Cobb In Focus March April 2022

MARCH/APRIL 2022

Against All Odds

A Journey through a SafePath

MUST Ministries • InPrime Legal • Georgia Highland College • Bridging the Balance

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Contents Vol. XVIII, No. 2 MARCH/APRIL 2022

F E A T U R E

Against All Odds— Sharing Our Success When children are discovered neglected or abused, the team at SafePath in Marietta has a unique ability to help through their multidisciplinary team members.

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4 SHARPER FOCUS

Find out what’s going on throughout Cobb County with our news updates and calendar of events.

6 BUSINESS

InPrime Legal seeks to serve clients quickly and efficiently at a flat rate with a smart, solution-oriented legal team.

10 BUSINESS

MUST Ministries has always been a multifaceted nonprofit committed to improving the lives of others.

14 HEALTH

Mental health counselor Dr. Brandy K. Nicholson helps clients move forward.

18 LEADERS OF COBB

Connect with a local leader who strives to make Cobb County a better place.

26 EDUCATION

This summer, Georgia Highlands College looks to expand its operations by giving students more options at a new location.

29 IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Downtown redevelopment in Smyrna sparks interest of Georgia’s hottest brewery.

On the cover: Sarah (far left) and Hannah Schiltz with Miaja Jefferson, Field Training Officer, Cobb County Police Department, and Glinda the service dog.

Photo: LaRuche Photo 2

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32 FINAL FOCUS

Since the pandemic started, Americans have gone houseplant mad.

foreSight COBB

®

New South Publishing Inc. President Larry Lebovitz Vice President John Hanna Publisher Jamie Ryan Account Executive Sherry Gasaway Editor Cory Sekine-Pettite Associate Editor Amy Meadows As we finalized this issue of Cobb In Focus, it occurred to me that we never cease to find amazing stories to tell and inspiring people to profile. It makes one truly appreciate living here and provides a bit of an existential salve for our extremely trying times.

For example, our cover feature (starting on page 20) on SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center and one of the families it assisted truly is moving. Honestly, you may be brought to tears upon reading it. The tireless work of Jinger Robins and the staff and volunteers of SafePath should be known and shared far and wide. We are lucky to have them in Cobb County.

Speaking of inspirational people, we sat down with the fine folks at MUST Ministries recently (see page 10) to discuss the incredible work they’ve done for the less fortunate during the last 50 years. Indeed, this nonprofit has been committed to improving the lives of others for a half-century, and they continue to find ways to help even more people. Dr. Dwight Reighard and his staff are a remarkable group of people.

Another impressive group of people are the professionals at InPrime Legal (beginning on page 6). Jonathan Page and his team are showing business owners that there’s a better and more affordable way to get the legal assistance they need to ensure their small businesses grow and thrive. So, we are pleased to share this story with you about how one entrepreneur is happiest when he’s helping other entrepreneurs to shine.

Brandy K. Nicholson’s story is another encouraging tale we are delighted to share. She is a mental health counselor who helps people process some of the most difficult moments of their lives — and she has found new and innovative ways to do it. Read her story beginning on page 14. All these stories and much more are available in this issue. We hope you enjoy them, and if you are inspired to share your own stories, please reach out to me.

Photo by LaRuche Photo

Contact Cobb in Focus We want to hear from you! Share your story ideas and comments with our editor. Visit cobbinfocus.com or send your suggestions to: cory@newsouthpublishing.net or New South Publishing, Attn: Cory Sekine-Pettite 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210 Atlanta, GA 30350

Graphic Designer Jack Simonetta Contributors Alexandra McCray, Writer Lindsay Field Penticuff, Writer Jennifer Morrell, Writer LaRuche Photo, Photography Production Coordinator/Circulation Amy Fine Controller Marilyn Walker cobbinfocus.com @cobbinfocus facebook.com/cobbinfocus Cobb in Focus™ is published six times a year by New South Publishing Inc., 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210, Atlanta, GA, 30350.

Direct all editorial queries to (770) 650-1102, ext. 100. Direct all circulation queries to (770) 650-1102, ext. 130. Direct all advertising queries to (770) 650-1102, ext. 142. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher’s ability.

No responsibility is accepted for deletions, omissions, errors and/or inaccuracies. Material in this publication may not be reprinted without written permission from the publisher. Copyright 2022 by New South Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. For address changes, email afine@cobbinfocus.com.

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Sharper Focus Here’s a snapshot of what’s going on in your community.

Former Cobb County Chairman Credit Union of Georgia Raises Over $85,000 for Charity Credit Union of Georgia announced recently that its charitable donations in 2021 totaled more than Mike Boyce Passed Away $85,000. The employees of the Credit Union nominate and vote annually to select the local charities in the Former Cobb Chairman Mike Boyce passed away in late January at the age of 72.

Boyce, who served as Cobb Chairman for four years, died in Indiana while he and his wife, Judy, were working in a leadership program at Boyce’s alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.

“He had never been happier than he was in the past few months, participating in this program, bicycling to campus, and interacting with and mentoring students. He was having the time of his life,” Mrs. Boyce wrote on her husband’s Caring Bridge page after his passing.

Life University Sports Information Director Honored by the National Wrestling Media Association

Life University’s Sports Information Director (SID), Billy Mangum, was honored recently as 2020-2021 Small College SID of the Year by the National Wrestling Media Association (NWMA), a professional organization for journalists who cover the sport of amateur wrestling. “I think it’s a huge honor to be recognized for an award, given that a lot of the time the sports information world is behind-the-scenes work — the long hours and working with the coaches, the athletes. It’s really humbling to step back, appreciate that and get the recognition for so many different things we do behind the scenes,” Mangum said.

Along with Assistant Sports Information Director Coy Gill, Mangum plays a major role in highlighting the successes of the Life U Running Eagles for all 23 sports offered at Life U. This includes managing the main athletics website, as well as all social media platforms related to Life U Athletics.

Paul Powers is the 2021 SBA Business Person of the Year The Smyrna Business Association (SBA) recently named Paul Powers the 2021 SBA Business Person of the Year. Powers is the owner of Powers Electrical Solutions, an electrical service company located in Smyrna. Whether through the SBA, Rotary, or supporting local schools, Powers always finds a way to give back, the SBA says.

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communities the Credit Union will support. Last year, the organization supported Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, MUST Ministries, Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue, The Children’s Haven, and The Salvation Army.

Cobb EMC Receives Highest J.D. Power Score In January, Cobb EMC announced that the electric cooperative received a J.D. Power score of 796, their highest overall score ever, in the J.D. Power 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, which surveyed customers of the nation’s 142 largest electric utility brands. “Every day, we focus on improving the member experience and delivering reliable electricity in the safest possible manner,” said Kevan Espy, president, and CEO of Cobb EMC. “Our J.D. Power score is a direct reflection of how our employees are dedicated to giving our members exceptional service coupled with our ongoing efforts in the community we serve.”

The Center for Family Resources to Host Two Spring Events The Center for Family Resources is holding two events in April to “put the FUN back in FUNdraising.” Festivities begin with the Second Annual Parade of Playhouses from April 18-30, which brings together design and construction teams to create unique children’s playhouses that will be showcased at Town Center Mall to help raise awareness for the children and families the organization serves. This will culminate in the Step Right Up Gala on April 30. Learn more about the events and sponsorship opportunities at thecfr.org.

