Horizonsfeb2014

HorizonsA publication of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

February 2014

Celebration of ExcellenceA t 11:30 a.m. on February 14th at the Forsyth

Conference Center, Forsyth County Schools and the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce will host the 18th annual Celebration of Excellence luncheon, presented by Northside Hospital- Forsyth. One of the Chamber’s largest community events, the Celebration of Excellence recognizes the importance of investing in the education of youths.This event honors community businesses (dubbed “Partners in Education”) that help schools and students alike throughout the year. It also recognizes some of Forsyth County’s best and most influential teachers – by congratulating all of the Teachers of the Year and announcing the 2014 Forsyth County Teacher of the Year. More than 500 people attended last year’s event and an even larger turnout is expected this year. This speaks volumes about the businesses and community leaders in Forsyth County! There are many Chamber members who are also Partners in Education. It is important that all partners in the community be recognized for their dedication to supporting the high-quality education of future business leaders in Forsyth County.The Celebration of Excellence aims to recognize what makes Forsyth County schools some of

the best in the nation. The system and the entire community benefit from all the wonderful community partners and inspirational teachers.Joining Title Sponsor, Northside Hospital-Forsyth are Luncheon Sponsor, Georgia Power, Awards Sponsor, Publix, Gold Sponsor, Lou Sobh Honda, Silver Sponsors, American Proteins and itslearning, Bronze Sponsors, Flack’s Flooring, RBM of Atlanta and Andean Chevrolet, and Patron Sponsor JTech. For more information or to become a sponsor of this outstanding community event visit www.cummingforsythchamber.org or call (770) 887-6461.

Prestige Members

Northside Hospital-Forsyth Premier Corporate Sponsor

Taubman

Forsyth County Government

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Anchor Home Mortgage

Inspiring Smiles

Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry

Kaiser Permanente

jTech NetworksThe City of Cumming

Georgia PowerDeKalb Office

Smithfield Farmland

Michael Williams

Lou Sobh Honda

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2 HORIZONS February 2014

Member Spotlight

F or more than 35 years, ServiceMaster Expert Cleaning has been helping

businesses and facilities in Forsyth County present a clean and positive image to their customers as well as provide a healthy working environment for their employees. As a result, the company has grown steadily over the years to be the largest locally owned and operated commercial cleaning provider in Forsyth County. ServiceMaster Expert Cleaning is owned and operated by Daniel and Martha Slott, who are long time residents of Forsyth County. They have three sons, Sam, Max and Joe who all attend Forsyth schools. Daniel and Martha are active in the community with Daniel serving on the County’s Parks and Recreation Board as well as being involved in many youth oriented programs. “We love Forsyth County for its people and the quality of life,” Daniel said. “We

appreciate how wonderful the c o m m u n i t y h a s b e e n i n supporting our business and our family,” he continued. “We really see ourselves as part of the fabric of this community and we know that our customers take seriously the importance of a clean and healthy workplace.” ServiceMaster Expert Cleaning is a franchisee of the world’s largest cleaning company, ServiceMaster Clean. As a franchisee of ServiceMaster Clean, ServiceMaster Expert Cleaning has access to all the latest products , tools and processes to deliver outstanding services. We specialize in

providing services to large facilities, medical/doctor/dentist offices, professional business space, restaurants, retail and property management firms. Because of its size, it offers management supervision, regular

