of those who may not view the world as we do. The solution is not to become

In the simplest terms, the truth cannot be

angry or insult their intelligence. Listen. Make

discerned from any single perspective. The

an effort to understand the vantage points from

problem was neither intelligence nor the

which they view the elephant.

quality of any one perspective, rather that none of them were willing to change their stance in

By gathering data about a particular situation

favor of trying to understand the perspective

from different perspectives, we get a better

of the others. Worse still, the more heated the

sense of the whole and can make more robust

debate, the more enmeshed they became in

decisions. That sounds a lot like the foundations

their own perspective and the more they saw

of leadership.

themselves as the harbinger of truth.

6

A Quarterly Business Publication of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber 23 Bullsboro Dr. | Newnan | 770.253.2270 susan@newnancowetachamber.org

Susan Kraut Summer / Fall 2020

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with

POWER

comes

RESPONSIBILITY

Y T I Y L T I A N U U Q T E R N O I

By Larisa Mitchell Scott, with contributions from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

of O

“We call on all business leaders to join us in creating equality in opportunity for all Americans.”

P P

Suzanne Clark, President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

As a renewed call for progress and change captivates

the nation, the Newnan-Coweta Chamber readies itself

employment, entrepreneurship, and criminal justice.

for action alongside the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of a national initiative to address inequality of

A

opportunity in the business community.

been and will remain, to advocate for all of our members and the business community in building and sustaining a diverse and

June 25th town hall meeting hosted by

prosperous economy. To fulfill our mission,

the U.S. Chamber of Commerce brought

we must work to create a safe environment

business and community leaders together

where all of our citizens can live and work

to identify and discuss concrete actions that

without fear and discrimination. Injustice and

can be taken by the government and private

prosperity are incompatible. The Chamber

sector in support of closing the gap for Blacks

will give voice to economic inequity and

and people of color. As a result, the Chamber

promote access to opportunities that uplift

is outlining a plan to facilitate business

people of all backgrounds across our region.”

and

says

industry

dialogues

to

advance

the

initiative locally on the topics of education,

10

“The Newnan-Coweta Chamber’s mission has

Candace

Boothby,

Newnan

Coweta

Chamber President and CEO.

Summer / Fall 2020

U.S. Chamber President Suzanne Clark adds,

counselors, and staff build relationships with

“The moral case for greater diversity, equality,

kids every day. They not only teach them but

and inclusion in the workplace is indisputable,

connect with them while building community

and there’s overwhelming evidence that greater

in their classrooms (both virtually and in

diversity benefits the American economy,

face-to-face). As a school system, we work to

businesses, communities, and employees. We

identify kids who are at risk and vulnerable

are proud to partner with the Newnan-Coweta

to trauma and those who might be struggling

Chamber on this initiative and help develop a

academically and behaviorally to provide

robust plan of action.”

additional support in the form of differentiated learning. Such support comes in the form of

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the

Individualized

largest lobbying organization in the nation,

speech and occupational therapy, mentorship,

representing businesses of all sizes and serving

mental health therapists, and other tangible

as a powerful influence in communities far and wide. This amount of leverage, however, carries with it tremendous responsibility in identifying and carrying through productive and decisive actions designed to eliminate systemic disadvantages, especially in business.

Senior Attorney and Child Welfare Law Specialist, co-chairs the Newnan-Coweta Chamber’s Advancing Coweta Equality of

programs also work diligently to help prepare

Opportunity task force

2X

action to address inequalities of opportunity for Blacks and people of color.

Law Specialist, co-chairs the Newnan-Coweta Chamber’s Advancing Coweta Equality of Opportunity task force. Patton says of the

Black students are twice as likely to attend highpoverty schools as white students

effort, “the Equality of Opportunity initiative is so needed at a time like this, especially because this pandemic is going to further widen the education and wealth gaps. The wonderful thing about the initiative is that it focuses on those barriers that impede Blacks from progressing, and it resolves to eliminate these barriers while creating opportunities.

(IEP),

resources such as school supplies, chrome

dialogue, acknowledge challenges, and take

Patton, Senior Attorney and Child Welfare

Programs

ANISSA PATTON

As such, it is essential to engage in sustained

Coweta resident and thought-leader Anissa

Education

21%

Average math scores for Black students entering kindergarten are 21% lower than those of white students

students to meet academic standards when they get to school.”

However, racial disparities in learning begin even before formal schooling starts. The “achievement gap” for children begins shortly after birth, with early learning experiences varying considerably based on parents’ income level. In everything from the number of words a young child hears to access to resources like museums or libraries, there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and early learning.

The rate of Black American children living in poverty is more than double that of white children, which means these disparities are distributed unequally across racial lines. Black students are twice as likely to attend highpoverty schools as their white peers, and 60% attend high-poverty non-white schools. The average per pupil spending in high-poverty,

This initiative recognizes the urgency of

non-white school districts is $1,500 less than

this movement, particularly because models indicate that within the next 30 years, Black household wealth

books, and meals. Pre-K and head start

the national average.

will be a negative figure if we continue on the current path.”

Scott continues, “Regardless of their background, all students

/ EDUCATION /

are encouraged to take advantage of high-end educational experiences such as STEM programs, technology, arts, academic

Lauded for its high-achieving students, Coweta County serves as

and service-oriented clubs, athletics, the Central Educational

exemplary in education. Yet, disparities persist for those who begin

Center, and other work-based learning opportunities. Our

their journey at a socio-economic disadvantage.

schools provide access to local service providers, churches, mentors, and many other organizations that support our

Research indicates a strong correlation between socio-economic

students in meeting the need for a sense of community and

status and early development, warranting a reevaluation of how

healing, thus working to reduce the educational achievement

our community untangles the complex issues faced by Black

gap.”

students and students of color.

Only one in five Black 4th graders are reading on grade level Ruth Scott, Mental Health Coordinator for the Coweta County

compared to half of the white students. Just 14% of Black 8th

School System, reinforces, “School administrators, teachers,

graders are on grade level in mathematics, 20% below the rate

Summer / Fall 2020

11

for all students combined. As students get

diversity quotas because that can be limiting,

older, roughly 45% of Black students receive

and it reinforces the underlying problem

no formal education beyond high school and

of lack of access and opportunity.

only 15.3% earn a bachelor’s degree, compared

businesses can work to improve the quality of

to more than 23% of white students.

the workforce by investing in education and

Instead,

training programs so that more Black people All other factors held equal, the gap in

have quality employment opportunities.”

educational opportunities and achievement between Black Americans and other groups is

Patton continues, “Businesses can support the

substantial. While Black Americans are catching

Chamber’s Equality of Opportunity initiative

up to white Americans in terms of high school

by examining existing internal policies and

graduation and college enrollment, there has been less progress in closing degree attainment

CRAIG OGLETREE Area Manager,

and skill acquisition gaps.

Georgia Power

2X

/ EMPLOYMENT / Racial disparities extend beyond education to employment and access to different occupations.

For the past four decades, Black unemployment rates have been consistently twice as high as white unemployment rates. Across six major categories of occupations ranked by 2019 median weekly earnings, 23% of Black (non-Hispanic) workers were employed in the lowest-earning groups (manual labor and service occupations) and 25.7% in the highestearning groups (management, professional, and technical occupations). For non-Hispanic white workers, the percentages are 13.3% and 50.4%, respectively.

Black unemployment rates have been consistently twice as high as white unemployment rates for the past four decades

8.9%

Black American representation in “high earning management and professional” roles, less than their 12% workforce representation

racial and gender lines are evident across similar occupations and education levels. For example, within “high earning managerial and professional” roles in 2019, the median weekly earnings for non-Hispanic white men was $1,538, while for non-Hispanic Black men, the median was $1,167. A smaller gap exists for women. pandemic

for Blacks and people of color. These policies should

be

“equity-minded”

and

wholly

aligned with the Chamber’s Equality of Opportunity agenda. Businesses should note that existing policies and practices may appear neutral, but have disparate impacts on specific demographics – only recruiting talent from top-tier institutions limits the talent pool, for example.”

The business community must also prioritize diversity in the C-suite, on boards, and in their talent and skill pipelines, ensuring the proportional representation of Black Americans throughout all segments of the workforce. Business leaders must expand their networks and create more pathways, including apprenticeships and mentorships for Black Americans.

Craig Ogletree, Area Manager for the Metro Region

At the same time, disparities in earnings along

The

structures that may impede opportunities

External

Affairs,

is

responsible

for establishing and maintaining Georgia Power’s external effectiveness. He is a leader in the areas of economic development,

education,

and

environmental

initiatives,

working closely with local and state governments.

Ogletree says of the Chamber’s initiative, “Equality of Opportunity is the foundation for sustained economic

has

exacerbated

these

trends.

Black

unemployment rose to 16.8% in May, up from 6.0% in January 2020, as compared to white unemployment, which was 12.4% in May and 3.1% in January. During the pandemic, Black (23%) and Latino (24%) workers are more likely than white (15%) and Asian Americans (13%) to have experienced layoffs.

Anissa Patton explains, “Coweta businesses can support the initiative by being proactive about identifying and addressing implicit biases that affect the hiring and retention of Black employees. For example, there is an ‘ethnic-sounding’ name

development and substantial community growth for all.

Barriers to equality of opportunities create gaps in every sector of our community and have adverse effects on every person and business within the community, especially people of color. Our policy and regulatory committee endeavor to uncover data-driven facts and solutions as we work with public and private stakeholders to ensure that policies are clear and conducive to success in all sectors and for all people. During this pandemic and its devastating impact, along with persistent racial injustices, there is heightened attention on the uneven playing field that affects people of color.”

hurdle. Employers are more likely to call back and hire someone with a name that is gender and racially neutral as opposed to ethnic. Additionally, businesses should not focus so much on

12

Summer / Fall 2020

/ ENTREPRENEURSHIP /

Closing racial

Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in building

and economic growth. A recent study found

wealth in families, communities, and economies, but

that if the number of people-of-color-owned

the opportunity to start and grow a business is not

firms is proportional to their labor force

equal for white and Black Americans.

participation, the U.S. would add more than 1.1 million businesses, supporting an estimated

Black Americans are underrepresented among

nine million additional jobs and adding nearly

entrepreneurs, representing 12% of the U.S.