Cobb EMC Awards $41,000 to Local Educators

Cobb EMC recently awarded more than $41,000 in mini- grants to 87 elementary, middle, and high school teachers across the electric cooperative’s five- county service area. These mini-grants will fund a variety of experiential and active learning projects including career prep, STEM, community gardens, art, music expansions, and more. “Cobb EMC continues to support our community and our educators so local area students can thrive,” said Mark Justice, director of education and community relations at Cobb EMC.

Cobb Community Foundation Appoints New Board Members Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) has appointed five new members to its board of directors. This brings the total number of board members to 26. “We are excited to expand our board with these five new members who are so incredibly well-respected and who each bring their own unique skills, backgrounds, and relationships to the table,” said CEO Shari Martin.

The new members are as follows: Bob Bonstein, retired healthcare software developer and IT consult; Dan Buyers, partner at McWhirter Realty Partners; Terri Bunten Guthrie, VP business development officer at Smith + Howard CPAs and Advisors; Trish Pagan, VP for Air Mobility & Maritime Missions, International Programs at Lockheed Martin; and Susan Tillery, CPA, president and CEO of Paraklete Financial, Inc.

City of Kennesaw Opens New Rec Center

The City of Kennesaw has opened a new, 42,000-square-foot recreation center that hosts multipurpose courts, an elevated walking/running track, and fitness rooms. The rec center was built on land formerly occupied by a soccer field. It is surrounded by the 33-acre Adams Park, located just west of downtown Kennesaw, which includes baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, and pavilions.

Cobb County Animal Services Teams Up with PetHub.com

Cobb County Animal Services has teamed up with PetHub.com to help you track your pets. PetHub’s system links the ID tag to an animal’s online profile that can be accessed through an encrypted connection by anyone with a mobile device. You can update the pet’s profile at no charge at PetHub, and list emergency contact information and more. Other upgrades include “found pet” alerts, GPS notifications, and a way to broadcast a missing pet’s profile to local shelters.

MARCH

Editor’s note: Due to evolving community needs, these events are subject to change or cancellation.

3/1-31 Bubbles & Brews During the entire month, craft beverage enthusiasts can travel to 17 different breweries, distilleries, and meaderies in Cobb and sample each location’s unique beverages. More info: bubblesandbrews.com

3/5

BBQ Cookoff Benefit

Ruby-Collins hosts a BBQ Cookoff to support the nonprofit Sunshine on a Ranney Day (SOARD).

SOARD works with community partners and donors to provide custom rooms for children with special needs at no cost to their families. More info: bit.ly/3oeHdCZ

3/11-12 Georgia Pinners Conference See “Pinterest come to life” at Cobb Galleria in March with a plethora of vendors with all sorts of DIY materials for sale and make-and-take opportunities, plus plenty of DIY classes. More info: ga.pinnersconference.com/

3/12

3/19 Pop-in for Family Fun

The Inaugural Acworth Family Dance Party (with a disco theme) expands on city’s Daddy Daughter Dance to include the entire family.

More info: acworth.org

Come and explore the Marietta Museum of History on the 3rd Saturday of the month with family fun activities. More info: mariettahistory.org

Acworth Family Dance Party

3/24-27 Georgia Food + Wine Festival The inaugural festival in Jim R. Miller Park offers a wide variety of events for all tastebuds and budgets, including “Savor,” the main event on Saturday with over 400 varieties of wine, beer and spirits tastings, cooking demonstrations on the “Georgia Celebrity Chef Stage,” and 50+ restaurants and artisans from around the south. More info: georgiafoodandwinefestival.com

4/2 Bunny Breakfast Head to the Ben Robertson Community Center for this special event. More info: kennesaw-ga.gov

3/26

Noonday Shanty 5&10K

The Town Center Community Improvement District is hosting a fun run on March 26 along the Noonday Creek Trail. The start/finish will be at Town Center Mall. More info: towncentercid.com/alliance/noonday-shanty

3/28

Second Annual Sheriff’s Golf Classic

The Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation will host its annual golf fundraiser at Atlanta Country Club.

You can volunteer, donate, or compete! More info: cobbsheriffsfoundation.org

APRIL 4/2-3

Acworth Art Fest

Acworth’s Main Street in downtown becomes the perfect art-buyers destination with booths from over 50 whimsical and talented artisans from around the country. More info: splashfestivals.com

4/7

4/8

Play begins on April 7, but you must register by March 29 to join in the fun of adult cornhole league.

The single-elimination tournament will last for 7 weeks. More info: cobbparks.org

The City of Acworth and Freedom Church invite families to experience an egg hunt like they’ve never seen before! How many of the 50,000 eggs can you find? More info: acworth.org

Cobb Parks Al Bishop Adult Cornhole League

4/9-10

46th Annual Big Shanty Festival

This annual event features one-of-a-kind and homemade crafts, as well as food vendors and kids’ activities in downtown Kennesaw. More info: kennesawbusiness.org

Acworth Egg Hunt

4/24 Taste of Marietta

4/30 Step Right Up Gala

The Taste of Marietta returns to Marietta Square in April with an impressive variety of restaurants — some new to the event, along with past favorites. Don’t miss it! More info: tasteofmarietta.com

The Center for Family Resources’ gala returns on April 30 at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria. There, the Galleria Ballroom will be transformed into an elegant circus-themed carnival. More info: thecfr.org COBB

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Business

From left: InPrime Legal’s Uros Ciric, Mariana Page, and Jonathan Page.

Motivated Toward A Mission

InPrime seeks to serve clients quickly and efficiently at a flat rate with a smart, solution-oriented legal team.

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By Jennifer Morrell

I

n 2013, Jonathan Page had a vision.

Having left a midsized law firm in Atlanta, he was on a mission to revolutionize the way businesses use legal services. Page had first-hand experience in charging a client for every six-minute increment. He understood the traditional — old and outdated — model that many firms followed to practice law. It was inefficient, slow, costly, and lacking accountability, leaving no proven value. To address these fundamental flaws, Page set out to change the model entirely. InPrime Legal was born, with Page at the helm as Chief Visionary, and the company is thriving.

“Hourly billing means the attorney has zero incentive to solve a client’s problems quickly,” Page says. “CEOs and owners pay for time spent, not results achieved or value gained. The old model only encourages inaction.”

As a result, he says, clients bring the lawyer in at the last minute. This is more of a reaction rather than a proactive response, and at that point, it’s really too late. You can bet that it will be expensive as well. Page and InPrime have changed the way law is practiced, and their clients are reaping enormous benefits.

“Hourly billing means the attorney has zero incentive to solve a client’s problems quickly. CEOs and owners pay for time spent, not results achieved or value gained. The old model only encourages inaction.”

— Jonathan Page, Chief Visionary of InPrime Legal

Members also can join InPrime Masterminds with the firm’s other progressive CEOs and visionaries to learn best practices for scaling up their businesses.

InPrime’s business ecosystem helps CEOs, visionaries, and owners to achieve better results in their business, while using

InPrime to give them the legal guardrails to scale quickly.

