Gwinnett County is set to unveil its recommendations for future transit and transportation enhancements at a series of upcoming meetings. From June 5 until June 14, residents can see and share their thoughts on preliminary concepts for bicycle facilities, multi-use paths and sidewalks, transit expansion and other improvements across the county.
Since 2022, Gwinnett has worked on the Transit Development Plan and Comprehensive Transportation Plan to address regional growth and improve safety and mobility for years to come. Both planning efforts have been fueled by public and stakeholder input to establish the County’s vision and priorities for transportation, identify short-term and long-term needs and provide recommendations that will guide Gwinnett.
The first meeting will be held Monday, June 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the E Center at Sugar Hill. The full list of event locations and dates, is shown below:
- Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Dacula Park Activity Building, 2735 Auburn Avenue;
- Monday, June 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Peachtree Corners City Hall, 310 Technology Parkway;
- Tuesday, June 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at OneStop, Centerville, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville; and
- Wednesday, June 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lawrenceville City Hall, 70 South Clayton Street.
At each talk, you can expect to see examples and visuals of these recommendations. We’ll showcase preliminary concepts for transit investments, improved roadways, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and more. A local vendor will also provide free treats so you can enjoy the conversation while helping ensure that our county remains vibrantly connected for years to come.
Fosque to lead Partnership Gwinnett
Fosque
The Gwinnett Chamber announces the hiring of Marlene M. Fosque to its executive leadership team, to become vice president of economic development, leading the Partnership Gwinnett initiative. She brings more than 20 years of corporate business experience to the role and served for four years (2019-2022) as a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. Fosque began her role with the organization on June 1.
A former professional with Aetna, Fosque has more than 20 years of private business experience. Within the private sector, she has installed project management strategies, led workflow and process improvement initiatives and improved overall customer satisfaction ratings. Most recently, she created and launched her own consulting firm to lead strategic planning and execution services for both public and private sector organizations.
She is a current member of the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority board of directors, leading efforts to advance mobility and transit throughout Metro Atlanta.
Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett President and CEO Nick Masino says: “Marlene brings the desired experience in both public and private sectors to Partnership Gwinnett and has a proven record for serving our community with excellence. We are excited to have her on the team and look forward to what will be accomplished under her leadership.”
Fosque is a graduate of Regent University with a Master of Public Administration in public leadership and management. She also holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Shorter University and is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development in Region 3. She is a graduate of Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, as well as a graduate of the Leadership Gwinnett class. Fosque began her role with the organization on June 1.
GGC grad comes for softball, now heads for grad school
Pelaez, photo provided.
Sydney Pelaez says that if there is one thing you should know about her, it’s that she likes to set goals for herself, both realistic and lofty, and then knock them out of the park.
Exhibit A was her decision to leave the familiarity of Tampa, Fla., where she grew up, and move 500 miles north to Gwinnett County, as soon as she graduated from high school. She came to play for Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) women’s softball team, mainly, but there was more to it than that. She started each game this season as the team’s catcher, and his .438 for the season.
“This was a school that I thought would push me to succeed and set me up for my future after college,” says Pelaez. “With small class sizes, I knew I would be forced to participate but also know my professors and not just be a number.”
She says she had “done ok” in school to that point, academically, but she knew she could do better if she put herself in the right place. “I always have goals that are lofty and seem like they will be difficult to achieve. When I came to GGC, I was not confident in myself academically. Coming out of high school, I didn’t feel as smart as others. I didn’t make bad grades, but I often found myself hiding in the back of the room because I didn’t think I was as smart as my peers.”
She made it a goal to be better than that at GGC and fully immersed herself in the student-athlete experience in her first year.
“I lived in student housing and was surrounded by people from all over the world with all different backgrounds,” she recalls. “I was able to make many new friends and participate in many on-campus events that GGC offered, and I gained confidence in the classroom.”
On the softball side, she made new friends and traveled to California for the first time. She became a starter and contributed consistently to the team, another goal she’d set for herself. To end a successful first year, the team won the conference tournament’s opening round, and finished fourth at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Softball World Series, which was the furthest in team history.
She built on her momentum during the beginning of her sophomore year, growing as a leader by pushing herself out of her comfort zones. She became director of athletics for the Student Government Association and got involved with the Council for Student Athletes, advocating for student athletes and organizing community service activities.
At the end of her senior year, she decided to stay another year because she had unfinished business on the softball field. An extra year would also allow her to add to her studies and set herself up for another new goal: graduate school.
Pelaez graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, a double concentration in both international relations and public administration, and a minor in criminal justice/criminology. She has accepted an offer to George Mason University to pursue a Master of Arts in political science, specializing in international security.
“Goals are important in life,” she reiterates. “For me, it’s how I keep myself striving for excellence and continuing to grow. If you set difficult goals and work to achieve them, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Hendrickson is new vice chair of ACCG Committee
Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson is the new vice-chair of the Economic Development and Transportation Policy Committee for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia for 2023-24. Douglas County Commissioner Tarenia Carthan has been named chair. The appointments were made by ACCG President and Baldwin County Commissioner Henry Craig.
This committee is responsible for identifying progressive state, regional, and local economic development policies and implementation strategies that lead to sustained development throughout the state. In addition to focusing on various issues including tax and investment policies and workforce development, the committee also works to achieve a comprehensive and interconnected transportation system throughout the entire state by addressing the needs of all components of a multimodal system.
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