Stephanie Sokenis, Director of Small Business Development at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, spoke at the noon meeting on June 23 on the topic “Small Business Education, Resources, and Programs.” The Chamber’s vision is captured in their motto: “Start, Sustain, and Succeed.” She wanted the group to know about the services offered by the Chamber to small business owners in the County. She provided details about six Chamber offerings that have served members and non-members: 1. monthly educational workshops on special topics, 2. a bi-monthly panel of small business experts developed in cooperation with local cities, 3. Small Business Saturday, 4. a Small Business Toolkit with access to the webpage site at [http://www.GwinnettSmallBusiness.com,]www.GwinnettSmallBusiness.com, 5. Small Business Week on June 16-20, and 6. a culminating Small Business Summit to be held November 13, 2014. In an attempt to get the Chamber’s resources to all Gwinnett County, a five-member coalition of groups working for small businesses has been formed. She reported that in the last six months, the Chamber has made great strides with new programs, 28 new members, and better communication.
Hebron Community Health Center
Lejla Slowinski Housing Authority
Newest Rotarian MERE
Robert Brannen: Gwinnett County Cooperative Extension Service
Dr. Stas Preszewski: Georgia Gwinnett College
By: Teresa Raetz
The work world has become more challenging for new college graduates and the employers that hire them, according to research presented by Georgia Gwinnett College president, Dr. Stas Preczewski. Ninety-one percent of employers say staff are taking on more responsibilities than even three years ago and the jobs are more complex and require more education. Employers are looking for college graduates who can apply the knowledge they’ve learned in “real world” settings. They are also looking for hires who have strong written and oral communication skills, critical thinking, problem solving, and team work skills. President Preczewski surprised the audience by saying that going to college would not help students in the work search, but graduating from college would enable them to earn dramatically more during their lifetimes and be much less likely to be unemployed than those with a high school diploma or some college. Dr. Preczewski also updated the group on the incredible growth and accomplishments of GGC in recent years, including being named a College of Distinction, a military friendly institution, and earning NAIA men’s and women’s tennis championship titles, all while being cheaper to attend now than when the college opened in 2006.
Monica Thornton: “What Is WIT?”
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.
Monica Thornton: Executive Director WIT
David Horton: “Occupational Health”
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.
Lisa Anders: “Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau”
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.