The prepaid advantage A prepaid legal subscription has many benefits. The traditional “bill-you-by-theminute” mentality has been replaced with

The difference InPrime charges a flat monthly fee, so there are no more surprise law bills. Using lean, agile and scrum (a framework that helps teams work together) principles, InPrime is proactive, rather than reactive, solving problems quickly. When clients become “members” of the InPrime program, they gain access to a membership site, member.inprimelegal.com. On this site, members can draft agreements using InPrime’s proprietary algorithms and Contract Sprint platform (think LegalZoom on steroids), request contract reviews, gain immediate access to attorneys and paralegals, check on the status of all legal projects currently in the pipeline, and retrieve key documents.

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Business

Back row left to right: Giovanna Epherson, Uros Ciric, Betsy Zimmerman, and Jonathan Page.

Front row left to right: Emma Johnson, Nicholas Broder, Scott Sweeney, and Mariana Page.

and upgraded to a predictable, flat monthly fee. “This allows us to prevent minor legal issues before they become significant and expensive legal issues,” Page says. “Highquality legal advice can help you as a business owner or executive to make informed decisions about various personal matters, such as: estate planning, family matters, finance issues, and employment issues. We provide specialized, proactive legal support for our members in six key practice areas: company structure, labor and employment, contracts, intellectual property, leases, and dispute resolution.”

InPrime offers a coaching program for those members who wish to ramp up rapidly, helping them to align legal strategies with their business goals to supercharge their results. “We help our clients create a powerful, results-focused strategic plan, design and implement the right strategic infrastructure for quarter-over-quarter progress, and then align legal strategy for the best results,” Page says.

Alignment to can be a key to success. Page references the success of a historic deal that was made in 1980, when Microsoft formed a 8

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partnership with IBM to bundle Microsoft’s operating system with IBM computers. “Bill Gates negotiated the right to license its MSDOS operating system to other computer companies. A contract allowed Microsoft to capture 90 percent of the market share by the 1990s, making them the most valuable company at that time.”

A team that works InPrime employs 10 full-time attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff. Every staff member adheres to the firm’s core values, including, “No Assembly Required Solutions.”

“All of our business attorneys, paralegals, and support staff are heavily trained to assemble as much of the solution for our clients as possible, because we understand CEOs and executive teams need to move quickly,” Page says. “They need solutions they can act on, now. It is fundamental to our organization.”

Page adds that the attorneys at InPrime Legal are licensed and experienced in a wide range of legal matters and are wellreviewed by customers and in good standing

with their respective state bars. Members of InPrime Legal plans can set up an attorney consultation on a wide range of business issues. Typically, attorney consultations will last 30 minutes, and annual legal checkups typically last for one hour. Each legal matter is considered to be unique and is treated with urgency.

Currently, InPrime serves more than 100 clients in the Cobb County area. The core customer is a business owner who has recently left corporate America to start his own fast-growing business. Page says InPrime is a member of many local chambers, including the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. “We also volunteer our time to SCORE Atlanta, a non-profit resource partner of the Small Business Administration and dedicated to mentoring and aiding in the success of small business owners and founders,” he says. “InPrime has previously supported such causes as Enduring Hearts, a non-profit dedicated to funding innovative research aimed toward increasing the longevity of pediatric heart transplants; Georgia Cares, an organization working to eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking

in Georgia; and many other organizations through Rotary International.”

InPrime has a plethora of elated clients singing their praises. “To say I’m a huge fan would be an understatement,” says Dr. Jeff Kingsley, CEO, Centricity Research. “I’ve used InPrime Legal services for many years, and I have absolutely zero doubt that they provide more value at a fairer price than I’ve ever had with a prior legal firm — and I’ve had many. They eat, breathe, drink, and sleep customer service. They never stop focusing on providing immense value to their clients. They are wildly intelligent and experienced, but also know when they need to call in additional resources.”

The future “We live, breath, and talk business,” Page says. “Business is our passion. We are entrepreneurs at heart, who happen to be lawyers. And the greatest reward we receive is being part of our members’ successes in achieving big results.”

The 10-year vision for InPrime is to

create a powerful business growth ecosystem. This includes furnishing highquality, results-driven, affordable legal services to the mass market via InPrime Essentials; providing an outsourced law department for small- to mid-sized businesses, ensuring they are “always saleready” via the InPrime 2.0 program; and providing Elite members the mindset, strategies and tactics to scale big, which is achieved through their coaching program. This Business Owners Achieving Results (BOAR) ecosystem will bring all InPrime members together to support and jumpstart each other’s growth through community boards, summits, masterminds, boot camps, and innovation through technology.

“Our ecosystem will always be in the pursuit of differentiation and low cost to open up new market space and create new demand,” Page says. “Our services are always focused on providing maximum value in the most efficient way possible. That is the future for InPrime.” n

“Business is our passion. We are entrepreneurs at heart, who happen to be lawyers.

And the greatest reward we receive is being part of our members’ successes in achieving big results.”

— Jonathan Page, Chief Visionary of InPrime Legal

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Business

MUST Ministries Celebrates 50 Years of Service 10

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The nonprofit furthers its quest “to become Georgia’s most respected Servant Leader.”

By Alexandra McCray

M

UST Ministries has always been a multifaceted nonprofit committed to improving the lives of others. Focused today on alleviating poverty and homelessness in Cobb and Cherokee counties and beyond, its efforts to aid those effected by these issues continue to expand.

From March 2020 to March 2021, the organization served 287 percent more people than the 33,547 it helped during its 2019 fiscal year. While meeting an ongoing increase in clients, MUST Ministries has simultaneously been building a new, $21.3-million campus that includes a shelter named MUST Hope House, which will replace the Elizabeth Inn. The nonprofit also launched its MUST Mobile

Pantry, which debuted last October and has already brought nutritious items to thousands in so-called “food deserts” — geographic areas where residents have few to no convenient options for securing affordable and healthy foods.

than retrofitting or renovating an existing building,” says Falecia Stewart, MUST Ministries’ vice president of housing.

The consolidated campus also will make it convenient for clients to access

other offerings provided by MUST Ministries, such as a community kitchen, job training, and health services. A shelter dedication is slated for April 2 as part of the ministry’s 50th-anniversary

Continuing to meet the need The impact of COVID-19 catapulted many into crisis. However, MUST Ministries has been aware of the growing need for its food, housing, clothing, career and medical assistance programs — particularly among women and children, who made up approximately 84 percent of the people the nonprofit served before the pandemic turned countless lives upside down. “Suburban poverty is the fastest growing segment of poverty,” says Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard, MUST Ministries’ president and CEO. “I think it’s because women and children feel safer in a suburban area than they do in an urban environment, particularly if they’re living in their vehicles.”

The organization will soon have the space to offer accommodations to more people without a home. MUST Ministries’ new shelter will allow it to provide 136 beds and 36 inclement weather shelter beds — more than twice as many as the 72-bed Elizabeth Inn. “This shelter will be one of the first of its kind in the country, as we have designed and built it from the ground up to serve as a homeless shelter rather

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Please take 5 minutes to let us know why you care about our community.

TownCenterCID.com

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Business celebration. The campus will be completed in 2023 when renovations to a current building at the site conclude and the Marietta program and MUST Ministries headquarters can relocate to the revamped facility.