$300 billion in workers’ income. A separate

labor force, but only 9.4% of business owners.

study estimated that more equitable access for

They also are less likely than white Americans

the Black community to tools businesses need

to launch businesses, and when they do, those

CYNTHIA JENKINS

businesses tend to have lower revenues and

Businesswoman and Newnan City Councilman

fewer employees.

Research has shown that these disparities can be explained in no small measure by persistent gaps in access to financial capital and what’s commonly

referred

to

as

human

divides in entrepreneurship

would provide a significant infusion of jobs

capital

(education and experience).

Black-owned non-employer businesses are less than half as likely to get financing as whiteowned firms. As a result, Black entrepreneurs

9

business growth and profitability negatively impacted by a lack of financial capital. Given that 70.6% of Black entrepreneurs rely on personal and family savings for financing, lower family wealth for Black families overall drives more of a divide in access to capital. In addition, Black Americans hold higher levels of student debt, which inhibits entrepreneurship by discouraging risk and hindering access to capital.

GDP growth.

Jenkins continues, “We have a variety of people who’ve moved here. There is the old Newnan, and then there is the new Newnan,

MILLION

Number of jobs created if the number of minority-owned businesses increased to be proportional to minority labor force participation.

are nearly three times more likely to have

would generate an additional $8 trillion in U.S.

3X

Black entrepreneurs are nearly three times more likely than white entrepreneurs to have business growth and profitability negatively impacted by a lack of financial capital.

with professionals who seek opportunities to network and connect. We have a growing base of entrepreneurs of both mid- and toplevel executives who are here but are not yet connected. It will be beneficial when these professionals are serving on boards and engaged with the community. They are an untapped asset, so let’s create opportunities and help minority newcomers feel welcome because we need their skill set. Perhaps established businesses

can

explore

relationships with

minority-owned businesses; opportunities for minority newcomers to have a seat at the table is much needed.”

/ WEALTH / There are significant racial disparities in

The economic fallout from the pandemic has hit Black-owned

wealth in America.

and Hispanic-owned firms particularly hard, exacerbating these challenges. The number of Black Americans who are self-employed dropped by a staggering 41% from February to April while the number of Latinx non-employer entrepreneurs dropped 32%, compared to a 17% drop for white entrepreneurs.

This was due in part to industry concentrations that put Blackand Hispanic-owned businesses at higher risk of disruption and loss caused by the pandemic.

Businesswoman and Newnan City Councilman, Cynthia Jenkins says, “I’m glad we are looking at these issues and how we as a community can be supportive of all businesses. Based on what I’ve seen in my years in the construction industry, there is a great deal still to accomplish. I think it is a wonderful idea for the Chamber to look at ways to support and elevate minorityowned businesses. I recall a separate Chamber organized by Blacks many years ago because many Black-owned businesses did not feel supported. I’m pleased today that we have one

At $171,000, the net worth of a typical white family is nearly ten times greater than that of the average Black American family ($17,150). Also, Black Americans are much more likely to experience poverty: 21% of Black Americans and 8% of whites live below the poverty level, though there have been improvements in recent years.

Wealth disparities come to surface in everything from retirement planning to homeownership to net worth. While 60% of white families contribute to retirement accounts, only about 33% of Black American families hold assets there. A recent report showed that Black Americans had balances of $30,000 in their retirement accounts, while white women and men had balances of $60,000 and $101,000, respectively. As a result, Black Americans are at substantially higher risk of being poor in retirement.

Chamber serving and supporting all local businesses.”

Summer / Fall 2020

13

The disparities extend to homeownership. According to a 2016

and employment, and the stigma of incarceration limit

Federal Reserve report, growth in homeownership increased from

opportunities. Having a prior conviction reduces employer

70.5% to 75.6% for white Americans between 1989 and 2007. Over

callback rates by 65% for Black male job applicants,

the same period, Black American homeownership rose from 42.4%

compared to a 50% reduction for white male applicants.

to 49.3%.

Previously

40% 65%

Black Americans represent 40% of the incarcerated population in the U.S. but only 13% of the total U.S. population

convicted

Americans

receive

insufficient

preparation and inadequate assistance and resources, making re-entry into communities challenging.

A criminal conviction limits eligibility for things like

A criminal record reduces employer callback rates by 65% for Black American men, compared to a 50% reduction for white men

public housing and social services, and studies show that the most significant challenge they face is re-entering the

labor

market

and

finding

employment.

These

challenges disproportionately hurt Black Americans and predominantly Black communities.

/ CRIMINAL JUSTICE /

Inequality of opportunity has left a lasting mark on the U.S.

Black Americans represented 27% of all individuals arrested in America in

and a devastating impact on minorities. Moving forward

2016, about twice their proportion of the total population.

requires us to reevaluate how we look at equal access to things like employment, education, starting a business,

In Washington, D.C., 2019 data showed that despite making up

health services, financial services, and justice. If we are to

46.5% of the city’s population, Black Americans composed 72% of

protect the United States’ social and economic fabric, we

the people stopped by police. Even when no arrests are made, Black

must work diligently to address these long-standing racial

Americans are 21% more likely to experience some form of physical

disparities. Many leaders are asking if this moment is

force during interactions with the police.

different—if the passion of this moment can create real and lasting change. The answer is “yes” if leaders decisively rally

Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to be arrested.

around the identified challenges.

Once they are arrested, they are more likely to be convicted. And once convicted, they are more likely to experience lengthy prison sentences.

Black

Americans 13%

of

comprise the

U.S.

population, but 40% of

the

incarcerated

population,

and

Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at 5.1 times the

rate

of

white

Americans.

It is also harder for Black to

Americans bounce

back

economically

after

incarceration.

A

criminal

conviction

limits

employment

prospects as well as access

to

“Too many Black Americans are limited by inequalities deeply embedded in our education, health care, housing, and criminal justice systems. Too many face insurmountable barriers to employmnet, entrepreneurship, and economic success. All must work together to close these opportunity gaps.”

Tom Donahue, CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

housing

and public assistance.

Re-entry labor

into

the

market

is

especially challenging.

A

criminal

gaps

14

in

record,

education

Summer / Fall 2020

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SOWING SEEDS OF UNITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

By Larisa Mitchell Scott

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, of which the Newnan-Coweta Chamber is a member, seeks to make known the systemic barriers to Equality of Opportunity within the criminal justice system.

National statistics reported on race indicate that Blacks and people of color are disproportionately arrested and convicted.

Wood supports efforts to educate and raise awareness in law enforcement and through the public on challenges regarding race within the criminal justice system.

Outside his influence and leadership within the force, Wood seeks to build alliances within the community to strengthen relationships between officers and the citizens they serve. As an ethnic minority himself (Wood’s mother was Japanese), Wood knows first-hand the importance of inclusion and tolerance.

S

Pictured left-to-right: Captain Eric Smith, Captain Danny McDonald, Captain Elaine Jordan, Sheriff Lenn Wood, Captain Chuck Smith

heriff Lenn Wood, recently recognized as one of Coweta’s

25 Most Influential Citizens, is pleased that the Coweta Sheriff’s Department consists of a diverse law enforcement team that serves an increasingly diverse community.

“It takes officers from all walks of life to effectively serve our citizens, and some of our most accomplished officers, who happen to be people of color and women, have rightly advanced based on merit. We constantly strive to keep a balanced force because it’s in the best interest of our community,” says Wood.

A significant goal of Sheriff Wood’s is to increase deputy involvement in their assigned zones. “I direct my guys to get out there and get to know the people they serve. We are not just here to arrest and incarcerate. We want people to know that we are a part of this community and that we care about all people and their safety.”

Just over a year ago, Starbucks invited the Sheriff’s Department to participate in the program, “Coffee With a Cop,” which allows officers to interface with members of the community in a low-pressure environment. Officers enjoyed coffee and an opportunity to chat with customers. Some even hopped over the counter to become baristas for the afternoon. Wood loved the idea as it fits perfectly with his philosophy of positive community involvement. Officers decided to visit other coffee shops as well.

Wood, along with deputies, also meets with local pastors, attends HOA meetings, and shows up at community events. It’s all part of a strategy to forge positive relationships so that if and when there is trouble, residents feel comfortable reaching out to law enforcement for help.

“It starts at the top,” says Wood. “If fostering a positive relationship with our community wasn’t important to me, it may not be as important to the deputies.

Part of deputy evaluations includes a rating for public service and community service. It’s hard to be upset or mad with someone you have a positive relationship with.” Wood says there is evidence to suggest that efforts to forge a bond with communities can translate into fewer incarcerations and have a preventative quality.

Wood feels that Coweta County is generally a harmonious community but that there is always room to grow awareness and to keep relations moving forward positively. “I would like to change the stigma that law enforcement is on one side and others on another. We are all a part of this wonderful community, and if I can make a difference in any controversial situation, I want to be there.”

16

Summer / Fall 2020

Coweta Counts RESOURCES. REPRESENTATION. RESPONSIBILITY. Learn the basics about the census, why it matters, and how to meet your civic responsibility.

For the first time ever, the census may be completed in one of three ways:

Online

Phone

IS IT REALLY

THE CENSUS?

ask for money or your bank account information

Mail

There is a risk of fraud or spam related to the census. But there are things that census forms or census workers will never do. So be aware the census will NOT:

ask for your Social Security number

come from a political party, like the Democrats or Republicans

send people to jail for not answering questions

Visit www.CowetaCounts.com for more info or www.2020Census.gov to ensure that YOU count!

Every 10 years, the Constitution requires the United States to count the number of people living in the country. The census helps to direct more than $675 billion annually in federal funding.

Census data is used by businesses, governments, and civic organizations to inform decision making about what services should be available in local areas.

Summer / Fall 2020

17

BY W. WINSTON SKINNER

18

Summer / Fall 2020

In a June report, the University of West Georgia Richards College of Business Economics Chair and Professor William "Joey" Smith and his team acknowledged that

The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on the national, state and local economies...with a significant and negative impact on most retail establishments and restaurants, specifically.

