We need more women in the technical fields.  Such was the contention of Monica Thornton, the Executive Director of Women in Technology, or WIT, when she spoke at the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on May 12.  The goal of WIT is to have an impact on the Georgia work force by encouraging women of all ages to consider technical jobs.  She spoke about the film industry in particular where women tend to be given the less equipment-based or technological assignments.  She then outlined the activities of the group on all levels. In middle schools girls are encouraged to participate in such activities as Robotics competitions, where they can discover they have the aptitude and the ability to perform.  In high schools WIT provides opportunities for students to explore careers by going into companies and seeing the jobs available.  There are opportunities for Rotarians to volunteer for panels and to serve as speakers to help educate young people about various jobs.  On the college level, they create a club or “sorority” for nerdy girls.  Programs are also developed for career professionals to develop needed skills. There are even  programs for managers to encourage leadership development and for retirees to use them as teachers and mentors.

David Horton, of Eastside Medical Center, addressed occupational health issues in his talk to the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on May 5.  He first defined “occupational health” as relating to issues of safety and health in a business and discussed the four areas to consider:  pre-hire screenings, workplace safety policies, employee health, and Worker’s Compensation. One interesting statistic he presented related to missed work because of flu:  111 million days were missed in a year for a cost of $7 billion.  That makes flu shots seem worthwhile.  He outlined the advantages of a conscious program supporting occupational health: legal, financial, retention, productivity, and morale.  He specifically emphasized the need for a strong physician panel which follows Georgia and Worker’s Comp guidelines.

At the April 18 meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville,  Lisa Anders informed the group of the work she and her staff do to make Gwinnett County a destination for groups to come.  She serves as Executive Director for Explore Gwinnett, the marketing brand of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau.  The group was surprised to hear about the volume of tourism in the County.  Visitors expend $972 million, and Gwinnett is #3 in the Atlanta area in tourism income.  She gave examples of the myriad avenues in which this money comes in:  the movie industry, the Arena, the Hindu Temple, Parks and Recreation, sports events, among others.  She described the marketing strategies employed and mentioned in particular Restaurant Week in July and the Hospitality Education provided through the Gwinnett Tourism Awareness Program.   Future plans include a headquarters hotel and expansion of the Convention Center.

Receiving recognition for their contributions to the Georgia Rotary Student Program at the Rotary meeting on Monday, April 21, were Phil Hoskins and Al Hombroek.  Phil was awarded the Will Watt Fellow designation for his $1,000 contribution, and Al the A. Kendall Weisiger Fellow  award for his $5,000 contribution.  Each received a plaque and a GRSP lapel pin.  Presenting the awards were Beatty McCaleb, Youth Services Chair, and President-Elect Art Kleve.

At the April 21 meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville GRSP student Kate Parker of New Zealand reported on her experiences as a GRSP student this year.   She enjoyed fellowship with her host family who lived on Lake Lanier and recounted her adventures during her year in Georgia.  She experienced fire ants first hand, transitioned from a winter to a very hot summer, attended a UGA game, and managed to work in travel all over the United States, from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon to Miami and Key West.  She particularly enjoyed hearing Fleetwood Mac on New Year’s and traveling to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.  She enjoyed her classes and her experience at Brenau, particularly the beautiful campus and the tight-knit community, and celebrating American holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving.  She thanked the Rotarians for the opportunities of this past year to learn more about the U.S. and to make so many new friends.