Friday, July 16, 2010

Gwinnett Chamber Announces 26th Class of Leadership Gwinnett

Leadership Gwinnett Class to Begin in August 2010

Duluth, GA- The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 26th class of Leadership Gwinnett beginning in August 2010. From the nearly 800 nominations received each year for the nine-month experience, Leadership Gwinnett alumni selected the final group of 36 based on work experience, accomplishments, community involvement, education and other information from their individual applications. The program year is comprised of two overnight retreats, seven one-day symposia covering world class community, infrastructure, economics, education, health & human services, justice and regional relations, as well as monthly study groups and other activities.

"Choosing the class requires balancing the occupations, qualifications and commitment of the candidates to insure a representation that reflects a cross section of the county. The caliber of these applicants makes selection more difficult. Since the class size is limited to 36, many excellent candidates are not chosen on their first nomination. For this reason, we strongly encourage candidates to apply again if not selected," said Gail Macrenaris, director of leadership and education, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

"Leadership Gwinnett has been a tremendous success for our county. Since the program's inception in 1985, over 800 alumni have taken their places in our community as decision makers and role models. Leadership graduates can be found in every aspect of Gwinnett business, civic and cultural life," said Jim Maran, president and CEO, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

The 2010 – 2011 Leadership Gwinnett Class includes:

Barbara Bender, Hamilton Financial, CPA

Jody Campbell, Webb, Tanner, Powell, Mertz & Wilson, LLP

Dave Donnelly, Cardiovascular Group, PC

Samantha Dunn, Gwinnett Braves

Rich Edinger, Clark Patterson, Lee

Cheryl Fleetwood, New Mercies Christian Church

Inman Houston, Lawrenceville First Baptist Church

Amy Hutchins, Georgia Power Company

Matt Hyatt, Rocket IT

Asif Jessani, Complete Computer Solutions

Mark Landtroop, Margaret Will Holt Elementary School

Lanier Levett, Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Home & Crematory

Nick Masino, Gwinnett Chamber

Randy Meacham, Gwinnett Municipal Association

Suzanne Molock, Gwinnett Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Holly Moore, Growing Leaders

Spencer Murphy, BB&T

Bill Myers, Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services

Laine Nowell, Wachovia

Kevin O'Brien, Ameriprise Financial

Letycia Pastrana, Gwinnett Village Community Alliance

Kenneth Poe, Gwinnet County Human Resources Department

Ginger Powell, Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation

James Rayford, Gwinnett County Public Schools

Jon Richards, Site ROI, Inc.

Bill Rosenberg

Tom Savage, Gwinnett County Police Department

Victoria Seals, Gwinnett Technical College

Rebecca Spitler, Management Consulting

Charles Swain, Colliers Spectrum Cauble Management

Katie Sweeney, Gwinnett Federal Credit Union

Donald Swift, Andersen, Tate & Carr, PC

Victor Sze, Raymond James

Gwen Tatum, Shiloh High School

Regina Vella, Georgia Gwinnett College

Glen Williams, i9Sports

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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Congratulations Gwinnett Medical Center!

As a proud supporter and friend of Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC), the Gwinnett Chamber would like to congratulate GMC on the groundbreaking of their Open Heart Center. Please join the Gwinnett Chamber in celebrating the new facility and its services that will save countless lives in Gwinnett and metro Atlanta by viewing GMC Foundation's video and sharing it with your friends and family. To view the video, visit http://www.openheartgwinnett.com/, and click play on the "Boom Boom Heart" video.


Gwinnett Medical Center Breaks Ground for Open Heart Center

Lawrenceville, GA - Gwinnett Medical Center recently broke ground for its Heart & Vascular Center, which is slated to open in early 2012. More than 300 members of the community attended a groundbreaking celebration which featured presentations by Charles Bannister, Chairman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and Philip Wolfe, GMC's president and chief executive officer.

Thanks to an incredible outpouring of community support, GMC secured approval from the State to launch its open heart program in Gwinnett County. Gwinnett is the largest county in the nation without an open heart surgery program, causing hundreds of residents to have to travel outside of the area to receive vital cardiac care.

"As strong as we believed our application to the state was, we knew that we couldn't bring this vital service to Gwinnett without proving that this community not only needed, but demanded that Gwinnett Medical Center be able to offer comprehensive cardiac services that a community of this size requires," said Wolfe. "Now we can truly say that open heart is in our hands."

A dedicated 40,000 square foot facility is in development. This $33 million investment will ensure that the people of Gwinnett County have access to a complete range of cardiac services.

"This will be a state-of-the-art center, infusing the latest technologies," said Manfred Sandler, MD, director of cardiology at GMC. "For the professionals who will work here, it will be a dream. Physicians and staff have been involved in the planning and design process, and the result is the creation of facilities that are optimally configured - providing the best possible environment to focus on the task at hand."

While open heart surgery has been the focal point of the project, the program does encompass other advanced cardiovascular services, including coronary angioplasty and stenting procedures. These new services add to a well-respected cardiac program that includes an accredited chest pain center in the emergency department, a cardiac wellness program certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and a full range of cardiac diagnostic services.

The GMC Foundation is in the midst of a capital campaign to raise $8 million to assist in funding the Heart & Vascular Center project. In honor of the groundbreaking, the Foundation created a video showcasing donors, associates and community leaders celebrating GMC's new Heart and Vascular Center.

"We hope the video will create awareness of GMC and the services provided at both hospitals, showcasing the excellent care provided by our system and the passion behind the bricks and mortar," said Jason Chandler, president of the GMC Foundation.

For information about making a donation to the Foundation or to view the video, visit http://www.openheartgwinnett.com/.