The persistent pandemic has created uncertainty

(-28.7%), air transportation (-26.4%), real estate (-18.6%)

about a lot of things. Top of mind is how long it

and manufacturing (-11.5%).

might last, what the best prevention might be at any given time, what is to come of the traditional school

Crises such as these require businesses who resolve to

environment, and whether or not there will be federal

remain solvent to come up with creative and flexible

assistance to help businesses, as well as state and local

solutions. “I think a lot of people have adapted pretty

governments.

well to it,” said John Hall, president of United Bank in Newnan - one of the local banks working overtime to

“Right now, probably the biggest concern is that we

help businesses secure Small Business Administration

have a lot of employers who aren’t sure when they’re

funding.

going to see significant business come back,” Smith Many restaurants, for example, have tried a variety of

said.

options for keeping their business going, including But, “things are not going to go back to normal until

takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining. As indoor dining

we have a vaccine or some kind of palliative treatment

resumed, restaurateurs found creative ways to seat

that’s more effective than what we currently have,”

people at a distance from other diners – often while

he continued, also noting that the west Georgia

spinning plates in continuing to expand pickup and

region is “probably a little worse” in the spread of the

delivery options.

Coronavirus, compared with some other areas of the state.

Smith noted that the region is in a sturdier economic

Restaurants and businesses that provide personal, face-to-face services are those who face the greatest uncertainty. “We still see unemployment rates that are up. They’re not as bad as they were in March, but they’re still significantly above where they were last year,” Smith said in early August.

published in June by the Center for Business and Economic Research, sectors in Georgia taking the most substantial hits include accommodation and services

(-41.7%),

temporary

Summer / Fall 2020

in the counties of Coweta, Carroll, Douglas, Haralson, and Polk. “If you go into south Georgia, that’s not the case. Hospitals are fewer and much farther between,” Smith said.

Smith added, “That’s an important confidence-building

According to the West Georgia Regional Update

food

position than many in the state because it has hospitals

employment

piece of infrastructure. The fact that we have access to these hospitals locally and to more specialized services in the Atlanta metropolitan region gives west Georgia and the Atlanta metro area the ability to bounce back faster than the rest of the state.”

19

HEALTHCARE The healthcare industry isn't exempt from the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

to go back out because they’re tired of sitting at home, and there are a lot of people who are not in a position to do that.”

People who have ongoing heart or lung issues, individuals who have had surgery, people with autoimmune disorders, and the elderly are among the most vulnerable to the ravages of the Coronavirus. Still a

Healthcare employment has dropped as elective surgeries were delayed

new disease – the first confirmed cases diagnosed late last year – the

or postponed, medical practices temporarily closed, and people have

virus has proven unpredictable in otherwise young and healthy adults,

avoided seeing their doctor or dentist.

and even some children. Many who have recovered anticipate longterm health issues as a result of the illness.

Wellstar Health System (with facilities in Douglas and Paulding counties) furloughed more than 1,000 employees as a response to a steep drop

“There are lot of people who are in different situations but who have

in patients. Piedmont Health Systems, which operates in Coweta and

the same common denominator – they are at an increased risk of

Fayette counties, is projecting “enormous losses” as a result of the

contracting COVID and dying,” Smith said. Those people will be

COVID-19 pandemic. Job losses in healthcare will likely persist as long

reluctant to return to work, particularly in settings that require face-

as the economy continues to be adversely impacted by the pandemic.

to-face interaction.

Smith also addressed the opening of schools and how this will impact

“There are a lot of organizations that have been able to move their

the local economy. Coweta County opened schools on August 13th

employees into a home office,” Smith noted. “But not every entity out

entirely online, with plans currently calling for students to either attend

there is capable of doing all their business remotely.”

in-person beginning on September 8th or to continue virtually, per guardian selection.

For example, a large portion of retail operations is moving online, specifically grocery chains, whereby shoppers can get what they need

EDUCATION AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT As to in-person schooling, "That's a double-edged sword," said Smith.

and have minimal contact with a grocery store employee.

In the June regional update, Smith’s team observed that shopping for groceries online more than doubled in the first full month of state shutdowns, increasing by 110% between March and April of 2020.

Kenneth Shiver, Chief Economist and Director of Planning & Regulatory Support with Southern Company, added that emerging trends typically accelerate during crises and that this may represent a long-term shift in consumer behavior.

“We need to work closely with people who are experts there so we can transition back to a growing economy,” acknowledging that many

In their June report, the Center for Business and Economic Research

parents need their children to be in school so the parents can be at

added that, at the very least, these shifts in behavior for some shoppers

work. Still, he warns that the decision-making process about schools

might linger until more effective treatments and a vaccine for COVID-19

being open needs to include a lot of planning and timely and relevant

is identified and becomes widely available. Only then will confidence in

information from health experts.

being able to return safely to stores be restored.

“We need to do that as thoughtfully as we can because the risks are high.

Simply throwing everyone back into a classroom is extremely dangerous,” Smith said.

Smith added, “Things have gone beyond what we’re able to pull back from; right now, our best bet is a vaccine. There are people that are going

20

Summer / Fall 2020

Smith acknowledged, however, that such innovations help some

to everyone, and more than one dose may be required for it to be

businesses more than others. Smaller mom-and-pop businesses and

effective.

companies in smaller communities may feel heightened economic Still, Hall asserts that a widely available vaccine will change perceptions.

pain.

Most people will feel more comfortable getting back to work – and “There are hard-hit segments,” United Bank’s John Hall noted. “Coweta

back to life.

has a lot of small businesses that rely on customer service and faceto-face contact.”

That personal interaction, once valued by many shoppers pre-COVID “is now a negative,” Smith said. “It’s easier for you to shop online, look at an online catalog, click the boxes, and never see a customer service person at all.”

STATE AND LOCAL SPENDING

For each economic segment that shrinks because of COVID-19,

The reopening of the economy has begun, but with some bumps.

“there’s this web of services that follow,” Smith said.

“We’re seeing a lot of people starting to bounce back a little bit, but

For restaurants, there are suppliers and repair firms, as well as waitstaff

they’re not bouncing hard. People are still very, very cautious,” Smith

who are currently laid off or working fewer hours. Weddings and other

said. They might be dipping their toes into mid-pandemic waters with

large-scale events encompass an array of service providers who are

smaller, more conservative spending.

part of the process, from venue owners and operators to caterers, florists, musicians, and third-party rental companies.

Smith addressed the impact of small purchases on the economy relative to the multiplier effect in sharing how money moves through

Further, firms that provide medical paraphernalia such as test tubes and

the economy.

product solutions for non-COVID patients are also likely to feel a pinch.

“All of these people are in a situation where their services are not in high

A businessperson before COVID might purchase a breakfast biscuit

demand right now,” Smith said.

and a coffee on the way to work, then go to lunch with friends or a client. On the way home, that person might pick up something extra

Even when a vaccine is approved, it may not be immediately available

for supper or stop to purchase clothing or a gift from a local retailer. At

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21

310,000

6

300,000

4

290,000

2

280,000

0

270,000 19

Ap

ril

ril Ap

18 ril

Ap

ril Ap

ril Ap

ril

14

Ap

ril

Ap

ril

12

Ap

ril Ap

ril Ap

ril Ap

WEST GEORGIA UNEMPLOYEMENT RATE

LABOR FORCE

8

20

320,000

17

10

16

330,000

15

12

13

340,000

11

14

10

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

WEST GEORGIA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND LABOR FORCE

WEST GEORGIA LABOR FORCE some point during the week, they might purchase gasoline to navigate the five trips from work to home and back each week.

Now, much of this spending is not happening. “This has the effect of ultimately shrinking the size of the economy,” Smith said. Every purchase, however small, is tied to the spending of others.

Let it storm.

We’re ready.

“The multiplier effect says that every purchase in the economy ends up putting more activity into the economy than that single purchase itself,” Smith expounds. A dollar spent by one individual generates between $1.75-$2 in economic activity.

The overall state of the economy reflects local and state spending in- and outside of the pandemic. Spending, of course, is essential to a thriving economy.

While the federal government can borrow money, state and local governments must balance their budgets each fiscal year. The loss of revenue from sales and other taxes – along with increased costs related to the Coronavirus – puts the financial squeeze on state and local governments.

As such, a chorus of leaders across the nation, including Georgia House

Learn more at georgiapower.com/reliability.

Speaker David Ralston, is asking for $500 billion in federal relief for state governments. Leaders with the National Governors Association have also cited that figure in requesting a lifeline from Washington.

Smith declined to comment on a specific dollar amount, but he said that federal aid to states during Covid-19 could make a significant difference.

He added that if the federal government tries to stimulate the economy

22

Summer / Fall 2020

EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

during a recession, those efforts may not be as effective if state and local governments severely cut spending.

T Em ota pl l oy m en Go t Pr od od s uc in Se g Pr rv od ice uc s Go ing ve rn m en t

“It probably is a good idea for the federal government to provide aid directly to states because this allows the states to spend that money where they see the greatest need.

That’s going to be different in every state. It allows the state to spend when they ordinarily would be cutting budgets,” Smith said. “It’s a complicated issue. One step forward and two steps back.”

Attempts to halt the spread of COVID-19, including shelter-in-place orders and business closures and reduced operation mandates, contributed to sudden declines in the labor force and a rapid increase in unemployment rates.

West Georgia's labor force declined from 329,094 individuals in March to 306,470 in April, which translates into a total of 22,624 individuals (or 6.9%) dropping out of

Carroll -1.40%

-0.51%

-2.07% 0.01%

Coweta -1.88%

0.42%

-2.70% -0.50%

Douglas -3.90% -0.53% -5.29% 1.06% Haralson -2.98% -3.68% -3.37% -1.02% Paulding -4.44% 1.01%

the labor force.

During the same time, the number of unemployed adults in the West Georgia’s counties almost tripled, rising from

Polk -1.73%

0.42%

-6.08% -2.67% -2.70% -0.50%

Georgia -.075% -0.30% -2.01% -.021%

13,696 to 38,323, a 179.8% increase. Without exception, every county in our region experienced this phenomenon.

Even before COVID-19 entered our lexicon, Georgia and West Georgia’s counties were already experiencing weaker employment numbers. Between 2018Q4 and

The decline in West Georgia’s labor force and employment

2019Q4, total employment fell in every West Georgia county and overall for the

levels was larger in percentage terms than the state. Georgia

state.

experienced a 5.5% reduction in the pool of available workers and a 160.0% growth in the number of unemployed.