inspections of client facilities, communication tools such as 24x7 live telephone answering, cell phone/text and e-mail. ServiceMaster Expert Cleaning is licensed, bonded and insured. They provide uniformed employees and are certified for a drug free workplace. The company’s’ services include:• Daily or Weekly Professional Commercial Cleaning Services• Carpet Cleaning• Hard Floor Refinishing• Pre or Post Construction Cleanup • Window Cleaning• Pressure WashingWhy is a clean environment important? From a customer perspective, when your customers enter your store, office or facility they are instantly making judgments about your company, products or services based on their impression of your environment. A clean environment gives the impression that your products and services are of higher quality. It also gives the customer confidence that you are attending to the details, therefore, you can be trusted to attend to their business. The opposite can also be true. Customers can be instantly turned off as well and take their business elsewhere. Don’t be fooled, everyone knows and understands what clean looks like, feels like and smells like. And, everyone is noticing. Why is a healthy working environment important? While your employees may talk more about pay raises, benefits and vacation time, one of the top issues affecting their overall performance is the state of the office. It’s one of those issues you probably won’t hear about until it becomes a problem such as lost productivity, poor morale or increased sick time. Just the simple task of having your office professionally cleaned can improve performance and boost business. The bottom line is that you want people – employees and customers – to feel good about your environment and keeping it clean and well maintained helps you do that. It leads to better production from employees and from you. It leads to customers returning time and time again. It can be one of your best tools to keep your business growing. “Forsyth County is a great place to raise a family and operate a business”, Daniel said. “We look forward to helping any business improve their bottom line through the use of our services. We are here to help.” ServiceMaster Expert Cleaning can be reached at 770-531-9307 or at [email protected].

Local Company Cleans Up Forsyth County

The Slott Family

HORIZONS February 2014 3

Partners in Education

Honoring the 2013 Don Hendricks Award RecipientT he Don Hendricks Partnership

Award is the highest honor that a Partner in Education can receive. Since its inception in 2002, this award is always given to a partner who best exemplifies the miss ion of the Par tners in E d u c a t i o n p r o g r a m a n d demonstrates loyalty to the school system and to the community. At l a s t yea r ’s Ce l eb ra t i on o f Excellence, Siemens, Inc. was

named the 2013 Don Hendricks Award Recipient. Their partnership with Project L.I.F.E provides opportunities for academic growth and the development of individual skill sets, while providing job training and enriching the lives of interns. This partner has modeled inclusive hiring practice through the employment of Project L.I.F.E. interns and has encouraged other businesses to follow suit. They

believe in the Project L.I.F.E. program so strongly that they have implemented the philosophy and practices in other Siemens facilities in the United States and abroad. Forsyth County Schools are so grateful to Siemens for this program and the way it enriches the lives of all participants and instills confidence in them to reach their post-secondary goals.

Wayne Hancock and Kevin Owens of Siemens, Inc. accept the 2013 Don Hendricks award from Superintendent Dr. Buster Evans.

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In-Depth

Employers usually want t o h i r e t he mos t

talented candidate for a position. In the quest to do so, employers sometimes unknowingly commit one or more of seven common mistakes that can expose their companies to potential litigation and/or result in a hiring disaster. However, the following “seven deadly sins” can be avoided by taking the information below into consideration:

1. Omitting Items From An Application

There are at least three items that should be included on every employment application. First, employers should clearly state in a conspicuous place on the application that they do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by law. Second, all applicants should be required to sign a statement attesting to the fact that the information provided on the application is true, accurate and complete and that any falsification, misrepresentation or omission of fact may be cause for denial of employment or immediate termination of employment. Finally, one of the most important questions on any job application is, “Why did you leave your former job and was it voluntary or involuntary?” The way that a prospective employee answers this question is often the single biggest indicator of whether you should hire that individual. If an applicant fails to answer the question, then the applicant likely has something to hide and an employer should seriously consider whether this is the right individual for the job.

2. Asking the Wrong Questions

There are certain questions that employers are prohibited from asking during the recruiting process. Specifically, employers may not make disability-related inquiries of applicants. Furthermore, some laws prohibit employers from asking about arrest records and/or criminal convictions that have been sealed or expunged. Accordingly, it is important that companies ensure that their applications and interview questions do not ask any prohibited questions or run afoul of employment discrimination laws.

3. Missing the Tell-Tale Signs

Often, there are signals during the selection process that will let an employer know that the applicant may not be the best person for the position. For example, if an applicant has a history of switching jobs, then this may signal that the individual has problems maintaining employment and that this would not be the best employee for the company. In addition, while applicants are sometimes late for interviews for legitimate reasons, an employer should seriously reconsider hiring an applicant who cannot arrive on time to a job interview. This may be indicative of his or her inability to report to work on time should he or she be hired by the company.

