GwinnettForum | Number 21.38 | May 6, 2022
SOME WILL REMEMBER PineIsle Hotel, previously built at Lanier Lanier Islands in Hall County, which was torn down in 2008. Now the Lake Lanier Islands Authority announces that a new 300-room hotel and conference center is planned to open by late 2024 at the former PineIsle site. The hotel would be funded by a private company and the state will pay for the conference center, which would have 130,000 square feet of space, including 45,000 square feet of meeting space. This would be the second hotel on the Islands, the other being Legacy Lodge and Conference Center.
TODAY’S FOCUS: DePriest Waddy new CEO of NE Community Foundation
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Prediction: exact date Gwinnett will have 1,000,000 residents
SPOTLIGHT: Lail Family Dentistry
FEEDBACK: Lacking Social Security number, many cannot access Internet
UPCOMING: Commission approves reorganization of Juvenile Court system
NOTABLE: Jackson EMC participating in 68-megawatt solar project
RECOMMENDED: All That We Hold Dear by Kathryn Lynn Davis
GEORGIA TIDBIT: William Walsh writes of many well known authors
MYSTERY PHOTO: Check out this most distinctive photograph
LAGNIAPPE: Jackson EMC crew is top team in Georgia Lineman’s Rodeo
CALENDAR: Chabad Center groundbreaking will be May 25 in Peachtree Corners
Waddy is new CEO of NE Community Foundation
DePriest Waddy and Randy Redner
DULUTH, Ga. | DePriest Waddy is the new president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia (CFNEGa). He is currently chief executive officer of the Atlanta nonprofit Families First. Waddy will assume his new role on June 1.
Waddy has a long history of leadership in the nonprofit sector. He has served almost 30 years in leadership roles at various nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies, including the American Hospital Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity, and, most recently, Families First.
Dick LoPresti, CFNEGa board chair, says: “He is well connected in Gwinnett and the region and has a passion for addressing the critical needs in our community. Our nationwide search resulted in many strong candidates and our 10-member CEO transition team made the unanimous choice to have DePriest lead the Community Foundation forward.”
As CEO of Families First, a 131 year-old nonprofit serving at-risk children and families throughout Georgia, he managed over $30 million in assets and also raised significant funding, $2 million of which will directly impact Gwinnett families. He also led the organization through a new five-year strategic planning process within his first three months as CEO.
When COVID-19 struck, Waddy saw an opportunity to do even more for the approximately 16,000 families the nonprofit services. Under his leadership, Families First designed a new model for “resilient families”, which included a new “Navigator” care model. This prevention-based strategy is designed to accelerate families toward a permanent path of stability and success, providing them with a Navigator who engages, listens and connects the family to resources, as well as tracks progress and provides care after program completion.
Also under Waddy’s leadership, he led a team with a social neuroscientist utilizing data science technology to develop a resiliency assessment tool to determine a family’s ability to improve scores in social connectedness, access to basic needs, and optimism, thus moving them from surviving to thriving.
Waddy received his bachelor’s degree in marketing from The University of Alabama and his MBA from Kennesaw State University. He is a Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2015 alumnus, as well as a Leadership Birmingham Class of 2019 alumnus and Leadership Atlanta Class of 2022. He has been named to the Atlanta 500 in 2021 and 2022, Atlanta Magazine’s annual list of the area’s most powerful leaders. He was also awarded the Georgia Titan 100 in 2022. He and his wife, Carol, have one married daughter and two granddaughters.
“I am thrilled to have DePriest as the Community Foundation’s new CEO,” said
Current CFNEGa CEO Randy Redner, who led the Foundation for several years, says: “Over the years we have developed a great professional partnership, but, more importantly, we have grown a wonderful personal friendship. I have had the privilege of watching his leadership at work for many years and know his heart for the community and those he serves. He is a talented, visionary leader who brings a wealth of nonprofit and corporate experience to this role. All of this makes me very excited for the future of the Community Foundation!”
Waddy says: “I am thrilled that God has blessed me to lead this phenomenal organization. Randy Redner has done a masterful job as CEO, and I applaud him and the Community Foundation board for setting the stage to achieve continued growth and help meet the increasing needs.”
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Prediction: When Gwinnett will have 1 million residents
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MAY 20, 2022 | Observers of the Gwinnett scene know that Gwinnett County is composed of “about a million people.” People have been using this phrase in recent years as the county approached that figure.
It’s getting closer to the time when the county will pass 1,000,000 residents. In fact, today we’ll come close to pinpointing the exact date it will happen.
Here’s how we approached this question.
