member news

New leadership at Habitat for Humanity of Hall County

Lila Weaver is Habitat for Humanity of Hall County's new executive director. A longtime Chamber supporter, experienced realtor and former director of operations and executive programs at Brenau University, Lila stepped into the new position earlier this year. Founded in 1989, Habitat for Humanity of Hall County helps hard-working, low income families purchase their own home. This self-sufficiency builds self-reliance that spreads to work, family and community life. With insight into the area’s housing market, Lila Weaver is committed to strengthening community partnerships and efforts to alleviate the region’s ongoing affordable housing crisis. habitathallcounty.org

Schlieman named to national financial advisor club

Josh Schlieman, an independent LPL Financial advisor and partner at Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management in Gainesville, announced his inclusion in LPL’s Chairman’s Club. LPL Financial is one of the leading financial services companies and largest independent broker/dealer in the nation. This elite award is presented to less than 4% of the firm’s more than 21,000 financial advisors nationwide and showcases Schlieman as a top performer dedicated to his clients. Based in Gainesville, Sullivan & Schlieman provides a full range of financial services, including comprehensive financial and investment planning, wealth management, estate and tax planning and risk management and insurance planning. sswmllc.com

• Kayla Hill, a GED graduate from Lanier Technical College, recently received the Technical College System of Georgia's (TCSG) 2023 Dinah Culbreath Wayne Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education Award and was named the system's adult education student of the year. The award is named after longtime Chamber supporter Dinah Culbreath Wayne, who served on the State Board of Directors for the TCSG for over a decade. Kayla will travel the state over the coming year as an ambassador for adult education, speaking to students, civic groups, legislators and others about literacy and lifelong learning. laniertech.edu

• Andrew Oxley, president of The Oxley Group, announces that Joe Yeager has joined the team as a leadership coach. Yeager has some 20 years of executive leadership experience in leading and managing large organizations. The Oxley Group specializes in high impact executive and leadership coaching for business performance and bridging the gap between strategy and execution. andrewoxley.com

• Hall County Administrator Zach Propes announced that for the 7th consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada awarded Hall County Government the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its Fiscal Year 2023 budget. For the award, Hall County had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation, assessing how well the budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide and communications device. hallcounty.org

• Hall County’s Planning and Development department and Public Works and Utilities department have been integrated to create the Community Development and Infrastructure (CDI) department with Srikanth Yamala, most recent Director of Public Works and Utilities, as the new CDI director. The integration brings divisions, such as building inspections, engineering, and planning and zoning together providing a single department for the most efficient service delivery model. hallcounty.org

• John Delzell, Jr., MD, VP of Medical Education for Northeast Georgia Health System, announced the newest class of resident physicians. The fifth residency class spans seven specialties: General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Transitional Year, Primary Care. NGMC also has 12 Cardiovascular Disease fellows and two Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellows, bringing the total number of physician learners to 192. All new residents and fellows begin work on July 1. nghs.com

• Food Truck Friday returns on the third Friday of every month at Lake Lanier Olympic Park’s Northeast Georgia Health System Plaza. Enjoy live music, food trucks, beer and wine tents, along with retail vendors and fun activities for the entire family. Entry and concert is free and open to the public. Join the fun on Fridays, May 19, June 16, July 14 (with the Annual Beach Bash), and August 18. Free parking, and courtesy dock available. Pets allowed (leashed). Details: ExploreGainesville.org/lake-lanier-olympic-park

Stewart Melvin & Frost partners Whitney

Syfan Brown and Anna Adams Orkins are now leading the firm’s residential real estate practice. The experienced, women-led legal team is taking a fresh approach to residential real estate while continuing to build on the firm’s longstanding relationships and its strong reputation with local real estate brokers, lenders, investors, business owners, and homeowners looking to buy, sell, or lease. A Gainesville native, Brown serves on the Chamber Board and is chair of the Vision 2030 Public Art Committee. Orkins, a Dahlonega native, is a Chamber member and has been named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine for three years in a row. Founded in 1936, Gainesville-based Stewart Melvin & Frost specializes in a broad range of legal services. smf-law.com

• Brian Daniel, president & CEO of Carroll Daniel Construction Company (CDCC) announces the acquisition of WMD Engineering Consultants of Bethlehem, Georgia. The structural design firm remains committed to actively serving its current clients and projects, while growing its portfolio under new ownership. WMD specializes in the design and analysis of concrete and steel structures with expertise in the automotive, industrial, distribution and movie studio markets. CDCC is a nationally recognized commercial construction services firm focused in the Southeastern United States. carrolldaniel.com

• Plan to attend a series of outstanding concerts coming to The Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center in Downtown Gainesville: May 6/The Fly Betty Band (8pm); May 13/North GA Chamber Symphony Orchestra (4pm); May 20/The Venue Jazz Orchestra (8pm); June 3/Tribute: A Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band (8pm); June 17/Riverstreet (8pm).

Information & Tickets: theartscouncil.net

Kilwins opens on the Gainesville Downtown Square

New Chamber members Jeff and Genia Reid, owners of Kilwins Gainesville, invite you to stop in and sample some freshly-made fudge, and try some of their favorite products, like Dark Chocolate Sea-Salt Caramel Apples, or any flavor of Kilwins’ super-premium Original Recipe Ice Cream in a freshly-made waffle cone. Genia is a lifetime resident of Hall County, has been in the education field for the past 28 years, and for the last 8 years has coached the West Hall Middle School boys’ cross country team. Jeff has worked for Ricoh USA for the past 28 years, most recently as the Vice President & Managing Director. Kilwins Gainesville is located in the Gainesville Renaissance. Opening a business on The Square comes full-circle for Genia. Her first job when she was 16 was selling shoes at Millner’s Department Store, and Kilwins Gainesville is just around the corner from that site. “For me, it’s like coming home,” said Genia, “with all the hometown vibes!” kilwins.com/gainesvillega

United Community Bank has new logo

United Community Bank recently reveal its updated corporate logo, emphasizing the bank's purpose to build communities and help customers achieve their financial goals. The new logo represents the bank's 70-year history of customer service and its culture of caring. While the logo is being refreshed, the commitment to investing in its people, technology, and customers' needs, remains the same. As part of the logo refresh, United is continuing to invest in markets across its six-state footprint through the United Community Bank Foundation and other initiatives that reinforce the bank's purpose of building communities. ucbi.com

Corporate Storage earns national recognition

Jimmy Adams, president of Gainesville-based Corporate Storage, announced that the company received SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification for the third consecutive year under the Global Food Safety Initiative for its food storage and distribution services. Corporate Storage earned an Excellent rating for its two facilities in Hall County for 2023. Globally recognized in the food industry, SQF Certification is a food quality and safety program designation awarded after a thorough and extensive auditing process. With multiple facilities offering 900,000 square feet of warehouse space, Corporate Storage is North Georgia's and Dallas-Fort Worth’s choice for flexible warehousing solutions. Corporate-Storage.com