4. Ignoring Your Intuition

If you have any reservations about hiring a candidate, do not hire him or her (provided there are no discriminatory reasons behind your reservations). Too often, an employer wants to give an applicant the benefit of the doubt, despite the fact that the employer’s intuition says that this is not the right person for the job. FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION. The adage that “no good deed goes unpunished” is too often true. When employers make exceptions, these exceptions often come back to haunt the employer in the form of litigation.

5. Failing to Protect the Company

Sometimes a company may be so anxious to hire a particular candidate that the company is willing to negotiate certain terms in order to secure the candidate as an employee. In doing so, however, the company may unknowingly agree to terms that alter the employee’s at-will relationship with the employer. If your company is in an at-will state, it is important to have your legal counsel review all offer letters and to apprise counsel of any special negotiations that you are having with a candidate.

6. Being Inconsistent

If an employer is going to make an exception for one applicant, then the employer should make exceptions for all applicants. For example, if it is company policy to only hire individuals with college degrees for certain positions, then the employer should not hire an applicant who does not have a college degree, unless the company extends that exception to all applicants. Agencies responsible for enforcing equal employment opportunity laws and plaintiffs’ attorneys look for examples of inconsistencies to show disparate treatment and to support allegations of discrimination. Hence, failing to be consistent with hiring and recruiting policies can expose a company to litigation.

7. Forgetting About Diversity

Studies and research have shown that diverse workforces are more productive, help to improve corporate culture and have less discrimination-related litigation. Accordingly, it is important for companies to ensure that they are interviewing diverse individuals and their recruitment efforts include methods likely to attract a diverse applicant pool.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Common Pitfalls in Hiring and RecruitmentBy: Tracy Moon, Partner at Fisher & Phillips, LLP


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Month in Review

Women Who Mean Business braved cold temperatures to network by the fire at Panera Bread.

Barbara Smart and Joy Riddle connect at Panera Bread.Evelynn Eller, Betsy Wynkoop, Jackie Johnson and Denise Bagwell network over breakfast.


Month in Review

(L to R) Reva Jennings and Mina Price

(L to R) Dennis “Buck” Buckley, Dusty Gunn, Tony Shirley and Shawn LaFave

(L to R) Bruce Wing and Jackie Johnson

Chamber members gather to network in The Villas at Canterfield “Movie Theater.”


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Economic Development

New Year, One Mission: Business FirstT he Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of

Commerce’s most prominent resolution for 2014 is to enhance the economic vitality of the community. The Chamber will accomplish this goal by implementing a strategic economic development plan that is appropriately named “Business First.”In the coming months, our organization will use this column as a platform to discuss the strategic changes that the Chamber of Commerce is making in support of the Business First initiative. These changes will boost the amount of new jobs that are being created in the community, as well as the amount of new capital investment that companies are generating within Forsyth County and the City of Cumming.These changes will include such activities as:

• hiring new staff to proactively pursue economic development leads

• enhancing the organization’s ability to promote the community via a new interactive website

• improving the organization’s ability to engage Chamber members through new social media and mobile platforms

• advocating on the membership’s behalf for improvements to be made along Georgia 400

• creating more opportunities for the community to become more involved with each of the community’s business sectors

In 2013, the Chamber successfully participated in 19 economic development projects that are forecasted to generate more than 600 new jobs and nearly $60 million in new capital investment. In 2014, the organization seeks to surpass these numbers by attracting and expanding companies from the following target markets:

Health Care:Nationally, the construction of health care facilities is projected to increase by approximately 5 percent. Locally, growth of the community’s senior services market is forecasted to bring about the development of several new senior living and care facilities.

Furthermore, recent expansions of Northside Hospital-Forsyth and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will also prompt further growth in the community’s wellness sector. In 2014 the Chamber will hire a project manager to pursue new health care leads for the community.

Technology:Forsyth County is home to 8 percent of the region’s data centers, including the data processing centers for New York Life, Publix, JM Family/ Data Scan (Toyota) and UPS. As medical practitioners begin to convert their paper records into electronic files, it will create an increased demand for the construction of more data center sites within the area. Furthermore, the community has recently emerged as a hub for research and development (R&D). In 2014, the Chamber will develop a Technology Society of Forsyth County to grow and support the community’s R&D and Data Center sectors.