First and obvious, we find that the 2022 census estimate said that on April 1, Gwinnett counted 957,052 residents. Looking at April 1, 2020, the population estimate was 926, 414. That means in the last two years, Gwinnett has grown 31,648 people, or 15,824 a year.
To reach a million residents, Gwinnett must attract 42,938 more people. Given the average of 15,824 now moving to Gwinnett each year, that would mean that in 2.71 years, a million people would call Gwinnett home.
Adding 15,824 a year would mean the 2023 population would be 972,876, while in 2024 the figure would be 988,700 residents. That final 11,300 would push Gwinnett to the million mark, but that measures from April 1 of each year. Multiply that final 0.71 of a year times 365 days, to get 259 days, would mean that the date of arriving at a million people in Gwinnett would be Dec. 16, 2025.
Drum roll, please.
Or close to it.
We’ll check back when we get the April 1 population projections in 2023 and 2024 to see how fast Gwinnett is approaching the million mark. For right now, we settle on Dec. 16, 2025 as the “magic” year. Somebody get the gift bags ready for that resident No. 1,000,000.
Ever since 2004, Gwinnett has been the second most populated county in the state, behind Fulton County. That county is larger in land area than Gwinnett, which has 437 square miles of land, compared to 534 square miles in Fulton County.
While Gwinnett is 46th in size in Georgia, Fulton is 17th in land area, resulting from the Depression era. During that time, the county immediately to the north of Fulton (Milton), and the county directly to the south (Campbell), both went broke. Both counties were added to Fulton County and today that county stretches 70 miles in length, from way down in South Fulton to the Cherokee County line in the north.
Gwinnett is not only smaller, but as a comparison, its north-south distance is shorter. On Interstate 85 from the Gwinnett County line all the way to Jackson County, the south to north route is a length of 27.5 miles.
Anniversary time: Thursday (yesterday) marked the 245th anniversary of the death of our county’s namesake, Button Gwinnett. He died from a bullet wound in a duel with his political rival, Lachlan McIntosh. These two often tangled with words, but this time it was with pistols. Dueling in those days was a matter of honor. And recognize that both men were gentlemen in the duel, in that they aimed for the legs, and both were hit. Gwinnett died three days later from gangrene poisoning.
The words that caused the duel, according to the Journal of the American Revolution, seem rather mild. Button charged that McIntosh called him a “scoundrel in public,” so wanted a duel. After both were shot, the seconds said “…both behav’d like gentlemen and men of honor, (and we) led the General up to Mr. Gwinnett and they both shook hands.”
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Lail Family Dentistry
Dr. Slade Lail and his team
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Lail Family Dentistry has been serving the community in Duluth and Gwinnett County for 50years. Being the longest serving dental practice in the county, our roots run deep within our community and will continue to do so for generations to come. The doctors at Lail Family Dentistry are all members of the Lail family and are here to provide for you and yours. If you are in search of a traditional, hometown dentist that utilizes the latest dental techniques and technology while also exemplifying the utmost sense of professionalism, timeliness, and hospitality, we would be glad to welcome you to our practice. For more information, please visit our website at drlail.com or phone (770) 476-2400.
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Lacking Social Security number, many can’t access Internet
Editor, the Forum:
While I agree with Rep. Dewey McClain that one fifth of Gwinnett is not connected to the internet, I would argue that he did not go far enough in his explanation as to why this occurs. While some of the issue is related to income and poverty, there is also an issue of not having a Social Security number.
Some residents that are either illegal or undocumented cannot obtain a Social Security number. Since all of the major providers require a credit check and SSN before obtaining service, they will never be able to do so with or without financial resources. Part of the issue continues to be a broken immigration system in the country. Until either the immigration system is fixed, or Congress takes some action, this is unlikely to change significantly.
– Sid Camp, Dawsonville
Short verse puts our country in focus
Editor, the Forum:
Someone sent me this, and I want to pass it along:
WAKE UP AMERICA:
Logic is dead.
Excellence is punished.
Mediocrity is rewarded.
And dependency is to be revered.
This is present-day America.
There is too much partisanship and rancor between parties! Wish we could go back to the days when we had differences in political philosophy and ideology but we had the leadership who were willing to come together to do what was right for our nation. I think I’m dreaming!!! Our country might just implode before that happens.
– Randall Pugh, Jefferson
Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 300 words, and include your hometown. The views of letters are the opinion of the contributor. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net.
