The 19th annual Gwinnett Memorial Day observance will be May 30 at 1 p.m. at the Gwinnett Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville, in front of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Keynote speaker will be Gwinnett County Commissioner Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jasper Watkins III.
Watkins
Gwinnett County officials will honor four fallen military and public service heroes during the ceremony. Three fallen heroes will be inducted into the Fallen Heroes Memorial. They are:
- Logan James Wade, who grew up in Gwinnett County and was employed as an EMT with American Medical Response. Wade was killed in September 2021 while stopping to give aid at a car crash on Interstate-85. He was en route to deliver supplies to first responders providing response in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana.
- Ronald Donat, a Gwinnett Police recruit, who experienced a medical emergency during physical training at the Gwinnett Police Training Center and passed away in October 2021.
- Lance Cpl. Jonathan Gierke, a Marine from Lawrenceville, who was killed in a military vehicle crash near Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in January 2022.
The County will also recognize George “Constantin” Bolof, an employee with the Gwinnett Department of Water Resources, who was killed while directing vehicles around a construction site at Oak Grove Road and Henderson Lake Drive in September 2021. Bolof was inducted into the memorial in fall 2021 during a private ceremony.
Watkins served 25 years as an Army pharmacist, five years as chief of the Bureau for Statewide Pharmaceutical Services for the Florida Department of Health, and two years with the Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center’s pharmacy.
He completed an Army Fellowship in Medication Use Safety and is the first African American in the armed forces and the state of Florida to achieve board certification with the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacist Nuclear Pharmacy Residency Program. While in the service, he assisted in the placement of wounded personnel from the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and helped lead pharmaceutical support for civilians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and resupply operations immediately after Hurricane Andrew. Among other military decorations and honors, Watkins received the Legion of Merit — the highest peacetime military award — along with the Award of Excellence in Allied Health Care and the Order of Military Medical Merit.
Jones reelected to Georgia Transmission board
Jones
Otis P. Jones of Buford was recently reelected as secretary-treasurer of the Georgia Transmission Corp. board of directors. In addition, he serves as chairman of the board for Jackson Electric Membership Corp. (EMC). Other officers include Charles R. Fendley of Amicalola EMC, chairman of the board; and Steve E. Rawl Sr., representing the Okefenokee Rural EMC.
In the past year, Georgia Transmission Corp navigated an executive leadership transition, including the retirement of former president and CEO Jerry Donovan and the appointments of President and CEO Barbara Hampton and Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Dustin Zubke. Georgia Transmission Corp., a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 38 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), owns more than 3,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 760 substations
Lawrenceville kicks off 4th high school internship program
The City of Lawrenceville held its “Summer of Impact Signing Day” recently, kicking off its summer high school internship program for the fourth year. Signing contracts were 29 students for an eight-week summer program, before an audience of future employers, community leaders, family and friends.
Lawrenceville Mayor David Still feels that the city is “….building a legacy of leaders right here in our community. Selected interns from Central Gwinnett and Discovery High Schools will enhance their skill sets and leadership abilities through immersion into their field of interest with a local business, church, or non-profit. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Summer of Impact is a collaborative initiative to help high school students discover their life’s purpose, passion and influence by participating in paid internships with local businesses. Leadership development training will be offered through Impact 46.
Two from Jackson EMC area win Harrison Scholarships
Makenzie Clark and Samuel Esowhode are two of 14 students who will receive a $1,000 Walter Harrison Scholarship, sponsored by electric cooperatives in Georgia.
Esowhode
Clark
Clark, from Jefferson, and Esowhode of Lawrenceville, were nominated by Jackson EMC, for the scholarship.
Clark, who developed a passion for veterinary medicine as a work-based learning student at Jefferson High School, is a current freshman at Gwinnett Technical College pursuing an associate degree in veterinary technology.
Esowhode graduated from Central Gwinnett High School in 2021 and is a freshman at Georgia Southern University studying mechanical engineering.
The scholarship, created in 1985, is named in honor of Walter Harrison, a pioneer in the rural electricity movement and a leader in electric cooperative programs at the local, state and national levels.
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