Manufacturing:Forsyth County is home to more than 500 manufacturing companies – including such industry titans as Smithfield, Metcam and Scientific Games. China’s rising costs of labor and logistics have caused many companies to no longer consider the Chinese market as a viable option for their manufacturing needs. The Chamber will capitalize upon this in 2014 by growing the scope and capacity of the Manufacturing Society of Forsyth County and by hiring a new project manager to specifically target manufacturing leads.

International:In the past ten years the community has emerged as a dominant hub for global commerce. Forsyth County’s vibrant quality of life and close proximity to the world’s busiest airport have caused nearly 70 international companies – such as Trox, Siemens, Dieffenbacher, and Hansgrohe – to establish multinational offices in Forsyth County and the City of Cumming. In 2014 the Chamber will continue to recruit new international headquarters to the area.

Retail & Small Businesses:A recent opportunity gap analysis confirmed that Forsyth County’s retail market is currently underserved. In 2013 community residents spent approximately $60 million on restaurants outside of the community. In 2014 the Chamber will address this issue directly by proactively recruiting new restaurants, hotels and large-scale retailers to the area. The organization will also continue to support the creation and expansion of small businesses by enhancing available training resources, seminars and programming.The goal is focused. The mission is specific: Business First. The Chamber looks forward to serving you in 2014. If you would like to learn more about this initiative please contact the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce at (770) 887-6461.


C omfor t Su i tes opened in Cumming in June of 2002 off

Exit 14, in front of Northside Hospital- Forsyth. The hotel offers 75 suite rooms, serves a complimentary hot breakfast and includes a business center and workout facility. The hotel provides meeting space for up to 25 people with free parking and also an outside pool. Comfort Suites is convenient ly located c lose to shopping, family-friendly dining and Lake Lanier, with easy access to all the parks in Forsyth County.

The hotel has just concluded a renovation valued at approximately $350,000.00. The renovations include new bedding, carpet, flat screen TV’s, linens, upgraded breakfast area and an updated menu for breakfast. The workout area is now complete with new fitness equipment and the business center now offers brand new computers for guest use. The lobby welcomes you with new furnishings and the hotel is also a full non-smoking facility.

Harry Priddle, with Hospitality Guru, is the sales contact for the Comfort Suites. Harry opened his business in 2004 and has identified a niche in the market where many of his hotel owners do not have the

resources, knowledge and contacts to improve their profitability. Harry is very involved in the Cumming Comfort Suites and can be seen around the community at many Chamber functions. Please take the time to stop by the hotel located at 905 Buford Road and see the new and improved Comfort Suites. Harry can be reached by email [email protected] or by calling the hotel at 770-889-4141.

TourismSCORE

F rom buying and selling to hiring and firing...from profit and loss to charity giving...these eight business owners have shared it all

over the last four years. Brought together by the SCORE Roundtable started by the Chamber through Alex Gubbins, the group meets once a month to discuss the ups and downs of owning a business. At the core of the group is Steve Bloom, a lifetime entrepreneur who has owned businesses in several industries, including mortgage banking, importing and sign-making. He delights in helping business owners stay the course on the path to success.

“Steve is an amazing mentor, leader and facilitator who has kept eight busy business owners together for four years. Everyone has shared insights and learned from each other in a way we never expected,” said Bruce Longmore, owner of Lenny’s Sub Shops.The group had a special recognition day for Steve in December, and reflected on his leadership throughout the last four years. “Steve Bloom is a seasoned veteran in the world of entrepreneurship. The lessons that I’ve learned from his experience in business have impacted my company in many positive ways!” added Derek Brooks, owner of Brandywine Printing.

“Those of us who have the great fortune to learn under his tutelage find our thought processes ... and our businesses ... forever improved because of him. He is quick to celebrate our successes but even quicker to call us to task when we are not quite on the mark,” beamed Torri Westmoreland, owner of In-Depth Wraps.

Business professionals across the country pay thousands of dollars to belong to mastermind groups like the SCORE program, yet this is a benefit of Chamber membership. The SCORE group is one of two that the Chamber hosts. It was the pilot business owners’ roundtable program for SCORE nationwide.