Because the organization reaches capacity at the Elizabeth Inn so quickly and frequently, its ability to give more people a place to rest their heads in the future and during the pandemic has been particularly meaningful. Though MUST Ministries’ Coordinated Entry staff members always work to find available beds at other facilities if MUST Ministries doesn’t have room, Dr. Reighard notes that because of the generosity of donors like Woodstock City Church with North Point Ministries, who both participate in the Be Rich campaign, MUST Ministries was able to ramp up its hotel/motel voucher and other housing programs. “We never said the words, ‘We’re full,’” Dr. Reighard states. Additionally, more than 1,700 renters were able to avoid displacement from July 2020 to June 2021 thanks to the Eviction Prevention program.

“People know that when they give us funding, we’re going to be good stewards of that funding. And they can trust us to do what we say we’re going to do with it.”

—Dr. Dwight “Ike” Reighard, MUST Ministries’ president and CEO

Secrets to success In general, the organization found itself having little trouble acquiring the funds necessary to meet the demand caused by the pandemic. Dr. Reighard credits the accomplishment to MUST Ministries’ longevity and consistency. He says, “People know that when they give us funding, we’re going to be good stewards of that funding. And they can trust us to do

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what we say we’re going to do with it.” For example, MUST Ministries’ CFO, Ryne Van Gorp, reports that 89 percent of total expenses for the 2021 fiscal year went to direct client programming.

Since it was founded in 1971, MUST Ministries has established a reputation for putting its mission first. The organization has routinely earned the highest star rating

offered by nonprofit review organization Charity Navigator.

Over the decades, growth and an ever-expanding number of supporters, such as MUST Ministries’ 16,000-plus Facebook page followers, has occurred largely due to people seeing its work firsthand and the level of commitment of those behind the scenes. Clients become volunteers and volunteers become members of the board of directors, staff, and even the president and CEO. The nonprofit also has been deliberate about how it spends the few funds allocated for overhead costs. “What happens a lot of times in nonprofits is that you are trying to watch your overhead, but sometimes you can be so fixated on saving money that you end up costing yourself money, and that comes down to being able to hire experienced, talented people,” says Dr. Reighard.

MUST Ministries has strategically brought on experts to aid it in achieving visionary goals and setting itself up for continued success. The nonprofit also has been intentional about the diversity of its team and board members. “Years ago, the board was made up of pastors,” Dr. Reighard says. Today, representation includes more women, millennials, and people of color who come from corporate backgrounds, who serve as judges, who are community leaders and other professionals.

Being able to look at situations honestly,

Comprehensive wraparound services like food, housing, jobs, healthcare, clothing and so forth, statistically lead to better outcomes. not idyllically, seems to be another strength of the nonprofit. Not only does it understand the importance of a room filled with various viewpoints, but also the reality of the many barriers preventing a person from getting out of poverty. “I’ll tell people, ‘If you really want to understand MUST, and you were to put it into a picture for them, think about a high wire. All of us walk on a high wire every day,’” says Dr. Reighard. “Different things can knock us off the high wire — a health situation, the loss of a job, loss of a spouse. MUST is like the safety net underneath to be able to catch people when they fall, but we’re not a hammock.”

He says the organization’s “secret sauce” is building trust and staying connected

with clients through its wraparound services, addressing various factors that can contribute to poverty. Comprehensive wraparound services like food, housing, jobs, healthcare, clothing and so forth, statistically lead to better outcomes. So, it’s no surprise that Dr. Reighard, the board, and MUST leadership team continuously look for future ways the organization can further provide assistance, such as incorporating dental services and replacing its Smyrna Client Services facility. Dr. Reighard routinely brainstorms and looks to other nonprofits for inspiration, saying “The idea of tiny homes intrigues me, for instance, working with people in the business community to possibly create a tiny home community

connected to a business where clients can be employed.”

Supporters can help MUST Ministries make grand visions for the future a reality by volunteering, donating, and attending events such as the upcoming MUST Giving Gala on April 30, which is themed around its 50th golden anniversary. Visit mustministries.org for more information. n

A.G. Rhodes is embarking on a landmark effort.

We are building a new home that will protect our most vulnerable seniors.

Learn more: agrhodes.org/legacyofcare

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Health

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Taking On Trauma Mental health counselor Dr. Brandy K. Nicholson helps clients move forward.

By Alexandra McCray

O

n weekday afternoons and evenings, while most of us are winding down our days, Brandy K. Nicholson, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, CCMHC, RPT, is in her Acworth office helping people process some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

As a licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor, certified clinical mental health counselor, and registered play therapist, Nicholson specializes in assisting adults, teenagers and children dealing with trauma, anxiety disorders, and depression. Additionally, she is trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and anchors her practice, Bridging the Balance, LLC, in addressing the mind, body, and soul. “I am an Adlerian therapist [a short-term, goal-oriented, and positive psychodynamic therapy] who believes we all need to belong and feel significant. How do we find that value and significance in life? And when we don’t, how do we handle it? Do we handle it in healthy ways or in unhealthy ways?” she says.

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Health Approaches for change One way Nicholson helps her clients address those questions in relation to trauma is EMDR. She explains, “As part of EMDR — which is a distinct and unique type of therapy that includes bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, hand taps, and auditory tones — clients can access negatively stuck memories, process the traumatic events, and then see them in a new way and no longer be overwhelmed or triggered by them.”

She says that an important distinction of EMDR is that clients do not have to recount every part of an experience. “The beauty of EMDR is that you don’t have to relive the trauma. You don’t have to tell me the entire trauma history. A lot of clients want to, and they need to talk it out, and that’s OK, but they really don’t have to,” Nicholson explains. “We just have to get to what is that negative cognition surrounding what brought them to therapy in the first place. What’s that thought — ‘I’m not in control.’ ‘I’m not safe.’ ‘I’m not good enough.’ — that’s tied to this traumatic event?”

Tools used for the treatment can range from two fingers that the clinician holds up and moves from side to side to a light bar that provides a similar changing focal point (and relief for strained clinicians’ arms). Nicholson says, “I also have

Nicholson explains that while clinicians may have different techniques they use, it all comes down to creating a safe space for their clients to release their baggage and realize no one must carry anything alone.

tappers that provide bilateral stimulation through vibrations with LED lights. Some clients who can’t do the eye movements use the headphones [for auditory tones] and the tappers. And what all of this is doing is providing the bilateral stimulation of the brain needed to process traumatic events.”

Nicholson also encourages clients, especially those with trauma, to practice yoga. While pursuing her Ph.D., she learned that it could increase heart rate variability (HRV), which measures the changes of time in between heartbeats.

She says, “So, the greater that fluctuation,

meaning good HRV, the better a person can function, the better their balance and arousal systems, and [they experience] fewer negative effects on thoughts, feelings, and how the body responds to stress.” She also now owns an emWave® Pro Multi-user device, which monitors HRV, that she plans to use with clients.

Nicholson opened her counseling practice in January of 2019 and then launched a yoga studio in her old office suite next door in 2020. Though she wasn’t a yoga teacher at that point, Nicholson was spurred to create the studio after experiencing firsthand how yoga and its associated breathwork and mindfulness helped with stress, and continually telling her clients to explore it. Today, she is a certified yoga instructor (RYT® 200-certified).

