Recently, the Gas South District held another one of its Speaker Series events featuring leaders from across the county. On this edition of the event series, the theme was Gwinnett 2045: Planning Tomorrow, Today, where they discussed key aspects of the vision for Gwinnett County as a place where people can live, work and play without leaving the community. The DiG team attended this unique event and got the inside scoop, so if you can learn about the plans for our vibrantly connected community!
The event kicked off with a Breakfast and Mingle section featuring a lovely spread of food from the catering company, Proof of the Pudding. From breakfast burritos to parfaits and freshly brewed coffee, this portion of the event gave attendees a chance to get to know one another and make some new connections. After this portion, attendees were invited to head inside the Gas South theater for the main event: a curated panel of local Gwinnett leaders. Stan Hall, who is the President and CEO of Gas South District and Explore Gwinnett, gave a few words on the importance of the Speaker Series as it helps foster new conversations regarding the vision of what Gwinnett County should and can be.
The panel kicked off with Courtney Bryant, Fox 5 News Anchor, who acted as the facilitator of the Speaker Series. The panel featured Dr. Adrienne Simmons, Chair of the Gwinnett County Public Schools Board of Education, Kevin Carmichael, Senior VP of Partnership Gwinnett and Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Economic Development, Nicole Hendrickson, Chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, and Jay Dennard, Chief Operating Officer of Northside Hospital Gwinnett. Courtney did a great job of facilitating the conversation regarding how each panelist envisioned the future of the county in their specialty field.
For our school systems, Dr. Adrienne Simmons shared that for her, it’s important that we remember no two children are alike and as such, they need to keep in mind accessibility for all. One goal is to create more accessible playgrounds like the one at Oakland Meadow School, which is a local Gwinnett school for students with severe disabilities. Another key aspect of planning for the future is ensuring the safety of all students through implementing weapons detectors in all schools.
When looking at the county as a whole, Nicole Hendrickson shared that their vision is to create a community where people can truly “live, work, play” in the same area. They want to work closely with the cities to make the county a place where people, especially the next generation, will want to return after college and raise their families. By focusing on the parks, school systems, quality of life for residents, roads, public safety and other key aspects, Gwinnett can become the ideal place for families to thrive and continue to grow.
On the medical side of things, Jay Dennard enthusiastically shared that Northside Hospital is focused on developing primary care across the county so residents don’t have to leave Gwinnett to get the care they deserve. Along with this, Northside is dedicated to making a welcoming environment where healthcare, as Jay put it, “is seen as a relationship and not a transaction.”
Finally, when looking at the business side of Gwinnett regarding job opportunities, Kevin Carmichael shared that Partnership Gwinnett and Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Economic Development are focused on three main goals. These include recruiting and expanding business in Gwinnett, going into the community to learn and facilitating innovation.
After Courtney Bryant dove into all of her questions for the panelists, there was a fun surprise where a couple of specially chosen individuals from the Gwinnett Student Leadership Team were able to ask their questions. This was such a unique opportunity, which in the context of looking at the future of Gwinnett was also extremely important, as these students are truly our future!
The next Speaker Series is scheduled for October 15 and will feature Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, who will speak on the future of aviation. Get your tickets now for this exciting event and get ready to fly into the future with Ed Bastian!