At -4.44%, Paulding experienced the largest percentage loss in the region. Paulding’s service sector was hardest hit, with job losses at 6.08%. Arts, entertainment and

Two of every three jobs in West Georgia are in services.

recreation lost 74 jobs (-35.0%). Large job losses also occurred in transportation &

Georgia’s population is also trending older. Both factors

warehousing (-19.5%), professional and scientific jobs, (-14.6%), real estate (-12.8%)

will likely slow West Georgia’s economic recovery from the

and even healthcare (-9.7%).

effects of the virus.

Excluding transportation and warehousing jobs in Coweta and Polk, which both In April, every county in our region exhibited the same

experienced strong growth, every county in West Georgia experienced a similar

behavior we observed at the national and state levels:

negative pattern in service sector employment. Coweta, Paulding, and Polk added

drops in the number of individuals in the labor force

some jobs to goods-producing sectors.

and employment pool and rapid increases in the pool of unemployed individuals. As a result, in April 2020, each West Georgia county experienced a record high unemployment rate.

The largest unemployment rate in our region was recorded by Coweta County, with 13.1% of adults wanting to work but not being able to find a job. The next highest unemployment rate was seen in Carroll (12.9%), followed by Douglas (12.6%), Haralson (12.4%), Polk (11.9%), and Paulding (11.3%). Only Paulding’s April rate is below the state’s overall unemployment rate of 11.9%.

Once life returns to normal, unemployment rates should return to pre-COVID-19 levels. However, the economic

Charts and graphs courtesy of the Center for Business and Economic Research, University of West Georgia Department of Economics.

recovery will take longer than the decline as the economy will reopen in stages.

Summer / Fall 2020

23

BUSINESS AS USUA L N

U

BY CARLA COOK-SMITH

L

auded

for

innovation

and

ingenuity, Coweta County serves as the seedbed for many unique

and thoughtful endeavors. It comes as no surprise that this might be the case, whether in times of unsurpassed prosperity or unprecedented challenge.

An

entire

issue

of

THRIVE

couldn’t

and community leaders who have swiftly and uniquely readapted or reimagined their business models in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A handful of stories made their way into this issue, whether a result of something we witnessed or to

our

attention

members of our community.

Mark and Sylvia Shugart are the owners of Saben Outdoors, a locally owned and operated business with a penchant for giving back. “Our family has a heart for the community where we live, which is why it was important for us to do something during this crisis.”

A family-run entity for nearly six decades in Coweta and South Fulton counties,

adequately cover the stories of business

brought

S I G N S O F T H E T I M E S : S A BE N O U T D O O RS

by

grateful

Saben Outdoors sought to be of benefit during the COVID-related shutdowns by offering free billboard space to local non-profits. “Currently, businesses are just trying to make payroll, so marketing is limited. Advertising and marketing are line items that people can immediately course correct,” Marketing Coordinator Darlene Fountain shared, “so we decided together as a family business to hit all the parameters of local non-profits with free advertising in our community.”

To date, Saben has donated ad space to several local entities, which have expanded their efforts since the pandemic began in March, including Coweta County Meals on Wheels, Backpack Buddies, Bridging the Gap, Coweta FORCE, and the Summit Family YMCA. Expanding their efforts, Saben recently worked with Oriental Family Market, a local business that hoped to honor six of its employees who happened to be graduating

24

Summer / Fall 2020

high school seniors. “We decided to sell the market a twosided billboard featuring three seniors on each side for a week

AC E I N T H E H O LE

at the cost of $50,” said Fountain. Parents of seniors and other

Atlanta Communications Experts (ACE) joined the Newnan Coweta Chamber just before the onslaught of the COVID-19

businesses have since followed suit.

pandemic. A 35-year communications veteran, ACE Owner Brent Smallwood has been busy connecting businesses to the

P L AY I T AGA I N , M A E ST RO

virtual world. “Voiceover Internet Protocol (VOIP) is no longer

Jonathon Plummer of Event Maestro Entertainment (pictured

the wave of the future. The world is changing the way we are

left) typically provides audio/visual services, live entertainment,

doing things, and it is the present. Businesses who have been

photo booths, and deejay services for local events. When the

resistant to change have found themselves unable to function

state shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, his event roster

during the pandemic. In contrast, those who already invested

cleared almost instantly. Weddings, business events, parties, and

in virtual communication have been able to conduct business

more were canceled en masse, leaving Jon and his crew with a lot

without skipping a beat. My company is here to build bridges

of time on their hands and very little operating revenue.

to better communication in this ever-changing world,” says Smallwood of his endeavors.

Quick on his feet, Jon took to streaming free music events from a balcony. A two-fold strategy, the entrepreneur sought

Now, and in the future, businesses can benefit from Voice Over

to both entertain an otherwise downtrodden community and

IP at considerable cost savings through ACE, which offers the

afford local musicians an outlet to showcase their talents across

capability of individual phones on a multi-line system to travel

Facebook and via other live mediums.

with an employee.

A firm believer in karma, Jon notes, “Every time you go out of

Smallwood shares, “With an ACE system, a company no longer

your way for someone, it is worth it.” Since the concerts originally

relies on copper wire to provide a dial tone or a unit in someone’s

aired, many local establishments have taken notice, hiring Event

closet to equip a telephone system. An employee can take the

Maestro to secure entertainment for multiple locations and

phone off the desk at work and travel abroad, never skipping a

varying needs.

beat in receiving incoming calls to their business line. ACE VOIP systems work anywhere in the world.”

Contact

Event

Maestro

Entertainment

eventmaestroentertainment.com.

Summer / Fall 2020

at

678.876.6306

or If interested in learning more, call ACE at 678.722.5200.

25

C O N T E M P O R A RY I S S U E S , C O N T E M P O R A RY S O LU T I O N S , C O N T E M P O R A RY CAT E R I N G Jennifer Hanna of Contemporary Catering notes a remarkably busy calendar in March – one that gave way to reinvention following news of a far-reaching pandemic. She recalls, “Within 48 hours, each event canceled. Our first thought was that we had worked hard for 28 years, and the COVID-19 virus cannot be what closes our doors. We have always offered a meals-to-go menu with items for clients to take home or send to someone when there is a new birth or a death in the family. This menu has been underutilized until now.”

D O U G H N U T DRO P S Neighborhoods across Coweta have delighted in tasty, colorful treats in an otherwise disheartening period of uncertainty and gloom, courtesy of complimentary doughnut drops by Sharpsburg’s Heirloom Market Company & Bakeshop. Those who have not yet been on the receiving end of these delectable delights are hoping that Heirloom shows up in their neighborhood soon.

Owners Justin and Laura Gibson serve as a belly-warming example of small business owners who have altered their business model to remain relevant and solvent. While Heirloom’s efforts initially centered on community goodwill, the acts of kindness gave way to marketing savvy as one nibble of the buttery doughnuts sends taste-testers to the bakery for more.

For those who can’t wait for a drop near them, Heirloom is located in the former Collector’s Corner building across the street from Sam’s Club and the NCG Theater at Highway 34 and Fischer. Currently featured donut varieties include glazed, fruity pebbles, marble iced, vanilla iced, vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, maple bacon, maple, cookies & cream, strawberry iced, chocolate iced, chocolate sprinkles, and more.

Contact Heirloom at 770.755.9324, check out their Facebook page, or email an

Contemporary Catering expanded its menu, adding to-go items and thinking it would be a great resource if people had access to freshly prepared, comforting food.

But, there was work to be done to ensure that news of the adaptation would reach those who could most benefit.

Newnan’s Sign and Graphics Solutions created an enormous banner advertising meals to go and featuring popular items like lasagna, chicken pot pie, chicken tetrazzini, and beef stroganoff. Local retired architect Alan Holloway built the frame for the sign, installing it in front of the business on March 21st.

Hanna recalls that it took Holloway three days to make the structure. “He was so happy for us when we started to see some business.” Just three days later, however, Holloway succumbed to an undetected brain infection – Hanna’s gains giving way to intense feelings of loss. “His death has hit us hard,” she said.

W AT E

R

order to heirloomdonuts@gmail.com.

Soon after the virus befell the country in mid-March,

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Summer / Fall 2020

But, Holloway’s last legacy was indeed a gift for Hanna and her team. Within a couple of days following the sign installation, meals-to-go took flight. “We have had a lot of people thank us for doing this,” Jennifer beams. “People have remarked that the food is affordable, and they are happy to feed it to their family.

We are glad to provide this service for the community, which is also beneficial for our business.”

As with many businesses, the pandemic has pushed Hanna into a new revenue model. While in-person events once served as the backbone of the business pre-COVID, the meals-to-go model persists as the breadwinner. Being flexible and open to new ideas has enabled Contemporary Catering to remain…well… contemporary, allowing the business to retain its valued fulltime staff.

“We believe God has shown us a great favor. During this time, we have gained a whole new group of customers who had not hired us before. There is so much we can learn from this experience, and I pray we will remember the lesson,” said Hanna.

Check into Contemporary Catering and the full roster of offerings at ccgeorgia.com.

I f yo u have a stor y th at you’d l ike to share, please re a ch out to Susa n K raut at su san@newna ncowe ta ch a mb e r. org.

Summer / Fall 2020

C o nte mp o rar y C ate r in g ’ s A lan Ho lloway ( pict u re d rig ht) lent c are , in g e nuit y, and p a s s io n to hi s effo r t s o n b e half of H anna and he r te am .

27

Not so long ago, just off the square in Newnan, First Avenue might find families enjoying the park or shuffling children to and from the Newnan Theater Company. Residents may visit Goodyear Auto Services for long-overdue tire replacement. Others may pass through from tuckedaway neighborhoods to visit Market Days or do a little shopping on the otherwise bustling city square.

Amid the pandemic, however, a typical Saturday activity takes place at 19 First Avenue, specifically.

Bridging the Gap, a non-profit organization charged with distributing food & connecting those in need to community resources, distributes food on Saturdays.