Commission approves reorg of juvenile court system
A reorganization of the Gwinnett Juvenile Court system is coming as a result of a Board of Commission approval this week. The decision will establish a new administrative department and move administration of Juvenile Court to the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Vereen
Under the approved structure, employee positions would be transferred to the newly created Department of Child Advocacy and Juvenile Services and report to the County Administrator. The department will be headed up by Michelle Vereen, a veteran staff member in Gwinnett County Juvenile Court. The changes go into effect May 28, 2022.
As it now stands, the guardian ad litem, court-appointed special advocates and probation officers under the court report to the juvenile court judges. This could cause potential or perceived conflicts with employees’ ability to independently investigate cases and offer recommendations to the court. The reorganization will allow for the independence required and open up opportunities for the new department to apply for grants, prepare for future legislative changes and tap into County resources.
Matic is new county chief deputy tax commissioner
New Tax Commissioner Denise R. Mitchell has appointed Lisa Matic as Gwinnett County’s chief deputy tax commissioner.
Matic
Matic joined the Gwinnett Tax Commissioner’s Office in 2002 and has been director of property tax since 2021. She has held progressively responsible positions, beginning her career as an assistant manager, then being promoted to branch manager, senior tax business manager at the Lawrenceville tag office, then senior tax business manager in charge of delinquent collections.
Mitchell
Mitchell says: “Ms. Matic has more than 20 years of experience with our office and possesses expertise in both motor vehicle and property tax. She is proactive and extremely knowledgeable about the laws, rules and regulations that govern the operations of this office.”
Matic earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Columbia Southern University, and is a graduate of Gwinnett County’s LEAD Academy and the EXCEL Leadership Program.
Born in Long Beach, Calif., she has been a resident of Gwinnett since 1984, and lives in Lawrenceville with her husband. They have a son and daughter, both graduates of the University of Georgia. Her son is a mechanical engineer and her daughter is in her first year at the UGA vet school.
Jackson EMC participating in 68-megawatt solar project
Jackson EMC participated in a dedication event to “flip the switch” on a new 68-megawatt (MWAC) Houston Solar Project that provides clean energy for members in Houston County, Ga. Jackson EMC is among 30 Georgia electric cooperatives that will collectively share in the site’s power production.
Green Power EMC, the renewable energy provider owned by 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) including Jackson EMC, is purchasing all the energy and environmental attributes generated by the Houston Solar site on behalf of its member cooperatives. Jackson EMC’s share of the Houston Solar Project will bring the cooperative’s total solar capacity to 44 megawatts, enough to completely power roughly 10,000 homes.
As a clean energy source, the solar site’s environmental offset is equivalent to approximately 124,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The Houston Solar site also co-locates renewable energy production with regenerative agriculture practices on the same land, including land management using planned sheep grazing.
Lamme elected vice president of state conservation group
Lamme
Georgia Association of Conservation Districts elected Ellis Lamme as vice president at its Annual Meeting. He is a native of Portsmouth, Ohio and has lived in the suburbs of Atlanta for almost 30 years. In 2000, he was elected as chairman of the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District Board and has since been re-elected for three terms. He also currently serves as President of the Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation and Development Council, a multi-county environmental organization based out of Lawrenceville. He and his wife of 24 years, Phyllis, live on a 12-acre farm in Dacula, where they plant and maintain a huge summer garden, grow blueberries and Muscadine grapes, black walnuts, and care for several chickens. Phyllis Lamme is president of a civil engineering/surveying firm based in Gwinnett County, McFarland-Dyer and Associates, Inc.
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All That We Hold Dear by Kathryn Lynn Davis
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Kathryn Hays continues the story of a family on a Scottish island that began with Too Deep for Tears. It opens with Eva Crawford who is looking for the truth about her ancestry including her birth mother, Celia Ward, who gave her up at birth. She travels to Glasgow and finds a worn yellowed journal that are the only clues to her lost heritage. This journal opens the door to her lost relatives, Alisa Rose Sinclair, and Mairi Rose, their individual and collective stories and their pain and loss more than a century ago. The stories of Alisa Rose Sinclair, her love for the island and Ian Fraser along with other richly developed characters help Eva to recognize her own strengths and talents. Kathryn Hays is a gifted writer who creates deep and warm experiences along with faith that love is not lost but only changes form.
- An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Send to: elliott@brack.net
Walsh writes of many well known authors
William Walsh is a writer, professor, editor, and interviewer of some of the best-known contemporary authors. A novelist and narrative poet, his work is influenced by David Bottoms, James Dickey, Theodore Roethke, and Sharon Olds.
