4A | FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | ForsythNews.com
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015
Horizons
A publication of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce
Tips for a Successful Expo Experience
Prestige Members
T h e C u m m i n g - Fo r s y t h C o u n t y C h a m b e r o f Commerce is gearing up for the 2015 Forsyth County News Business Expo presented by Kubicek Information Technologies. The Expo will be held on Aug. 13, 2015 at the Forsyth Conference Center, beginning at 2 p.m. To secure a booth for your business please call the Chamber at 770-887-6461.
Once you have registered for a booth, there are some easy tips you should keep in mind to ensure that your showcase experience is truly profitable: 1) Begin your Expo experience by Promoting
Your Booth. Give your current and prospective customers a reason to visit you at the Expo through raffle opportunities and demonstrations. 2) Making it Clear is key. Design your graphics like an advertisement and highlight benefits. 3) Bold Colors are Best for Visibility, and don’t be afraid to use eye-grabbing colors like red, yellow or orange. 4) Welcome People In by arranging your tables conscientiously and avoid using tables as barricades. 5) Eye Contact and Body Language are more influential than people realize so strive to give
immediate attention to people entering your booth. 6) Make Your Giveaways Count by eliminating the “grab and run” attendee. Choose not to stack your free giveaways on the table. 7) Focus on Making New Contacts. 8) In the subsequent weeks, Follow-Up with these contacts to achieve success. 9) Walk the Show Floor to increase your exposure, grow your business, and learn. The Business Expo gives you a unique opportunity to meet more people in one day than you might in an entire month. Maximize this opportunity by going to them rather than just waiting on them to come to you.
Northside Hospital-Forsyth Premier Corporate Sponsor
Forsyth County Government
The City of Cumming
DeKalb Office
Taubman
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
The Future of the Cottrell MBA By Russell Teasley, PhD, Associate Dean, Mike Cottrell College of Business
Lou Sobh Honda
T h e U n ive r s i t y o f N o r t h Georgia’s Mike Cottrell College of Business has operated its Cottrell MBA in Forsyth County since 2008. During that time, the Cottrell MBA has enjoyed a steady stream of professional students that have benefitted the region through their enhanced leadership and analytical skills. Students have the opportunity to apply their expertise through a two-semester capstone consulting project, partnering with local organizations to improve business performance or to solve operational problems. In addition, the Mike Cottrell College of Business provides its students an AACSB accredited MBA. AACSB is the top designation of business schools worldwide. Moving forward, the Cottrell MBA seeks to partner more closely with regional industries to develop and offer programs that effectively address regional business needs. This strategy requires an MBA that is flexible, respon-
Digitel Corporation
Georgia Power
Alpharetta Children’s Dentistry
Kaiser Permanente
Atlanta Landscape Group
Month in Review Chairman’s Cabinet
Dr. Teasley teaching a course on Project Management to MBA students.
sive and able to harness expert knowledge for delivery to the businesses of the area. A goal of the program is to be a major contributor to north Georgia’s knowledge economy. As it looks forward to the future, the Cottrell MBA is actively engaging with organizations across the region to identify com-
petencies and skills that will positively affect competitiveness and growth for area businesses and organizations. Through that process, you are encouraged to contact the Mike Cottrell College of Business with your suggestions, comments or inquiries. For more information on that initiative, contact rteasley@ung.edu.
Thanks to the Woodmen Life team for being the Koozie Sponsor of the Chairman’s Cabinet Independence Day Celebration.
Triple Crown Southeastern Nationals Debuts in Forsyth County This summer, Forsyth County has the honor of hosting the first ever Triple Crown Sports Southeast Nationals tournament, which runs through July 26th in various parks in Cumming and Alpharetta. This large regional fastpitch softball competition brings more than 100 teams from across the southeast to compete. Forsyth County’s top-notch facilities continue to draw large tournaments to the community, and the competition will utilize softball fields at Central Park, Fowler Park, and North Park throughout the course of the weekend. According to Janette Rodriguez, Southeast Nationals Event Director, when choosing a tournament location Triple Crown looks for great partners in the community including CVB’s, facility staff and lodging partners. Triple Crown has found all
of that and more in Forsyth County. When asked why Triple Crown chose the Forsyth area, Rodriguez responded, “Forsyth County is a great location for teams and families to be able to attend a Nationals event. Forsyth has great community partners and supports Triple Crown Sports for what we do and offer the teams.” Amateur sports tournaments are an enhancement to the local economy. The Chamber of C o m m e r c e ’s To u r i s m Department anticipates that this event will generate a significant economic impact. Triple Crown alone will bring hundreds of hotel room bookings, and a surge in restaurant patronage during the tournament. Throughout the summer months Forsyth County hosts more than 20 tournaments each year.