Classes aren’t currently offered at the studio, but Nicholson is considering holding one on Saturdays. In Cartersville, however, she currently teaches one class a week that is complimentary for seniors who are members of the senior center where it’s held. Area schoolteachers also can attend for a discounted price.

Her goal is for her studio to one day offer classes from multiple perspectives, including a Christian one.

Finding her path Today, adults make up most of Nicholson’s counseling practice clientele, and lately many of those reaching out to her are nurses, police officers, and other people whose work involves high-stress situations.

But she began her career in counseling 16

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with the goal of mainly working with children.

After more than 20 years in banking and accounting, she enrolled at Liberty University in 2007 to study religion. Upon later realizing her passion for psychology and learning about the brain, Nicholson decided to pursue an associate degree in psychology, which was followed by a bachelor’s degree, and then a master’s in marriage and family therapy.

While interning and following graduation with her master’s degree, Nicholson was able to work with children by working with the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS). She says it gave her excellent experience but was incredibly difficult and left her discouraged. Nicholson continued forging ahead in gaining her license, though, and simultaneously became an elementary school counselor in Bartow County, a role she still holds.

Ultimately, it was discovering the book “The Body Keeps the Score” in 2019/2020 while acquiring her Ph.D. (from another

university) in counselor education and supervision with a specialization in leadership that radically changed the direction of Nicholson’s work. “It’s so detailed about the brain and how it functions, and your emotional brain and your rational brain and what happens when you experience trauma, where it gets buried and all those things,” she says.

Among other insights, the book helped her comprehend what drives people to abuse substances and gave her a clearer understanding of traumatic events from her own life. She says some of the most powerful chapters were on the effects of trauma on the brain and how impactful EMDR and yoga are for trauma treatment. After finishing the tome, Nicholson began to intensely explore the research on both and switched her dissertation topic to treating trauma in children and the role of mindfulness.

She then went on to become trained in EMDR, which involved her receiving the treatment personally.

Nicholson’s current training focus is on counseling for emergency workers.

She is considering becoming a Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC) and receiving training from Force Science Institute. “Whatever population you’re working with, they have to trust you,” she says. “…Working with first responders is the same thing. They’ve got to know they can come in here and think ‘I’m going to be safe. It’s not going to make it back, and I’m not going to get fired because of it.’

Same thing with the military population, which is another area that I may work with,” she says.

Nicholson explains that while clinicians may have different techniques they use, it all comes down to creating a safe place for clients to release the heaviness of life, learn to ride the waves of their emotions, and know that they do not have to do it alone.

To learn more about her counseling practice, visit BridgingTheBalance.com, and to get yoga studio updates, go to BridgingTheBalanceYoga.com. n

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Special Section

Leaders of Cobb

S

ince its establishment more than 180 years ago, Cobb County has been defined by its people.

Some of these individuals have made their mark by becoming pioneers of business, captains of industry and heads of state.

And if you’re reading this, you likely know why Cobb is attractive to so many. It hosts exceptional schools, is within close reach to the world’s busiest airport, has all of the convenience of proximity to the

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big city and is fertile ground for entrepreneurship.

The list goes on, but it always comes back to the people who have built this county into what it is.

On the following page we have profiled an individual who is among Cobb’s premier leaders.

We wanted to find out about his job, delve into his personal life, and gain some words of wisdom.

And of course, we asked: Why have you picked Cobb County?

THE STORY: I come from a family of attorneys who believe in service to the community.

My grandfather and father were Georgia attorneys, and I followed in their footsteps. As a native Atlantan, I attended the Atlanta Public Schools and then went on to the University of Virginia’s Economics Honors Program. After college and before law school at UGA, I worked as an aide for two years for a Georgia Congressman on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. I have carried on my family tradition of service by serving the Cobb County Bar Association as its president, and the State Bar of Georgia on the Board of Governors and as a member of its Executive Committee.

When my children were in school, I had the great opportunity to serve as president of the school’s football booster club, and I also have served my church in many roles, including lay leader, chair of the Administrative Board, and the Staff Parish Relations Committee and Long Range Planning Committees.

Currently, I serve as chair of the Central West District Board of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

My family instilled in me the value of serving others in the community, and that heritage continues to drive me today.

WHY I CHOSE TO LIVE IN COBB: When I graduated from law school, my wife and I were quite taken by the quality of life and the wonderful opportunities for raising a family in Cobb County, and we had no hesitation about buying a house and raising our two children here over the last 35 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? Every day, my team at the Gentry Law Firm and I have the opportunity to help change the lives of our clients for the better. We help people who are going through the uncertainty and stress

Photo by LaRuche Photo

Leaders of Cobb

Bill Gentry

Owner, Gentry Law Firm LLC

of a divorce. Easing their emotional pain and helping them envision and secure a better future for themselves and their children is very fulfilling.

LEISURE TIME: Traveling with my wife is my true passion! I also love taking long hikes at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and following the World-Champion Atlanta Braves! I also enjoy listening to podcasts during my walks.

BEST ADVICE: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” —Harry Truman.

WHAT’S NEXT? I’m thankful for the wonderful life I’ve been blessed with for many years living and working in Cobb County, and I look forward to helping our community in the future.

254 Roswell St. SE, Marietta, GA 30060 • 770.425.5573 • gentrylawfirmgeorgia.com COBB

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Against All Odds— Sharing Our Success

By Lindsay Field Penticuff

T

hey took me out of this hole that I was living in and brought me into something beautiful, which has been the most amazing thing I could ever experience.”

These are the words of Sarah Schiltz, a now 16-year-old girl who was rescued from an unthinkable circumstance at just 5 years old thanks to the steadfast work of the Cobb County Police Department, Cobb County Division of Children and Family Services, and SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center.

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Left to right: SafePath Community Service Dog, Glinda; Investigator Monika Franklin; Hannah Schiltz; and Sarah Schiltz.

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“In my 18 years on the job, it was in the top five worst things I’ve ever seen.”

—Det. Monika Franklin, Retired, Cobb County Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit

Left to right from the top: Officer Miaja Jefferson, Jinger Robins, Det. Monika Franklin, Sarah Schiltz, Glinda, and Hannah Schiltz.

What happened?

“I want to be the mom I never had.”

—Miaja Jefferson, Field Training Officer, Cobb County Police Department

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In August 2010, former Cobb County Police Crimes Against Children Unit Det. Monika Franklin got a call from officers who had responded to a dispute between two brothers. “When they got there, they noticed the condition of the home and the children, and that’s when they called Crimes Against Children and we responded to the house,” Det. Franklin recalls. “In my 18 years on the job, it was in the top five worst things I’ve ever seen.”

Sarah, and her little sister, Hannah who was 4 at the time (now 15), were in horrible condition. Det. Franklin says Sarah weighed about 160 pounds and Hannah nearly 100 pounds. There were also roaches everywhere. The girls were taken into protective custody and underwent forensic interviews with detectives. “They didn’t seem to understand that what they were living in wasn’t what normal kids lived in,” shares Det. Franklin.

Sarah and Hannah were then placed into foster care with Jennifer and Craig Schiltz, who were living in Acworth at the time.