Born on January 12, 1961, in Jamestown, N.Y., he is the son of William J. Walsh Jr., a salesman, and Elaine Card Walsh, a human resources administrator. Walsh received his A.A. in Liberal Arts from Dekalb College in 1983, his A.B. in English from Georgia State University in 1985, and his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Vermont College in Montpelier in 1991.
A storyteller in the tradition of David Bottoms, Walsh’s poems are narrative explorations of place, memory, imagination, and regret. His first full-length collection, The Conscience of My Other Being (2005), playfully parses the fractured experiences of American life. Memory and travel are recurring themes in his second book, Lost in the White Ruins (2014).
Walsh’s fourth book of poetry, Fly Fishing in Times Square (2020), received the Editor’s Book Prize from Červená Barva Press. Place and memory are again at the forefront of these poems, and in various settings—Times Square, North Georgia, Wyoming, and Montana—the speaker longs to correct the past or make sense of the present. In the title poem, “Fly Fishing in Times Square, 2015,” a tourist visits New York City but is preoccupied with thoughts of the Wyoming countryside. Walsh’s poems celebrate such moments of insight, and along his journey he finds them with family and strangers, in settings domestic and natural, and in experiences both mundane and profound.
In addition to his poetry, Walsh has interviewed more than 100 important contemporary authors and published those interviews in over 50 journals. A collection of his interviews, Speak So I Shall Know Thee: Interviews with Southern Writers (1990), was a finalist for the Georgia Author of the Year and includes conversations with 31 writers, many of whom are closely associated with the literary life of Georgia. Walsh also edited the collections Under the Rock Umbrella: Contemporary American Poets from 1951-1977 (2006), which won the Georgia Author of the Year Award, and David Bottoms: Critical Essays and Interviews (2010).
Walsh has taught at Georgia Perimeter College and LaGrange College. Since 2016 he has been an assistant professor of English at Reinhardt University and director of the B.F.A. and M.F.A. writing programs for the Etowah Valley Writers Institute. He is also the editor of the James Dickey Review. In 2019 Walsh received the Faculty Artistic Award from Reinhardt University.
Walsh’s first novel, Lakewood, was published in 2022. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Check out this most distinctive photograph
Today’s mystery is a distinctive photograph that may have startled many of you. We’ve never seen anything like this. So where is it? Send your guess to elliott@brack.net, including your hometown.
What we thought the last Mystery Photo was pretty obvious and tried to throw our readers off with our introduction. It apparently worked for many, though not for three: George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill; Allan Peel, San Antonio, Tex. The photo came from Vera Forkner of Duluth.
Peel wrote of how he came to figure this out: “So many canals … so little time. My first reaction was the photo was probably shot along a canal in the Netherlands (never been there), so that is where I started my search. Figured I might as well start in Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands.
“What a maze of canals! Did you know that Amsterdam has 62-miles of canals? I certainly didn’t! So I looked at Google Maps Street View from all of the bridges for one that features this view. Uhg! Did you know that Amsterdam has more than 1,500 bridges crossing over the canals?
“I needed to narrow the search down some more. So I looked for some specific clues in the photo, and I noticed that there was a rather unique looking weathervane in the top left of the picture. Anticipating that there may be a number of such landmarks to look through, I decided to also use the white building as a second landmark to focus on. Finally, I noticed that there was a bend-left in the canal just beyond the bridge in the distance in the mystery photo. So with these three landmarks in mind, I searched Google Satellite view for similar landmarks, and after about 15-minutes of ‘cruising’ the canals of Amsterdam in Google Maps 3D view, I finally found the exact location where the photo was taken, facing southeast, down the Prinsengracht Street canal, between the bridges at Leidsestraat and Spiegelgracht streets.”
Chabad Center groundbreaking will be May 25
Registering your child for school in Gwinnett County is an easy, two-step process. Register online on Gwinnett County Public Schools’ website. Before May 20, schedule an appointment at your child’s school to verify information, complete a readiness profile, pick up materials, and learn about exciting summer learning activities for your child. To learn more, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.
19th annual Memorial Day observance will be May 30 at 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Keynote speaker will be Gwinnett County Commissioner Lt. Col. (Ret) Jasper Watkins.
Groundbreaking of the Chabad Enrichment Center will be Sunday, May 22 at 4 p.m. at the corner of Spalding and Crooked Creek drives in Peachtree Corners. The Chabad Center is committed to providing every Jew the opportunity to celebrate joy through programs that nurture connection, belonging, cultural fulfillment and spiritual growth. The public is invited.
A new amateur group, Contemporary Classics Theater, will present a concert version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, on Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at the Norcross Community Center. Admission is $40 per person.
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