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City honors veterans Flags unfurled for Memorial Day By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com Micah Green Forsyth County News
Soldiers release doves Friday during the Memorial Day ceremony at the Veteran’s Memorial in Cumming.
Eleven more veterans have joined the ranks of those who are honored by the city of Cumming every Memorial Day weekend.
On Friday, city leaders held their annual holiday observance at the Veterans War Memorial. As part of the ceremony, the families of the 11 deceased veterans unfurled flags in their memory, joining the city’s Avenue of Flags along
Veterans Memorial Boulevard across from the Cumming Fairgrounds. Each year, during Memorial and Veterans Day events, the Avenue of Flags is displayed. Each American flag represents one or more veterans from the Forsyth County area. The display has grown to include more than 200 flags, which are See VETERANS | 5A
Teachers Last day excitement finish up first year edUCAtIoN
Feel mix of relief, accomplishment By Jennifer Sami
jsami@forsythnews.com
Photos by Micah Green Forsyth County News
Kaitlyn Woodcock and Raine Wilson, second-graders at Chestatee Elementary, wait for the bus to pull out Friday, the last day of school before summer vacation. Chestatee Elementary teachers wave goodbye to their students Friday as they head home for summer vacation. The 2014-15 school year begins on Aug. 7.
As they approach the end of their first school year as teachers, Megan Barton and Kendall Robinson are both tired and inspired. It’s been a year of learning. It’s been a year of firsts. But both young educators said they are more confident in their career decisions now than they were on the first day back in August. As part of an occasional series, the Forsyth County News has followed Barton and Robinson throughout the school year. For the final installment, the FCN caught up with them last week as they prepared to release students Friday for summer vacation.
Megan Barton Barton is going to miss her first fourth-grade class at Midway Elementary, whom she said taught her so much during her first year as a teacher. They were a great group to learn from and one that she’s really “grown to love.” Their parents have been even more helpful and generous during her first year, according to Barton. As she heads back for a few days of post planning this week before her summer officially begins, Barton paused to reflect on the past 10 months. “It’s definitely been a learning year for me, but it went really well,” she said. “You never have another first year ... I’ve experienced See TEACHERS | 5A
Optimists award scholarships Recipients include students from each public high school By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com Crystal Ledford Forsyth County News
West Forsyth senior Carlos Lopez, center, receives a scholarship from Forsyth-Cumming Optimist Club member Mike Miller on Thursday as teacher, Erik Moore, right, watches.
Members of the Forsyth-Cumming Optimist Club awarded $10,000 in scholarships during a meeting Thursday. The club honored 10 members of the class of 2014 from all five of
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Forsyth’s public high schools. Bob Flowers, vice president of the club, said most of the funding for the scholarship program comes from the club’s Avenue of Flags program, in which club members places American flags in front of homes or businesses on certain holidays. “All the flags you see in neighborhoods that are about to pop up over this weekend, that’s our doing and that’s how we fund these scholarships,” Flowers said. For a fee of about $35 a year, the See OPTIMISTS | 5A
Jennifer Sami Forsyth County School
Midway Elementary teacher Megan Barton is nearing the end of her first year as a teacher.
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From left, Derek Brooks, Kathy Brooks, Trish Moynihan and Lenny Stemmerman.
Business After Hours
Sigmund Scheuer, Dr. H. A. Saunders and June Schafer network at Business After Hours, hosted by Georgia Dermatology Center.
ForsythNews.com | FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | 5A
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015
Horizons
Presented by
A publication of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce
Upcoming Events July 28 Member Power Networking Lunch11:30 a.m., El Don Mexican Bar & Grille
July 29 Real Estate Roundtable11:30 a.m., Forsyth County Public Library at Post Road
August 4 Women Who Mean Business Networking 7:30 a.m., Brandywine Printing Inc.
August 4 Member Power Networking Lunch11:30 a.m., City Boyz Bistro
August 11 HR Academy Seminar 9:00 a.m., Forsyth Conference Center
August 11 Member Power Networking Lunch11:30 a.m., Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill
August 13 2015 Business Expo2:00 p.m., Forsyth Conference Center
August 18 Member Power Networking Lunch11:30 a.m., O’Charley’s Restaurant
August 25
The 2015 Fourth of July fireworks show was July 3 at the Cumming Fairgrounds.
Member Power Networking Lunch11:30 a.m., Tacos & Tequilas Mexican Grill
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. • Please visit our Event’s Calendar at www.cummingforsythchamber.org to see a full list of events, more information and registration.
Micah Green Forsyth County News
In an emergency, experience matters Emergencies happen. And when they do, rest assured that you’ll get the best care close to home. Northside’s board-certified emergency medicine physicians and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified nurses are just right up the road. We hope we don’t have to see you, but if we do, you’ll be in the best possible hands. Visit us online at www.northside.com.