M

ost who visit the First Avenue center for food arrive by car, but lately, many head over on

foot. Kelli Yeager-Nelson, the executive director of Bridging the Gap (BTG), noticed the uptick in on-foot arrivals since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BTG typically fulfills food orders for those who have pre-registered. Still, families who may be unfamiliar with the practice sometimes show up after distribution is already underway and when resources may be limited. Yeager-Nelson noted, however, that many of the walkers would linger and redistribute their items to many of the latecomers – a gallon of milk, a box of cereal – “I don’t think I need this. I think that you do.”

Newnan City Church volunteers prep for the Bridging the Gap Saturday food pantry distribution

Yeager-Nelson also noticed that some of the regulars – mostly older folks – weren’t showing up for food distribution as frequently as they did during “normal” pre-COVID times. When she spotted one of them in line, she paused to tell the lady that she had missed her.

“We don’t want to come unless we absolutely need the food,” the woman told her. “We know there are so many other people who need it.”

“It’s so humbling to watch people care about their neighbors,” Yeager-Nelson said.

“Making sure there’s enough to go around – I just think that’s amazing. That spirit of generosity is the thing that keeps coming to the forefront.”

Coweta County is known for its spirit of collaboration and strong philanthropic appeal.

Since the pandemic tightened its grip in March, non-profit organizations, community leaders, and ordinary citizens have stepped up as helpers, working double-time throughout the pandemic. The needs are more significant, and funding and supplies do not keep pace with the demand. Further, outreach organizations have to take extra precautions with staff, volunteers, and people seeking help, which only adds to the

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complexities.

In late July and early August, five members of Bridging the Gap’s staff and eight essential volunteers had to quarantine for 14 days after being exposed to someone with the virus.

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Despite the scare, Bridging the Gap continued with the Saturday food distribution as part of a community collaboration to ease the load and provide continuity. Newnan City Church took care of the first Saturday; Foundation Christian Church took care of the next Saturday. Both churches helped with the project before the pandemic and included members who already understood how the process worked.

The experience also created some changes in the day-to-day operations at Bridging the Gap. Anyone in the building must now wear a mask, unless inside an office with the door closed. “We’ve continued to offer gloves to anyone,” Yeager-Nelson said.

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Employment Down, Demand Up

individuals and provided 180 boxes of food. During the same period in 2020, the center served 1,161 individuals and gave out 567 food boxes.

“The need is greater, but the funding is not,” Executive Director Heather Creech said, noting a sharp increase in the number of people seeking help with bills as

The onset of COVID-19 found many Cowetans suddenly without work. For some of them, an

utility companies resume shut-offs for past-due service accounts.

otherwise temporary displacement gave way to long-

Further, the center’s social services component is

term unemployment, leading to increased demand for

operating differently because of COVID-19. Ordinarily,

community resources.

clients arrive at the center and sit down with Creech or

“We’re seeing a lot of brand-new people,” Yeager-

another staff member to map out a plan.

Nelson of Bridging the Gap, said. “About a third of the

“People are not coming inside. They are emailing,

people who are coming are people who have never

faxing,

come in the past. That’s been consistent since March.”

using their phones. We’re doing as much as we can

While BTG provides them with food and other necessities, “The next piece is to connect them to different services in the community,” Yeager-Nelson

or

‘screenshotting’

necessary

documents,

electronically,” Creech said. When a staff member must meet with a client, they do so outdoors and physically distanced.

said. In some cases, those referrals are for temporary

“A few months ago, when it first started, we got a lot of

housing for evicted or displaced residents who live in

phone calls for financial support, and we were getting a

their cars.

lot of people coming for the food pantry,” Langer of the

Nancy Langer, a case manager for the Salvation Army’s

Salvation Army said.

Pathway of Hope program, notes that negotiating the

While the Salvation Army staff were still figuring

social service system is difficult for many of the first-

out the requirements for protective equipment and

timers. “It’s hard for them. It’s embarrassing for them.

distancing, they left bags of food outside the center

They’ve not been in this situation before,” Langer

doors for people. “I included resource guides in them,”

acknowledged.

Langer said, which included – among other things – a

“Most of the first-timers are out of work. This is new

list of additional resources for food.

for them. They haven’t been able to pay their rent or

One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach has also

utilities,” Langer said. Many of them are permanently

expanded its food assistance program. The ministry

laid-off or furloughed, while others are self-employed

purchased a van with a grant from St. Paul’s Episcopal

or gig workers, with decreased demand for their

Church to make regular trips to the Midwest Food

services.

Bank in Peachtree City – securing supplies for various

Still, others are people who previously cobbled together two or three part-time jobs to make ends meet.

efforts in a spirit of collaboration that is well-evidenced in Coweta’s philanthropic community.

Courtesy of the pandemic and sweeping business closures, many only can work 25 hours at best, earning insufficient income.

Langer recognizes that the goal is “to help them be as self-sustaining as possible through this season.” Providing help with even one need such as food or medical care can help families stretch their available funds.

The Salvation Army clearly illustrates the impact of COVID-19 on the greater Coweta community in its reported numbers. Between March and June of 2019, the local service center assisted 623

30

Volunteers greet attendees at the Back to School event at One Roof Ecumenical Outreach on Aug. 8. The event offered free hotdogs, school supplies, and book bags for Coweta students.

Summer / Fall 2020

Looking Forward

NOW OPEN

Yeager-Nelson admits that she is concerned about what may happen in the months to come, especially as the eviction moratorium expires and others face the prospect of not being able to make mortgage payments.

Langer notes that calls for help are rising in recent weeks. “We had a dry spell when the school system set up a feeding program that provided meals during the summer, while outreach organizations also helped with food and other immediate needs. Evictions were on pause, and utility companies were not disconnecting overdue accounts. But it has picked up the past two weeks,” she shared. Langer added that future demand will

Family Owned & Operated

likely include the growing needs of local children as they return to school, many of them in a virtual setting.

91 Millard Farmer Industrial Blvd.

Newnan, G A

One Roof’s Ann Kerlin said that she believes there will be a need to provide WiFi Internet service in more places because children will need it to get their lessons done

7 70-2 52 -2 237

for school. “We have to look ahead. It’s hard to know what to do.”

“We don’t know what this is going to look like,” adds Langer.

“We’re just taking one day at a time and responding to who and what shows up at our door.”

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Summer / Fall 2020

31

Behind a thick black mask, Community Paramedic Russell Shoemake struggles to frame his thoughts about the challenges of managing Coweta Cares. Like the rest of Coweta, Georgia, the United States, and the world, Shoemake is faced with impossible new choices each day. While there are few certainties and limited victories, Coweta County has a significant weapon in its arsenal against the chaos of increasingly dynamic public healthcare challenges.

A mobile healthcare service that provides patient-centered care without encumbering hospitals and emergency departments, Coweta Cares proactively challenges the norms in confronting mental health issues that are inherently best-served by collaborative partnerships between multiple service providers.

Launching the service in 2019, Coweta County Fire and Rescue partnered with Pathways and Piedmont Newnan Hospital to create teams of counselors and paramedics as part of a mobile integrated care unit designed to address the needs of emergency callers who might benefit from targeted services. Referrals generate from the fire department, the jail, concerned citizens, Coweta Force, and several other local non-profit or community-based organizations that identify a need.

The result is superior care and the preservation of resources by avoiding unnecessary trips to the emergency room or a strain on police and medics. However, the initiative enjoys full-staff only 17% of the time. Especially during the COVID-19 crisis, the need to fully fund the effort will not only ensure that the service can reach the highest and best use but maximize the positive impacts on the community.

“Holy cow, what we could get done,� said Shoemake when he contemplated the possibility of staffing Coweta Cares full-time.

P i c t u red, lef t t o r i g ht : Co wet a Co u nt y F i re Res c u e D e p art ment A s s i s t a nt Ch i ef Jef f D e n n e y ; P at h wa y s c o u n s elo r Da wn A l l re d L P C ( ret . ) ; Co wet a Ca res Rus s e ll S h o ema ke Co mmu n i t y P aramedi c ; P at h wa y s c o u n s elo r Cr a i g Du n n L P C

32

Summer / Fall 2020

January 2020 presented 53 crises that were addressed by either Coweta Cares or the Coweta County Fire Department.

Two were treated on-site, and the remaining 51 transported to either the crisis stabilization unit at Pathways or the emergency room.

February presented 87 crises.

The month of March presented the early impacts of the COVID-19

The Branding Experts

pandemic on Coweta County as nearly every facet of life came to a halt, and businesses shuttered. Coweta Cares saw a decrease in calls - not because there wasn’t a need, but because people were hesitant to put themselves in an environment where they might contract the virus.

In just the first three weeks of July, however, there were 72 crisis calls, including three that were resolved on-site, 14 suicide threats, and and four suicide attempts. That’s an average of three calls per day for a unit that, while indispensable, does not realize the funding necessary to operate full-time.

Generally, a large percentage of 911 calls result from behavioral health issues that are best served by mental health professionals. Other requests result from patient compliance issues that require proactive support and management. According to Shoemake, Coweta Cares provides “care management and problem-solving that gets to the root of the issue.” It is a “proactive program to help prevent problems” before they end up in the emergency department.

In 2019, about 824 of all emergency medical service calls were related to psychiatric issues that ultimately required the support of mental health providers.

SIGNS BANNERS WEBSITES LOGOS VINYL LETTERING DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY DECALS

Offering the innovation and ingenuity that has become the hallmark of Coweta, the deployment of Coweta Cares ensures that police and other first-responders can quickly return to their primary function, essentially leaving it to the experts.

Summer / Fall 2020

2C Jackson Street Newnan, Ga. 30263

33

what is

MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE?

Mobile Integrated Healthcare is a restructuring of existing healthcare resources, not a new means to increase healthcare spending. The mobile integrated healthcare approach is designed to support and augment other patient-centered delivery models by providing an optimized mix of healthcare and patient navigation at a lower cost than traditional models.

The mobile integrated healthcare model is an innovative, proven solution to provide high-quality primary care and preventative services by employing a currently available and often underutilized healthcare resource, Paramedics.

The mobile integrated healthcare program uses specially trained prehospital professionals with an expanded role, who will assist with closing health care gaps and improve access while decreasing healthcare costs.

services provided by

COWETA CARES

We are prepared to welcome students back to school on August 13th! nline O y l App

Frequent Falls The program seeks to mitigate fall risks by performing in-home safety assessments and fall prevention education.

