Local News Art Contests Open to Middle, High Schoolers Middle school students are invited to enter the 2022 Georgia Farm Bureau Middle School Bookmark Contest. The state winner will receive $150, and 10 district winners will each receive $100. High school students can enter the 2022 Georgia Farm Bureau High School Art Contest. The state winner will win $250, one state runner-up will receive $150, and 10 district winners each will receive $100. Both contests are open to all public, private and homeschool students. The bookmark contest, for students in grades 6-8, involves students drawing onto a blank bookmark a picture that depicts some aspect of Georgia agriculture. Students may use crayons, markers or colored pencils to create their bookmark that illustrates agriculture. Only one entry per person. The art contest, for grades 9-12, requires submissions to be done on 8.5 x 11-inch white paper and should be created in the colors black, white and gray. Contestants may use a variety of media to create their artwork, including graphite, charcoal, pastel, chalk, colored pencil, pen-and-ink, ballpoint pen or mixed media appropriate for printing. Interested students or teachers should contact the Cherokee County Farm Bureau for an official entry form and contest rules at 770-479-1481 ext. 0. All entries must be received at the Cherokee County Farm Bureau Office by Feb. 18.
Library System Gets New Executive Director Angela Cortellino has been named the new executive director of the Sequoyah Regional Library System, replacing the recently retired Anita Summers. Cortellino has served as deputy Angela Cortellino director for the library system since 2016, after joining the staff in 2015 as public services director. She also has worked in public libraries in Hall and Lumpkin counties. She has a master’s of science degree in information technology from the University of Tennessee School of Information Science, and is a member of the Georgia Library Association, where she serves as advocacy chair. She was awarded the Georgia Library Professional Commendation for Outstanding Service in 2021 and was chosen as one of the 2021 Cherokee County Top 10 Under 40 Professionals to Watch. www.sequoyahregionallibrary.org. 8
TOWNELAKER | February 2022
Jose Luna
Jesslyn Rollins
Honoring Cherokee’s New, Expanding Businesses
The Cherokee Office of Economic Development recently held the third annual Movers & Makers Reception at The Mill on Etowah, honoring seven of Cherokee’s new and expanding businesses. The annual event brings together Cherokee By Choice investors to connect with company executives and hear firsthand about their corporation’s journey to success and growth within the community. This year’s honorees represent a large scope of industries, including aerospace, healthcare, food and beverage, energy and film. The 2021 Movers & Makers Honorees are Biolyte, Caire Incorporated, CaliFino Tequila, Chart Industries, Cobb Industrial Incorporated, Quest One Aerospace, Stream MOKO and Northside Hospital Cherokee. Honoree Jesslyn Rollins founded Biolyte – the IV in a bottle – in Canton, alongside her physician father, Dr. Trey Rollins. The multi-million-dollar hydration company continues to experience record growth with their products available in big-box retailers such as Target, Publix and Kroger. Rollins said, “Being in Cherokee By Choice has positively impacted Biolyte in so many ways. Cherokee has supported Biolyte by allowing us to grow at every stage of our company’s life cycle. Now, we are moving into a nearly 50,000-square-foot facility, and Cherokee has absorbed every single milestone and challenge that we’ve had to undertake, helping us elevate and grow to the next level. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.” CaliFino Tequila, another honoree, began its East Coast operations in Canton at Thrive Coworking. The company, in collaboration with Agave Fino Distributors, is now expanding into a new distribution warehouse at The Mill on Etowah. The award-winning tequila company and its distribution partner continue to see a 30 percent increase in tequila sales every quarter. “The support system we have in Cherokee is unlike anywhere else,” said CaliFino Business Representative/ Ambassador Jose Luna. “The participation and support of the local community has helped us grow organically in ways we were never expecting. Cherokee has welcomed us, and it truly feels like home.” To learn more about Cherokee’s new and existing industries, visit cherokeega.org.