SCORE Roundtable Members

Honor Mentor

Bottom Left: Chris Strigle, Lawn Envy; Steve Bloom; Derek Brooks, Brandywine Printing Center Left: Torri Westmoreland, In-Depth Wraps; Bruce Longmore, Lenny’s Sub Shop; Trish Moynihan, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More Top Left: Gus Morris, PRISM Automotive; Randy Kauk, Rain Harvest Systems; Jay Ryerse, JTech Networks

Comfort Suites gets a

new look

Harry Priddle


Small businesses are an essential component to expanding growth in the American economy; employing much of the country’s

private work force, creating jobs, generating and driving American innovations while also increasing competition. Forsyth County, the 7th fastest growing community in the nation, is an environment where small businesses have the opportunity to thrive. The Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, in an effort to support entrepreneurship in the community, is excited to host the 2014 Business Awards program.

These awards will be given to businesses that have demonstrated leadership within the community, practice a high standard of business ethics, made contributions to the community and played a significant role in continuing economic growth of the business community in Forsyth County. The Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce needs as many individual nomination contributions as possible.

Submit nominations by Friday, February 28, 2014 via e-mail to Jason Mock at [email protected]. The Chamber only needs the nominee’s name, name of business, and their e-mail address.The 2014 Business Awards Breakfast will be held on April 30, 2014 from 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m. at the Forsyth Conference Center. For more information on the 2014 Business Awards program please contact the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce at 770-887-6461.

Small BusinessAwards Breakfast

2014 Business Awards – Call for Nominees

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Member News

Cumming • Dahlonega • Gainesville • Oconee | www.ung.edu

Hutchinson named Young Realtor

L ast semester at the University of North Georgia, 25 top business undergraduate students were chosen to be part of the Cottrell Scholars

program. The Cottrell Scholars program in the Mike Cottrell College of Business is designed to reward and recognize top-performing students within the college. To be selected for the program, students must meet a minimum GPA of 3.5 and participate in an interview process with members of the Mike Cottrell College of Business faculty and staff. Once accepted into the program, students are required to complete 24 hours of service divided equally between service to the university, service to the community and professional development. Students are also provided with a stipend for two semesters to support their collegiate efforts. The Chamber would like to congratulate former Chamber Intern, Brad Beyea on being selected to join this prestigious group of students. Way to go, Brad!

Congratulations to Cottrell Scholars

A ckerman Security Systems was a sponsor in the “12 Hours of Hope” radiothon, hosted by Star 94 radio on December 12, 2013. Through

Ackerman’s efforts, the total amount raised was $146, 822. The event funds will contribute to the purchase of a wireless X-ray machine to be used in the emergency room at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “Ackerman has long been a supporter of Children’s Healthcare and we were proud to be a sponsor of this great event”, said Jim Callahan, President of Ackerman Security Systems.

Ackerman Security Systems participates in 12 Hours of Hope benefitting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

itslearning, inc. opened its doors for the first time in Georgia on Wednesday, December 18, 2013. With more than a dozen locations worldwide including, London, Paris, and Berlin, this is now the organization’s second US-based location. In addition to being home to the new office, Forsyth County is also host to one of itslearning’s largest US-based implementations. To kick off the festivities, itslearning held a ‘Grand Opening’ for local businesses, surrounding school districts, educators, parents and students from Forsyth County Schools. The guests were treated to a fabulous barbeque lunch from Jim N’ Nick’s followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony, door prizes and giveaways. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be located in Forsyth County,” said itslearning Chief Executive Officer, Travis Willard. “We look forward to being as involved with the community and local businesses as we are the school district and today was the first step towards making that a reality.”

itslearning opens new office inForsyth County

T he Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtor’s 2013 Young Realtor of the

Year was awarded to Scott Hutchinson of Wilson Hutchinson Realty LLC. He is known as one of those people who just can’t sit still, and prefers to have it that way. While in school at The University of Georgia pursuing a degree in real estate, Hutchinson started an internship with Atlanta broker and ACBR member Tom Wilson and the two hit it off very quickly. When Hutchinson graduated in 2003, he went to work with Wilson until they eventually partnered together to create Wilson Hutchinson Realty in 2008. Hutchinson says there are various reasons why he enjoys the real estate business. “It’s always changing – it’s like you never have two straight days when you’re in the same location, or doing the same type of deal,” he said.