Mental Health / Substance Abuse The program seeks to identify patients that would be better served outside the emergency room setting and redirect these individuals to the appropriate community resource(s).

Diabetic Patients The program seeks to provide nutritional and disease management education to diabetic patients to prevent unnecessary emergency department / EMS utilization.

We are accepting applications for the 2020-2021school year.

Limited space available in many grades.

Congestive Heart Failure / Chronic Respiratory Conditions Ensuring proper medication compliance, nutrition, and education on disease management for patients who are diagnosed with congestive heart failure or other chronic respiratory conditions.

High System Utilizers The Community Paramedic program seeks to include all patients that are high utilizers of the 911 system and emergency department by providing education and aligning the patients with primary care resources available within the community.

It is time to make your move and learn more about The Heritage School!

To learn more about Coweta Cares and how you can help, visit www.CowetaCares.org.

To experience The Heritage School in person, schedule a tour today.

Contact: Lory Leyva, Director of Admissions 678-423-5393 admissions@heritageschool.com

Visit heritageschool.com to explore more.

Summer / Fall 2020

35

THE TOOLS TO LEAD THE TOOLS TO LEAD: Can be full page if needed

Liability Protection and the Back-to-Business Blueprint

By Carla Cook-Smith

In a commitment to provide the best tools for Coweta businesses that are reopening, resuming business operations, or re-integrating the workforce amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chamber sought advice from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, Georgia’s top labor and employment law firm.

Established in 1946, the firm has over 30 offices and almost 200 attorneys across the nation. Partner Mel Haas manages the Macon, Georgia location. He and attorney Graham Newsome, an Associate in the Macon office, recently spoke with Chamber members as part of the Back to Business “Workplace Best Practices” virtual series, presented by Delta Community Credit Union.

36

Summer / Fall 2020

Great Schools the Heart of

Mel Haas, Partner, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, Macon, Georgia As the pandemic took root across the nation, the firm directed several employees to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the workforce and to identify noteworthy regulations in drafting the Coronavirus Return to Work Blueprint for Employers, which could be shared, not only in Georgia but throughout the nation. Facing a pandemic of unprecedented magnitude and consequence, Haas and Newsome recognized the need for a guide in navigating otherwise uncharted waters. The firm houses a full roster of employer guides and resources at www.constangy. com/coronavirus.

Employers are consistently encouraged by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the governor and other government entities to take practical measures to ensure the safety of the workplace environment. While time-consuming, these foundational efforts are vital in improving workplace morale and avoiding legal liability and waste.

While a new liability shield law (S.B. 359) aims to protect Georgia businesses and other organizations from potential lawsuits over COVID-19 exposure, Newsome suggests that companies also include legal liability waivers in their back-to-business toolkits.

Designed to assist employers in avoiding personal liability lawsuits in connection with COVID-19, legal liability waivers should include the steps that a business has taken to stop the spread of the virus in compliance with CDC and OSHA guidelines. However, it is unclear at this time how such waivers might stand up in court, as there is no viable precedent. To that end, the language should be clear and concise so that employees and associates fully understand what they are signing.

Coweta County

“A passionate and caring school system dedicated to excellence, energized by the notion of family, and committed to the success of each student.”

That is how the AdvancED Accreditation Review Committee described the Coweta County School System, following their review for five-year reaccreditation of our schools in 2016. According to the independent team’s evaluation, Coweta Schools performed at much higher levels than the average AdvancED-accredited learning institutions, in terms of teaching and learning, leadership capacity, and management of resources.

During accreditation, school system stakeholders – including students and parents, teachers and community members – described Coweta Schools in several ways:

“Student-Centered” “Caring” “Amazing” “Exceptional” “Accountable” “Safe” “Nurturing” “Rigorous” “Committed” “I would not want to be anywhere else.”

In the Coweta County School System, you will find schools among the top-performing in the state of Georgia and the nation: • On-time graduation rates and student performance on Georgia Milestones exams that well exceed state of Georgia averages.

• Student SAT and ACT performance that exceeds state and national averages.

• High rates of participation in Advanced Placement, college dualenrollment and apprenticeships and work-based learning.

• Distinctions such as robust fine arts curriculum, outstanding athletic programs, a sophisticated technology environment including 1-to-1 pairing of students with Chromebook devices, and other advanced opportunities for students.

• Honors that include a AP Stem and Humanities distinctions, state Reward schools, Georgia School Boards Association Exemplary School Board, state financial awards, and the Center for American Progress’ “Best Return on Educational Investment” distinction.

From academics to the arts to athletics – from college prep to career readiness – Coweta County Schools are committed to ensuring the success of every student. We invite you to visit our schools, tour the Central Educational Center College and Career Academy, or attend a performance at the Donald W. Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts.

Newsome adds, however, that Georgia is an employer-friendly state, and, as such, there is a presumption that liability waivers are likely to be favored in Georgia, especially if they are industryspecific and created with input from a qualified legal firm.

To learn more go to cowetaschools.net or call 770-254-5551

Attorneys Haas and Newsome also advise that organizations who bring people together for events take the same measures as employers concerning social distancing, masks, hand washing, and liability waivers to avoid accusations of negligence. A signed certification affirming that a person has not been exposed to COVID-19, has not traveled outside of the country, and does not have a fever or related symptoms is also a good idea for an added layer of protection.

Protection from legal liability doesn’t just come down to waivers and certifications, though. There are many measures that employers must take to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and mandates.

For example, employers should develop flexible sick leave policies that encourage employees who are sick to stay at home.

If a company uses contract workers, communication must be clear, advising sick workers to stay home without fear of penalty.

While beneficial to work with employees to ensure a safe, healthy environment and one based on mutual trust, employers must also understand the qualifying bases when an employee refuses to work due to COVID-19 concerns.

Newsome encourages employers to refer to the Families First Coronavirus Act (FFCRA), for example, which provides for up

Introduc effor tl ing a NE W ess e s w lo eig way to !! h t - FA S T

to 80 hours of paid sick leave and extended leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), reimbursable to employers via tax credits. Smaller employers, however, may not be covered

by FMLA but could be protected by the FFCRA, which went into effect in April and expires at the end of December 2020.

Haas offers a critical distinction, “If an employee refuses to return to work for safety reasons, the employee may be permanently replaced but not terminated. Such an employee must sign an unconditional release to return to work and will only be able to return to work if a position is available for which

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38

they are qualified.”

The firm cautions, “The coronavirus pandemic presents a big opportunity for organized labor and a serious challenge for nonunion employers. Job security and safety are traditional issues

Summer / Fall 2020

that unions use to appeal to unorganized employees, and these

hazard pay and protective equipment. Sanitation workers in

issues are looming large right now. Many employees are asked

Pittsburg and construction workers in Massachusetts staged

to continue working under conditions they may perceive as

strikes over safety issues. There have been protests and

unsafe. Others are being laid off or furloughed without pay in

work stoppages at food processing and meatpacking plants,

numbers not seen since the Great Depression. Many observers

distributions centers, and supermarket chains around the

are predicting a wave of strikes with one historian noting a

country.”

parallel to the strike wave that accompanied the 1919 “Spanish Flu” when one-fifth of American workers walked off the job.”

Haas notes that the National Labor Relations Act covers issues related to the workforce, particularly on strikes and worker protests. He describes, “An employee strike is a classic situation where an employee refuses to perform work. An Economic Strike typically concerns work conditions (wages and hours), and in the case of such a strike, an employee may be permanently replaced.”

“Every decision made by an employer in response to this pandemic could be used by a union now or in the future as part of an organizing campaign.

Moreover, some unions have been decimated financially by the pandemic, so they may have an added incentive to increase their organizing efforts in hopes of replenishing their coffers,” the firm advises. “If you plan proactively, you should be able to respond effectively within limits allowed by federal and state

“A Safety Strike is essentially an Economic Strike and is

law.”

protected to the extent that an employee may be permanently replaced but cannot be fired. NLRA Section 503 provides special protection over abnormally dangerous working conditions.

An employee cannot be fired under those conditions.

It is

important for employers to know that if they get involved in a

For the latest news and information concerning Coronavirus and how it affects employers, visit constangy.com.

Safety Strike, it is not a condition for discipline,” Haas cautions.

Recent news reports highlight an increase in labor actions. The firm relates that “Instacart shoppers went on strike demanding

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A model that has garnered international attention, CEC represents a joint venture among business and industry, the Coweta County School System, and West Georgia Technical College. CEC’s unique blend of academic and technical courses prepares local youth with real-world knowledge and experience to become productive 21st century citizens and key contributors to a rapidly changing local economy.

Learn more about the innovation of CEC at www.centraleducationalcenter.net MISSION: Ensure competitive talent for current and future careers

160 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. • Newnan, Georgia • (678) 423-2009 • www.centraleducationalcenter.net Summer / Fall 2020

39

GEORGIA’S COVID-19 PANDEMIC BUSINESS SAFETY ACT In a recent legal bulletin, Constangy shared that, on August 5th, Governor Brian

The types of COVID-19 liability claims that are covered by the

Kemp signed the Georgia COVID-19 Pandemic Business Safety Act, limiting

Act include:

Georgia businesses’ liability for certain claims related to COVID-19. However,

• Transmission, infection, exposure, or potential exposure of

the Act requires businesses to take specific steps to gain the protections offered

COVID-19 to a claimant at any healthcare facility or on the

by this Act. It applies broadly to claims brought against companies, nonprofits,

premises of any entity, individual, or healthcare provider,

and individuals, while also explicitly protecting healthcare providers.

resulting in injury to or death of a claimant;

The law provides a rebuttable presumption of an assumption of the risk by the claimant if specific measures are implemented by the entity or individual, which

• Transmission, infection, exposure, or potential exposure of

means that a claimant would need to overcome this presumption to assert one

COVID-19 to a claimant caused by actions of any healthcare

of the specified types of COVID-19 claims.

provider or individual resulting in injury to or death of a claimant;

However, like similar statutes passed in other states, this rebuttable presumption does not apply to claims of gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct,

• Acts or omissions by a healthcare facility or healthcare

reckless infliction of harm, or intentional infliction of harm.

provider arranging or providing healthcare services or medical care to the claimant resulting in injury or death of the claimant for COVID-19 or where the response to COVID-19 reasonably

NEXT STEPS FOR EMPLOYERS

interfered with the arranging for or the providing of healthcare services or medical care at issue to the claimant; or

To gain the protections of this Act, individuals and entities must post a sign at a point of entry in “at least one-inch (72pt) Arial font placed apart

• Manufacturing, labeling, donating, or distributing personal

from any other text,” which contains the following disclaimer:

protective equipment or sanitizer where specific criteria are

“Warning: Under Georgia law, there is no liability for an injury or death of

met.

an individual entering these premises if such injury or death results from the inherent risks of contracting COVID-19. You are assuming this risk by entering these premises.”