They have been foster parents for nearly 20 years and have cared for approximately 300 children. “I went to DFCS [The Georgia Division of Family & Children Services] to

pick up these poor, pitiful girls,” Jennifer says. “There was a bug actually crawling down one of their faces. It was just awful.

The neglect was just horrific and they didn’t know anything.”

Schiltz says Hannah was still in diapers and neither of them knew what numbers or colors were. “They were just in a terrible, terrible spot in every which way you could imagine,” she recalls. “The lice was so bad in their hair and it looked like their hair had never been combed, so their hair was like rocks. We ended up having to shave all of their hair off.”

Schiltz, who also worked for DFCS for many years before becoming a foster parent, says she had never seen a case like this in her professional life.

SafePath to the rescue When children are discovered neglected or abused, the team at SafePath in Marietta has a unique ability to help through their multidisciplinary team members by providing clothes, medical care, forensic assistance, mental health, and advocacy services to any child who comes through the center.

“When Sarah and Hannah were brought to SafePath by law enforcement and DFCS, our staff was able to provide a safe, childfriendly environment where the young girls could be cleaned, clothed, and fed in order to simply feel safe as they began their journey through the system,” says Jinger Robins, CEO, SafePath. “Without the baseline of basic safety, personal needs, and an environment that allows a child to feel safe, the journey of healing simply can’t begin. We

Stats and Facts: Child Abuse and Neglect in Georgia were able to assist in their healing journey.”

Schiltz says the support SafePath provided Sarah and Hannah was amazing. “In addition to the counseling and forensic interviews, a team of professionals helped guide us on how to take care of the girls,” she says. “Someone would actually come with us to the store and help teach the girls how to behave in public. They would also go to the park with us and help teach the girls how to introduce themselves to play with other kids.”

More than a decade later, that early intervention, along with the wonderful care provided by Schiltz’s family, has allowed the girls to be in a place where they are doing great. “They are doing incredibly well,” Schiltz shares. “They are both on the A Honor Roll, and they are both so funny, especially Sarah. They have just both been such huge blessings in our lives, and they are super-sweet girls and kind!”

Three years after Sarah and Hannah came to their home for foster care, Jennifer and Craig adopted the girls. Sarah doesn’t quite remember the specific support and resources afforded her by SafePath as a

• Every 10 seconds, a report of child abuse is made.

• More than four children die every day as a result of child abuse.

• Every year, more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made involving more than 6 million children.

• 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse.

• Approximately 80-90% of trafficked youth have been sexually abused before they are trafficked.

• Approximately 70% of children who die from abuse are under 4 years old.

• Neglect is the most prevalent form of abuse.

• Child abuse occurs across all socioeconomic levels, across all ethnic and cultural lines, within all religious lines, and at all levels of education.

• Cost of child maltreatment: Georgia accounts for about $18 billion of the national estimate.

child, nor does she really remember the trauma she experienced as a child. But she wants other children in foster care to know that there’s still hope. “To the people who have really helped me out, a big thank you to y’all. My mom and dad have been really big troopers with a lot of this, even though it’s really hard, and I congratulate them for that,” says Sarah.

Coming full circle

Sarah and Hannah are safe and healthy today thanks to SafePath and their foster family.

Not every child Jennifer and Craig Schiltz have fostered over the past two decades required support from SafePath, but those they took into their home got to see firsthand the benefits of the resources from other foster children. This was eye-opening for Miaja Jefferson.

Ever since Jefferson was about 3 years old, she had been in and out of the foster care system in California, often being homeless, and searching for a place for her and her little brother to stay before and after school. “My mom was in and out of our lives, so I knew my grandmother for taking care of us,” Jefferson says. “But she started getting dementia when I

“Our staff was able to provide a safe, child-friendly environment where the young girls could be cleaned, clothed and fed.”

—Jinger Robins, CEO, SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center

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“They were just in a terrible, terrible spot in every which way you could imagine.”

—Jennifer Schiltz, Sarah and Hannah’s mother

Left: The Schiltz family.

Right: Sarah and Hannah with Officer Jefferson.

turned about 9 years old and she was placed in a nursing home.”

Jefferson’s mother moved away to Georgia when she was 12 years old, leaving her and her little brother to fend for themselves, and with only a food stamp card to their names. They would stay with friends, or her little brother would sneak into the nursing home to stay with their grandmother at night.

During the second semester of Jefferson’s ninth-grade year, she called her mom to say they really needed help. She and her brother were moved to Georgia and lived

National Child Abuse Prevention Month Since 1983, April has been recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“The need grew out of the pandemic levels of child abuse, which often were invisible and not reported,” says Jinger Robins, CEO, SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center. “April is the month when focus and attention are placed on the need for prevention and how we all can join in the effort to ensure protection for children as they grow.”

The long-term effects of child abuse can last for years and impact a child’s ability to develop to their fullest potential. “Children are our future and need to be protected so they can grow into healthy adults,” Robins adds. “We all need to join together in bringing attention to April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and take the steps to make a difference in lives of our children.”

To report child maltreatment, call 1-855-GACHILD or complete a mandated reporter form online at cps.dhs.ga.gov. To learn more about SafePath, visit safepath.org.

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off Six Flags Drive in South Cobb. “We were abused by the kids in the home where we lived, and we ended up still being homeless here, because my mom left us again,” says Jefferson.

At 16 years old, Jefferson got pregnant, and she was scared. Her mom wasn’t around to help her and within a week of her daughter being born, DFCS was knocking on doors trying to find them. “I had a oneweek-old baby and didn’t know what to do,” she remembers. “I was a really good student in school, too, but I was going to drop out. I didn’t think I could do it anymore.”

The Georgia Division of Family & Children Services stepped in to help Jefferson, and both she, and her now 10-year-old daughter, Amiyah, were placed in foster care with the Schiltz family. “Jennifer took Amiyah out of my arms and told me that I didn’t have to worry about anything ever again,” Jefferson says. “From that point forward, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I was able to be a kid again.”

And during the few years while Jefferson was staying with the Schiltz family, she was a foster sibling to Sarah and Hannah. “To look back on what all SafePath was able to do for Sarah and Hannah after all they had been through was incredible,” she says.

“And they are the main reason I want to work in Crimes Against Children.”

Jefferson studied criminal justice and information technology at Kennesaw State University, and she began her training with the Cobb County Police Department’s

19th Annual Hearing Children’s Voices Gala

Glinda the service dog with Tiffany Webb, clinical service manager.

police academy in May 2021. Today, she’s in the field training observation stage of her training. “When I was in high school, I decided that I wanted to do something to help other people,” she says. “The Cobb community is what helped put me where I am today, and if I’m not helping

Theme: A Night of Bond—007 Style (Come dressed as your favorite “Bond” character.)

When: Saturday, May 14, 6 p.m.

Where: Cobb Galleria Sponsorship Levels: Presenting Sponsor, $25,000 Diamond Sponsor, $15,000 Platinum Sponsor, $10,000 Gold Sponsor, $5,000 Silver Sponsor, $2,500 Table Host, $1,500 Contact: hanalaine.safepath@cobbcounty.org

somebody, I just don’t feel right doing it.