Upcoming Events

• Please visit our Event’s Calendar atwww.cummingforsythchamber.org to see a full list of events, more information and registration.

Key to the events

Member Power Networking Lunch — Meets every Tuesday at noon at a different location and includes casual networking for 20-35 other business professionals.Business After Hours — Meets the second Tuesday of every month from 5-7 p.m. at a different host location every month. The purpose is networking and to experience new businesses in the community.Women Who Mean Business — Meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 a.m. This is a specialized networking group of over 50 female business professionals. Join them for breakfast.

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February 4Economic Outlook Breakfast-7:30 a.m., Forsyth Conference Center

February 4Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Rosati’s Pizza & Sports Pub

February 11Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Good Grub Subs

February 14Celebration of Excellence-11:30 a.m., Forsyth Conference Center

February 18Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Sip Wine & Tapas

February 20Business Showcase-4 p.m., Forsyth Conference Center

February 25Member Power Networking Lunch-Noon, Norman’s Landing


James McCoyPresident & CEO

Randall ToussaintVice President of Economic Development

Alex GirrbachDirector of Operations

Laura StewartDirector of Communications & Events

Jason MockDirector of Small Business Services

Anna BarlowDirector of Tourism Development

Jimmy LaneDirector of Membership Services

Jeff TweedMembership Services Executive

Maggie Schmitz, Sherri KlugAdministrative Assistants

2013 Officers Board of Directors

Nelish PatelHampton Inn

Bruce LongmoreLenny’s Sub Shop

Lynn JacksonNorthside Hospital-Forsyth

Shawn LaFaveNorth Georgia Promotions

Tracy MoonFisher & Phillips LLP

Jeff PruittForsyth Conference Center

Royce OwensMimms Enterprises

Bruce HagenauMetcam

John RasperDekalb Office Bob RussellRussell Landscape

Terry SmithA.C. Smith Poultry Co.

Connie SandersWells Fargo

Bert DurandUnited Community Bank

Ethan UnderwoodLipscomb, Johnson, Sleister, Dailey, & Smith LLP

Pete AmosChairman, Forsyth CountyBoard of Commissioners

Paul ChambersAT&T

Bill CuppAGL Resources

Darla LightChair, Forsyth County Board of Education

Dr. Buster EvansSuperintendent,Forsyth County Schools

Jay RyerseJtech Networks, LLC

Mark BondHayes, James & Associates, Inc.

H. Ford GravittMayor, City of Cumming

Blake HouseSawnee EMC

Jon McDanielForsyth County Public Library

Mary Helen McGruderSawnee Mountain Foundation

Doug DerrerForsyth County Manager

Hon. Phil SmithState Court Judge

Bobby ThomasChair, Forsyth County Development Authority

Dr. Joanne TollesonLanier Technical College

Jen BrunoHansgrohe

Chris StockhoffAnchor Home Mortgage

Walter SearsAlpharetta Children’s Dentistry

Charles BanksPNC Bank

Daniel ShafferSnap Technology, Inc

Derek BrooksBrandywine Printing

Pam BowmanPB Consulting Services

Mike WaltherKaiser Permanente

Thom SmithBB&T

Matt McClureBank of North Georgia

Carter BarrettCommunity Business Bank

Kevin GarmonBannister Creek, LLC

Drew WalkerAlliance National Bank

Mike CasparWalmart

Rep. Mark Hamilton

Rep. Mike Dudgeon

Sen. Jack Murphy

Sen. Steve Gooch

Rep. Geoff Duncan

Ann-Margaret Johnston, Chair,Johnston & Associates

Linda Cole, Past-ChairCHOA

John Hall, First Chair-Elect,Forsyth County News

Fran Forehand, Second Chair-Elect,GA Power

Chris Ethridge, Secretary/TreasurerFrazier & Deeter, LLC

Ex-Officio Chamber Staff

Horizons

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Horizonsfeb2014

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