Additionally, businesses that issue a receipt or proof of purchase (including an electronic or paper ticket or wristband for entry or attendance) must include the following warning in at least ten-point Arial font placed apart from any other text:

“Any person entering the premises waives all civil liability against this premises owner and operator for any injuries caused by the inherent risk associated with contracting COVID-19 at public gatherings, except for gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, reckless infliction of harm, or intentional infliction of harm, by the individual or entity of the premises.”

This is adapted from a publication of Constangy,

In addition to immediately implementing these notice procedures,

Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP. The information contained herein is not intended to be, nor does

Georgia employers should continue to follow the governor’s executive

it constitute legal advice. The hiring of a lawyer

orders and monitor the guidance provided by agencies such as the

is an important decision that should not be

Centers for Disease Control and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask for free written information about qualifications and experience. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services

For more information about this Act or other COVID-19 developments, please contact the Constangy attorney of your choice.

to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. This information could be considered advertising under applicable laws.

40

Summer / Fall 2020

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LEADING BY

EXAMPLE

BY CARLA COOK-SMITH

Newnan’s Cargill Meat Solutions goes above and beyond to protect employees, the community

Newnan’s Cargill Meat Solutions illustrates a highly successful implementation of COVID-19 employee safety protocols that reach above and beyond current state and local guidelines.

While most employers have experienced a workforce reduction during the pandemic, Cargill has onboarded over 100 new employees, according to Plant Manager Evan Perry. “We are a case-ready meat facility feeding Newnan and the world, and we are continuing to grow our business while being proactive with safety protocols for COVID-19.”

Vice President and General Manager Bradley Down reports, “Cargill’s COVID-19 safety measures are permanently engineered. The Newnan plant has installed barriers for every position in the building.

We have found Decon 7 to be the single most effective cleaner we have used. All common areas,

42

Summer / Fall 2020

including floors, offices, computers, and telephones, are fogged daily with Decon 7, which leaves no residue. This disinfectant protocol for COVID-19 will also aid in combatting the flu season.”

(Decon 7 is a disinfectant developed by the military to combat Anthrax, and it kills COVID-19. Specialized training is required to use the product).

Perry adds, “Employee temperatures are taken three times during the day: upon entry to the plant, after lunch, and at the end of the day. A fever can develop from the period between entry and lunch, so we are taking every precaution.”

Daily screening measures for over 600 employees at Cargill’s Newnan plant are comprehensive. At shift change, 300 employees enter on one side of the building, while 300 employees exit the building from a different location. A half-hour gap between shifts and a unique colorcoding system allows for increased social distancing and decreased congestion.

Before entering the plant, employee identification is verified, a mask is

If body temperature is higher than 100 degrees, the employee must report

issued, and the employee travels to a dedicated screening area, waiting

to an isolation area where a nurse checks the employee’s temperature

in physically distanced lines for temperature checks.

with a probe thermometer and issues appropriate recommendations.

If an employee’s temperature is below 100 degrees, they enter the

Plexiglass shields outfit each table in a physically distanced cafeteria

building to one of three language-specific lines to answer standardized

as well as other necessary modifications for spacing. Subject to an

questions about travel history, COVID exposure, or symptoms.

emphasis on cleanliness and sanitation, employees who enter may only

Satisfactory answers lead employees to a hand-sanitizing station,

sit at a table with a green card, which indicates that the table has been

followed by PPE pickup, per job function.

sanitized. When the employees finish a meal, the green card is turned

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to red, indicating a need for cleaning and sanitization. A similar system is employed at shared microwaves.

Perhaps most intriguing are the additional measures adopted by Cargill to promote employee well-being off-campus.

Perry shares, “to further ensure the safety of our employees, we have a designated area in the parking lot where we sanitize the vehicles of employees who carpool. Some employees live with up to five layers of families in one home, with up to twelve people traveling per van. We sanitize each carpool vehicle every day after employees have exited the vehicle to enter the plant.”

Cargill management is also heavily focused on engaging employees when they leave the plant, not only by sanitizing their vehicles but by providing them with educational materials to carry back to their communities.

Cargill promotes safety education in multiple languages, producing informational cards outlining COVID-19 symptoms on one side and safety measures on the other, translated in five languages, and printed for hard-copy distribution. Employees are encouraged to distribute the cards at community centers, churches, and other public gathering places to educate and provide safety tips outside the workplace.

best-demonstrated practices in Newnan and have since shared them with the rest of the world.”

Down notes of the extensive efforts, “No one at Cargill has said, ‘You are spending too much money to manage COVID-19.’ In fact, our leadership wants us to do even more, and we are working on ways to improve upon and add new safety protocols.”

“We learned quickly from our China operations what to do and what not to do concerning the pandemic,” Mr. Down relates. “We tried our

Cargill promotes safety education in multiple languages, producing informational cards outlining COVID-19 symptoms on one side and safety measures on the other, translated in five languages, and printed for hard-copy distribution.

44

Summer / Fall 2020

THERE IS A CALMNESS IN A LIFE LIVED IN GRATITUDE, A GREAT JOY. - Ralph M. Bloom

WELCOME TO SAFE AND SOUND

So many unknowns. So many worries. Everyone is feeling the impact of the pandemic. So, why so many smiles among the residents of Wesley Woods of Newnan? They are thankful for the peace of mind it gives them and their families, for the delicious meals delivered to their doors, for the caring staff, and for knowing their well-being is priority one.

WELCOME HOME. Wesley Woods is the only Life Plan Community in the Newnan area – offering independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.

2280 North Highway 29 | Newnan, GA 30265 | wesleywoods.org/newnan | 770.683.6859

F The Future of Work

By Melissa Dickson Jackson

I

n 1952, Kurt Vonnegut published his first novel, Player Piano,

a dystopian imagining of an America operated and sustained by a ruthlessly efficient computer system named Epicac. In this world, automation has replaced most human labor, and few humans have any real value to the system. At the top of the economic ladder, a particular class of elite engineers institute Epicac’s instructions and babysit the systems that determine and fulfill consumer needs. However, even they are increasingly redundant. The rest of the laboring humanity join the Army or serve as members of the “Reeks and Wrecks,” the Reconstruction and Reclamation Corps. As the Washington Post described them in a 1982 article, they “putter around the cities and countryside doing minor maintenance work in outsized battalions and with primitive tools.”

Half a century later, Swedish-born MIT researcher Max Tegmark published Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. In his book, Tegmark explores the likely impact of artificial intelligence on cultural, social, and economic concerns.

He argues that rather than ignoring or fearing the emerging capabilities of AI, we had better start envisioning a future in which humans wield the power of AI for human good. He then co-founded the Future of Life Institute (futureoflife.org) whose mission reads, “To catalyze and support research and initiatives for safeguarding life and developing optimistic visions of the future, including positive ways for humanity to steer its own course considering new technologies and challenges.”

In the spring of 2020, sixty English composition students at the University of West Georgia Newnan Campus spent a semester reading Vonnegut’s Player Piano, reviewing Tegmark’s Future of Life website, and receiving daily Google alerts on artificial intelligence. At the end of the semester, they were asked to write position papers in support of independent claims that emerged from their reading. Some explored autonomous weapons systems; some considered universal basic income as a response to job losses; others looked into how AI aides and assists in the medical field.

Before they could submit their papers, the COVID-19 crisis compelled the students to complete their work from home.

Restaurants and businesses were shuttered and the future of human labor and earning power seemed even more endangered.

AI isn’t subject to biological viruses, and automated industries can operate with minimal human oversight. Thus, this seemed an ideal time to consider the future of labor - locally and globally.

The Chamber is thrilled to present two of the papers written by local, dual-enrolled high-school students as they thoughtfully consider what it might mean to embrace the future of workplace productivity, automation and artificial intelligence.

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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Workforce

By Raymond Feckoury

Famous figures such as Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, and many others have warned the public of the dangers involved with artificial intelligence (AI), and one of their biggest concerns entails the replacement of human labor with AI systems.

Significant progress has indeed been made in the field of AI, which often leads people to believe that job automation remains a valid concern. While these technologies may eliminate some occupations, this does not mean that a significant replacement of human labor will take place. The current state of AI development, as well as the analysis of economic data and historical trends, suggests that human labor will continue to thrive in the coming years.

Often when the term ‘AI’ makes its way into a discussion, people immediately envision robots that are capable of outperforming humans at virtually every task. This overdramatization paints a false picture of the state of AI today. There is a broad spectrum of technologies that are considered AI yet do not live up to human technological expectations. In this paper, we will observe the differences between two broad categories: strong AI and weak AI. Strong AI embodies the type of technology that science fiction movies like to capitalize on, and it would be of concern to the workforce if developed in such a fashion. However, people employ a single term to cover a broad spectrum of technologies, which inevitably lends itself to the belief that progress in the field of AI leads to developing a superintelligent machine. On the contrary, these innovations are merely weak AI algorithms. Scientists are currently struggling to create weak AI that can replace human labor, much less strong AI. We have seen these more inadequate systems defeat top human players in the games of GO and chess, but these are specific tasks. That same algorithm cannot replicate other human tasks. If weak AI systems become commonplace in the workforce, they will occupy specific roles. The market will adjust, and workers who were previously fulfilling those roles will adapt.

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For AI to cause considerable disruption in the stability of the workforce, a system capable of automating human intelligence over a broad spectrum of skills would have to be developed.

With this in mind, one must consider the types of AI that are currently within technological capability.

B. J. Copeland addresses the current state of AI in the article “Is Strong AI Possible?” She observes that “five decades of research in symbolic AI have failed to produce any firm evidence that a symbol system can manifest human levels of general intelligence.” Researchers are well aware of this fact, yet they do not hesitate to overstate the progress that they are making.