That’s my passion.”

Jefferson hopes her experience, while devastating, will help her to make a difference in the lives of children who have had similar experiences. “I am going to take everything I learned from the streets, from college,

from school, and from my foster parents, and I want to raise my daughter to be what I had wished for growing up. I want to be the mom I never had,” she concludes. “It’s kind of a blessing when I look back; you’re dealt a deck of cards when you’re born, and you take that and make the best of it.” n

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Education

Georgia Highlands College Plans Expansion in Marietta

By Nicholas J. Godfrey

G

eorgia Highlands College (GHC) has been in Marietta for more than 15 years, sharing a location with Southern Polytechnic State University (a school that is now part of Kennesaw State University). This summer, GHC looks to expand its operations by giving students more options at a new location at 1090 Northchase Parkway.

This will be the college’s first big expansion in the area since opening its campus

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in Marietta in 2005. Currently, GHC serves students from more than 30 counties in northwest Georgia with sites in Marietta, Rome, Cartersville, and Dallas. The college also provides a robust online option, as well, called GHC Online.

Georgia Highlands College has been educating students for more than 50 years as a member of the University System of Georgia. When David B. McCorkle was appointed as the first college president

in 1970, the institution had just 19 faculty members who taught 545 students on a single, 233-acre campus in Rome on U.S. Highway 27.

Over the decades, GHC expanded throughout northwest Georgia with its access mission in mind, climbing to the second highest enrollment among state colleges and the second highest economic impact. The school’s current economic impact is more than $170 million and was

All photos: Jeff Brown/Georgia Highlands College

part of the system directly and indirectly generating more than 155,000 jobs in the state.

Georgia Highlands College has a history of keeping its programs career-focused by identifying local workforce needs, as well as state and national trends, to modify its curriculum accordingly. In the past, this has resulted in the formation of a regional police academy, a journalism pathway directly tied to the Georgia Press Association, and a program in deaf education implemented to offer education and training for paraprofessionals seeking careers in the nearby Georgia School for the Deaf.

Today, among GHC’s long-running programs in nursing (formed in 1971) and dental hygiene (formed in 1990), are several rapidly growing areas created in collaboration with business, community, and industry leaders. One example is GHC’s newest bachelor’s degree in building information modeling management (BIMM), which started spring 2022 after approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Building information modeling is the technology-driven process for estimating, creating, and managing information and visuals on a construction project. A building information model represents a 3D version of every aspect of the project, from facade to foundation to structural steel. This degree was designed by GHC in collaboration with engineering and construction industry leaders.

Georgia Highlands College worked with construction technology firm Trimble to design curriculum for the program, as well as software design company SDS2. Through these partnerships, each company also donated some of the most cutting-edge technology and software for students to use at no additional cost. The same careful approach to finding the right programs for students that they can utilize in a career after graduating college can be seen in many of GHC’s degree options.

Students can follow their artistic passion with GHC’s film program by learning the skills necessary to work in one of the fastest growing industries right here in Georgia.

They choose between a Film Studies or a Film Production track, which puts them on the path to join any one of the hundreds of productions currently underway in Georgia for movies like Marvel’s “Avengers” series or

Netflix shows like “Stranger Things.”

Since the State of Georgia’s creation of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, Georgia has established itself as a leading production hub for both feature films and television productions. Or, if a student has a desire for technology, they can pursue a degree in Financial Technology (or

FinTech), which has such a rising demand for trained graduates in Georgia, which is quickly becoming the “FinTech capital of the world.”

FinTech focuses on technologies aimed at upending portions of the financial world, such as payments, wealth management, lending, insurance, and currency. Students

YOU BELONG AT GHC. Coming Summer 2022

NEW MARIETTA LOCATION 1090 NORTHCHASE PARKWAY You belong at Georgia Highlands College! Find classes that work for your schedule, including remote, hybrid, and in-person options. Plus, GHC is one of the best and most affordable paths toward earning your college degree today!

Charge up your future or recharge your career by choosing from two-year and four-year degrees in more than 40 areas of study.

Apply by May 15th for summer semester or by July 15th for fall semester.

706.802.5000

Get ted r a t S

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Education enrolled in the FinTech program will obtain a multifaceted education encompassing a breadth of topic areas such as credential security, blockchain applications, and virtual currencies.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in what GHC offers. Among its growing list of more than 40 areas of study are bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice, Health Sciences, Healthcare Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and associate degrees in Recreation Administration, Sport Management, Graphic Design, Education, and so many more.

But at GHC, it isn’t only about what students can earn — it’s also about how much they will pay. Providing access to low-cost college degree options in Georgia through one of the lowest tuition rates in the country has long been part of the mission at GHC. The college is touted year after year for its costs, hailed as the most affordable fouryear college in Georgia by Scholarship Owl, and listed on the College Scorecard as the best value in the state.

Georgia Highlands College currently offers options to complete an associate degree or bachelor’s degree entirely in the classroom or online at one of the most affordable rates in the country with a cost of less than $8,000 for an associate degree and less than $16,000 for a bachelor’s degree.

In a time when students and parents are looking for ways to pay for college

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“One of our chief goals at GHC is to provide opportunity to students through access to a college degree with little to no debt after graduating,” —GHC Marietta Campus Dean Ken Reaves

without accruing significant debt, many choose GHC for its costs and its convenient locations. However, students soon find the supportive atmosphere and the focus on completing a college degree quickly with a career in mind brings an even greater level of depth to their experience at the college.

Because affordability and access are baked into its mission, the high-quality curriculum found at GHC and other colleges within the University System of Georgia help maintain Georgia Highlands College as a top choice while remaining a champion of low-cost college degrees.

With the opening of a new location at 1090 Northchase Parkway in Marietta, GHC further opens up opportunities for students to earn an excellent, career-focused degree for less than the cost of most other colleges.

At the top of GHC’s renovation priorities for the new location is creating a sense

of community for students with tools to help them be successful at GHC while attending in Marietta. The new site will include a centralized GHC experience with classrooms, study rooms, and common areas all in one place.

GHC students will kick off summer semester in June at the new location. The Northchase Center is currently undergoing renovations to further meet the needs of students and the community ahead of the opening this summer. Periodic updates on the renovations and move can be found at followme.highlands.edu.

“One of our chief goals at GHC is to provide opportunity to students through access to a college degree with little to no debt after graduating,” Marietta Campus Dean Ken Reaves said. “We do this through a range of degree options, flexible scheduling, and career-focused outcomes that put traditional students — as well as students who may have full-time jobs and families to take care of — at the center of everything we do. We see student success at our college as graduating from a high-quality program for a low cost and ready for a career, or ready to pursue a higher college degree program.”

Reaves added that moving to this new location in Marietta will allow GHC to increase its presence in Marietta and continue serving as the University System of Georgia’s primary access institution in the region.

Georgia Highlands College’s Marietta location will be moving from 1100 South Marietta Parkway to 1090 Northchase Parkway.