Without funding, these researchers are unable to continue their work, creating an incentive for them to exaggerate their progress to convince investors that they are worthy of funding.

But, the type of AI that might replace a large proportion of the labor force remains a mere theory.

The events that take place when weak AI hits the market are likely to resemble previous industrial revolutions. In “Why Robots Will Not Take Over Human Jobs,” Andrew Arnold discusses how the labor markets have adjusted to historical technological innovations.

Arnold explains that while some people lost their jobs, “new jobs were created and, over time, employment reached high levels.”

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When weak AI hits the market in significant numbers, some people will lose their jobs, yet similar to the previous industrial revolutions, the market will create new positions for these individuals. Arnold also suggests that “The idea that technology will replace the need for creative thinking, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, and initiative is rather silly right now.”

This ties back into the exaggeration of the progress at this point.

Arnold realizes that only weak AI algorithms are a reality right now. As a result, the adjustments in the labor market will indeed resemble previous shifts since a large scale replacement of labor will not take place.

Many argue the past is not an accurate predictor of our future.

Calum McClelland takes this stance in the article “The Impact of Artificial intelligence - Widespread Job Losses.” While contrasting present-day innovations with those of the past, McClelland argues that “AI is different because it applies to virtually any industry. When you develop AI that can understand language, recognize patterns, and problem solve, disruption isn’t contained.” McClelland makes an excellent point here. If an AI system with similar capabilities is developed, the workforce would indeed be in trouble. However, as described earlier, there is a considerable difference between weak and strong AI, and we do not yet have the technological capability to develop the type of AI that McClelland references.

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Many of the top researchers in the field do not know if developing

headlines on the topic encourage people to learn the basics of

AI with those capabilities is even possible. McClelland has put

programming if current positions are likely to be replaced with

great faith in the opinions of researchers who are trying to

AI.

secure funding, and doing so has led him to paint a false picture of where the industry stands in the process of developing AI.

In the article Machines Won’t Steal Your Job But Might Revamp Your Skill Sets, Anil Niraula reveals that “soft skills are becoming

People at risk of being replaced by AI are often concerned that

increasingly important predictors of future economic success,

new job openings will require technical skills. The broadest

and 92% of executives think that soft skills are equally important or more important than technical skills.” AI cannot replace the human touch. As a result, studying the subjects that build the skills mentioned above will become more popular in the coming years, likely pushing more students to earn degrees in the humanities.

Some may not have to earn a degree at all to fulfill these roles.

However, in a study that reviews job trends from 1850 to 2015, Robert Atkinson and J. John Wu reveal that “contrary to popular perception, rather than increasing over time, the rate of occupational churn in recent decades is at the lowest level in American history - at least as far back as 1850.”

Job churn measures the rate at which people move from job to job. In theory, as more people get replaced by AI systems and find work elsewhere, the rate of job churn will increase, yet this is not reflected in the findings of this study. The study also addresses a concern that AI might steal more jobs than it creates by revealing that “there was no decade between 1850 to 2010 in which there were more jobs created by technology than eliminated.” If artificial intelligence does not create more jobs than it destroys, the labor markets will continue to evolve as they have over the decades covered in this study.

Experts must continue to address the outlook of human labor concerning AI because it involves how the lives of people all around the world will change in the years to come as well as how they will adapt to this change.

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H

How the Integration of Artificial Intelligence Technology in the Business Sector Will Alter American Society

By Kayla Ary

In 1956, John McCarthy organized a

technology will render some skills obsolete, leading to a decline

conference that many believe marked

in the demand for human labor and, inevitably, income.”

the founding of the field of artificial intelligence. At this conference, called the Dartmouth Summer Research Project, participants gathered “to proceed on the basis of the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it.”

The United States is characterized by freedom of speech, equality and privacy for all citizens. If AI decreases human involvement in the workforce by replacing human labor, a shift in America’s ethical standards, mainly caused by the implementation of bias and a violation of the privacy of American citizens, will occur.

Sixty-four years later, artificial intelligence can analyze data, solve or predict problems and teach itself to complete different tasks. Technologists even predict a Fourth Industrial Revolution, or a Technological Revolution, marked by an advance in artificial intelligence technology. However, if AI undergoes mass implementation in business sectors, characteristics of the original American society will begin to deteriorate as the effects overflow into other divisions.

Many sectors of American society implement artificial intelligence technology, extensively in the business sector.

According to the 2019 Artificial intelligence Index Report, “58% of large companies surveyed report adopting AI in at least one function or business unit in 2019, up from 47% in 2018.”

Many companies use artificial intelligence technologies in their business models because it provides new ways to reduce the costs of human labor and lower spending to increase profits, while also improving their labor productivity.

According to researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, “Artificial intelligence and robotics will replace these tasks [manual labor and cognitive tasks]…and the emergence of

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There is also a concern for individual privacy in a new age where almost anything can be located online.

“Seemingly anonymized personal data can easily be de-anonymized by AI,” notes the Forbes Insight Team.

“It also allows for tracking, monitoring, and profiling people as well as predicting behaviors. Together with facial recognition technology, such AI systems can cast a wide network of surveillance. All these issues raise urgent concerns about privacy,” AI possesses the capacity to search through millions of online databases to find personal information about an online user. With social security numbers, addresses, bank account numbers and other sensitive details documented online, AI can obtain this information without the victim knowing. Facial and fingerprint recognition also causes concern when Similarly, when companies use AI technology to make decisions, they face the possibility of accepting biased outputs as logical information. In “Unmasking A.I’s Bias Problem,” Fortune magazine author Jonathan Vanian describes how this can occur when deep learning, a subset of AI, is used.

He states that because deep learning systems are fed foundation data by a naturally biased human, the technology can misinterpret this data or produce discriminatory results. Also, if humans do not consistently manage this technology, the data will quickly become outdated.

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law enforcement uses it to track people without their consent. The technology limits the freedoms of those who know they may be recognized electronically.

America is widely known for its status as the multicultural center of the world, where people create healthy communities no matter their differences.

Mass implementation of AI in businesses will weaken these communities by eliminating the need for networking and many other types of social interaction.

Technologists are currently designing robots that

Summer / Fall 2020

respond to people without the need for a human guide, with the hope that one day, these robots will act as automated secretaries.

As one can see with the widespread use of Alexa and Siri, less human labor means less social interaction among employees and customers and little-to-no common understanding as to how to communicate professionally.

Adam Frank addresses another disadvantage of using artificial intelligence to replace social interaction in his dialogue surrounding the computational theory of mind. The computational theory of mind, used by many AI technologists when creating machines designed to act human, views the human mind as hardware and sensory inputs and brain processes as software. Robots designed with this model, he says, will be “dead to themselves and lacking the essential inner experience that makes human beings conscious

As much as AI increases the organizational efficiencies, the technology will

and alive.”

create a new America in which society drifts away from a natural model.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Player Piano illustrates a vivid example of what could result:

An “inner experience” allows individuals to feel

“People are finding that, because of the way the machines are changing the

emotions and perceive their surroundings. Robots

world, more and more of their old values don’t apply anymore. People have

that try to duplicate it by copying human emotions,

no choice but to become second-rate machines themselves or wards of the

feelings, and perceptions will weaken the relationships

machines.”

that people have established as they rely more and more on robots to complete social tasks.

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5/28/20 3:06 PM

On The

Bright Side

Newnan Internet hoax promotes the love of reading

By W. Winston Skinner

A

meme posted to Facebook in late July suggested that liberal groups planned to host a book burning at the Coweta County Courthouse. “My husband and I were talking about it,” said Sara Wieda, a Coweta County

teacher who is a member of Citizens for Positive Results, a local organization that promotes positive change relative to equity and equality.

“Citizens for Positive Reform was born out of a group of very hurt residents who came together to grieve over the death of George Floyd,” Wieda said. Floyd lost his life after a Milwaukee policeman placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, a death that has heard responses from community groups across the nation and throughout the world.

Talking with friends, including Anne Graner, media specialist at Ruth Hill Elementary School, and Jill Prouty, Peachtree City librarian, Weida recalls several effective options for countering the alleged aggressive act. Eventually, they decided “to take a direct approach and host a literacy event,” Wieda said.

While the threat was ultimately proven a hoax, the trio initiated what will likely serve as an ongoing initiative on behalf of Coweta school children and families. “We try to get books to underserved communities in our county,” Wieda said, noting a particular need to get books to children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even during typical summer months, students often experience what educators call “the summer slump,” when students stop reading and studying in favor of seasonal fun to ultimately lose retention of some of what they learned the previous schoolyear. Following the pandemic-related shutdowns in March, “that summer slump has turned into an almost six-month slump,” Wieda said.

Students out of school and families sheltering in place, libraries shuttered, and many children missed the opportunity to select books that interest them in reading.

Wieda added that she had seen statistics that up to 30 percent of households in Coweta County have fewer than five books in their homes.

The Hook’d on Books Swap’n Drive was held August 1st at Willie Lynch Park on Newnan’s Wesley Street. “We featured a storyteller and welcomed Joey, a musician who entertained,” Wieda said. There was also a table where people could register to vote.

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“We had several hundred dollars of school supplies,” she added.

Attendees were able to fill bags with whatever they needed for school.

About 75 people attended the book swap. “It was such a great event.

We hope to make it annual and to make it an even bigger event,” Wieda said. “That’s always been a passion of mine, expanding access to reading materials.”

The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta website shares information about the importance of reading in childhood, including a 2014 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which determined that “reading exerts a positive effect on the developing brain” of children – even those who are not old enough to read themselves.

Children who read – and who have adults who read to them – gain language and literacy skills earlier and tend to do better in school, overall. Reading for pleasure expands knowledge, helps develop social skills, including empathy and compassion, and can even help teens determine career goals, according to CHOA.

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Gail Gordon, Success By Six coordinator at United Way of West Georgia, Inc., reflected on the importance of children self-selecting books to read. As such, the organization operates the Jungle Bus, a mobile library that brings books to schools and daycares, where children select their favorites to take home.

“A love for reading is a great foundation for success in school,” Gordon said. “Children who select the books they read are more likely to not only read them but truly enjoy the books in addition to becoming lifelong readers.”

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