To get started at GHC, visit go.highlands. edu. The deadline to apply for summer semester is May 15. The deadline to apply for fall semester is July 15. n

In Your Community

StillFire Is Coming To Smyrna Downtown redevelopment sparks interest of Georgia’s hottest brewery

By Cory Sekine-Pettite

C

raft beer is big business in Georgia. In fact, the industry generated more than $2 billion for the state in 2019, and it continues to grow. Currently, there are approximately 100 craft breweries in Georgia, with some of the most highly regarded brewers operating right here in Cobb County. Soon, the City of Smyrna will have a brewery that residents can call their own, like their neighbors in Marietta, Kennesaw, and Acworth.

The new facility, from Suwanee’s StillFire Brewing, will be located in the heart of downtown Smyrna in a new, two-story, 15,000-square-foot building along Atlanta Road. The brewery is part of a publicprivate redevelopment project to reinvigorate the downtown area, which hasn’t seen much change in more than 20 years. Other recently approved projects for downtown Smyrna include a new interactive green space replacing the roundabout, a public parking facility, and new pedestrian improvements.

Ultimately, the residents will be able to enjoy one continuous, pedestrian friendly area from the Veterans Memorial all the way to the brewery. Together,

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In Your Community

Rendering of StillFire Brewing’s Smyrna location. The final appearance of the building may change, as the company goes through schematic changes with the architect.

the city says, these public and private investments will ensure the long-term economic viability of downtown Smyrna and will offer fantastic new amenities for all ages to enjoy.

“When I campaigned a couple of years ago, I went to over 3,000 doors, and one of the things that I heard consistently was, ‘We need to refresh the downtown,’” Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton said. “So, I believe

[StillFire Brewing] will become a destination not only for Smyrna residents, but for folks outside the city. I think that you’ll see, as a result of that, new restaurants, new retail and commercial interest come in because they want to be where the people are.

“I see projects like this reinventing who we are as a city,” Mayor Norton continued. “We have not only the downtown redevelopment,

“I believe [StillFire Brewing] will become a destination not only for Smyrna residents, but for folks outside the city. I think that you’ll see, as a result of that, new restaurants, new retail and commercial interest come in because they want to be where the people are.”

— Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton 30

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but we have plans to totally reimagine South Cobb Drive, particularly between Concord Road and Windy Hill. …I just see a lot of great things happening in the City of Smyrna — in the entire city, not just in the downtown area — but we’re focusing on areas that have been neglected for a long time. And I think Smyrna citizens will benefit a lot from that.”

Of course, as with any municipal redevelopment, the brewery project does have its opponents. The Smyrna City Council held multiple public meetings over an eightmonth period to address concerns and to allay fears. Ultimately, the City Council voted in January of this year to approve the sale of .94 acres to StillFire for $600,000. The company will build a $7-million brewery on the site, which will contribute more than $150,000 annually in new tax revenue for the city, county and Cobb County Schools.

“I believe that this is a good step forward for the city. I think it’s going to be an economic development driver,” Mayor Norton said. “I think when you have six of eight elected officials all marching to the same drummer, that says something — when 75

“We feel like we can bring that little missing piece to Smyrna that will help draw patrons and families to the downtown area. Our new location will be situated amongst some vast greenspace and parks, and the pedestrian aspect was extremely important to us.”

— Aaron Bisges, General Manager of StillFire Brewing

percent of your elected body is moving in one direction.”

Smyrna’s Economic Development Director, Andrea Worthy, said during one public forum on the project that revitalization of the downtown area is the main reason for supporting the StillFire location. Other Cobb cities that have added breweries have seen on average of about 1,000 to 2,000 new visitors per week to their downtown areas.

Worthy said a brewery would put the city on the map, attracting people and businesses from all over the metro area to Smyrna.

“It’s different than a restaurant, it’s different than a coffee shop,” she said. “It’s really a community gathering place that invites a lot of other visitors to downtown. It serves as a community center where folks can meet up; [it] increases foot traffic for other businesses downtown.”

StillFire’s General Manager, Aaron Bisges echoes that reasoning. “We have seen an enormous economic impact with our Suwanee location, and we believe the same will occur in Smyrna,” he said. “The wonderful part about breweries is that they draw crowds from all over the area, not just

within city limits. We will have visitors from Atlanta, Marietta, Kennesaw, Alpharetta, and beyond. This traffic lifts all the businesses within the downtown community.

Most patrons who visit stay for several hours and then shop and eat elsewhere within the area.”

Bisges says the new brewery will be more than just a place to get a drink. It will be a destination, a community experience.

“While winning twenty national and state awards in our first two years speaks volumes about the quality of our beer — the most award-winning new brewery in Georgia — our primary focus is creating an atmosphere for any and all to enjoy, whether that be families, pet-lovers, neighbors, and friends.

We strive to be that ‘third place,’” he said.

The Smyrna location will include a rooftop level overlooking downtown Smyrna. It will feature a biergarten, of course, along with multiple food truck bays, large outdoor patios/firepits, and an exterior service station accessible to the adjacent park that will include a pet-friendly area, playground, and stage for events and live music. “We focus on creating an open, bright, community feel

within our taprooms. Indoor/outdoor space is very critical to our model,” Bisges said.

In 2021, StillFire was called “the biggest story of the year” in brewing from PorchDrinking.com, and it has earned dozens of medals in national beer competitions since it opened in 2019. So, how did the company decide to expand into Smyrna? “Ultimately, we wanted to bring that same destination brewery to a new downtown area, and Smyrna certainly fit the bill,” Bisges said. “They have a wonderful downtown that is ripe for expansion, and the proximity to other areas such as The Battery Atlanta, Marietta, and the rest of Cobb County was enticing. We feel like we can bring that little missing piece to Smyrna that will help draw patrons and families to the downtown area.

Our new location will be situated amongst some vast greenspace and parks, and the pedestrian aspect was extremely important to us.”

StillFire Brewing is scheduled to break ground on the facility soon, with a planned opening by the summer of 2023. You can learn more about the company and its beers at stillfirebrewing.com. n COBB

MARCH/APRIL 2022

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Final Focus

22nd Annual Plant Sale and Expo

By Cory Sekine-Pettite

A

pparently, we’ve all become “plant parents,” as a friend of mine likes to say. Since the pandemic started, Americans have gone houseplant mad. According to industry statistics, the U.S. plant and flower growing industry has grown to

nearly $16 billion, up from $14 billion just two years ago. That’s a lot of ficuses and ferns!

As industry publication Nursery Management noted in May of last year, “It’s no surprise that garden centers saw stellar sales in their houseplant departments

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during 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic had customers spending more time at home. Building on the momentum driven by plant parents, biophilic design trends and plant collectors, the houseplant craze was driven to new heights …”

Personally, I have nothing resembling a green thumb; I have killed every plant I’ve ever tried to adopt. But if you do have a green thumb, or if you’re houseplant curious, there’s an event coming up in April that you don’t want to miss. The Cobb County Master Gardeners’ 22nd Annual Plant Sale and Expo takes place at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta from April 15-16, with more than 90 vendors and a variety of activities for kids, including face painting, potting a plant to take home, and coloring. The gates will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., so go and check out the variety of plants, as well as the garden tools, accessories, yard art and more that you’ll need/want to feed your new hobby.

I may make my way there as well.

Perhaps I can secure a nice air plant or small cactus for my home. The less maintenance required, the better off those plants would be under my care. Hey, know your own strengths, right? n

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