The commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Services will speak at the annual Gwinnett Memorial Day service on Monday, May 27, at 1 p.m. on the grounds of the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. She is Patricia Ross, who previously served as the chief operating officer of the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource, VECTR Center, for five years.
Ross
The Georgia VECTR Center provides veterans and their families a gateway into Georgia’s 51 public technical colleges and university system schools. In addition, the VECTR Center provides accelerated training in high demand and strategic industries, career counseling, academic advising, employment assistance and in partnership with other state, federal, and community agencies, and provides a one-stop-shop to help meet veteran’s needs.
Prior to leading the VECTR Center, Ross served as the first Director of Military Affairs for the Technical College System of Georgia.
After 25 years on active duty in the United States Air Force, Ross retired as a Colonel in October 2014. She culminated her career as the Vice Commander of the 78th Air Base Wing, Robins Air Force Base where she led the management of facilities and equipment valued at $3.5 billion and the execution of a $161.8 million operating budget.
Ross received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tampa, Fla; a master’s degree in systems engineering management from St. Mary’s University, Texas; and a master’s degree in military operational arts and science from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Ala. In 2023, Ross completed her Doctorate in organizational leadership from Valdosta State University.
She and her husband Scott (also retired Air Force) have four adult children.
Peach State FCU honors Boutwell with named awards
Peach State Federal Credit union is celebrating President/CEO Marshall Boutwell’s 30th anniversary with the credit union creating two $5,000 scholarships for veterans seeking to expand their education to enhance their long-term career opportunities. The Robert Marshall Boutwell Veteran’s Educational Scholarships will be funded through the Peach State FCU C.A.R.E.S. Foundation and available during the credit union’s 2025 Scholarship Program.
Boutwell, a North Carolina native raised in a military family, volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1967. He held several command and staff positions including company commander and battalion executive officer. While serving in Vietnam, Boutwell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, twelve Air Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
He has been a leader in the credit union movement. Boutwell’s dedication earned him the World Council of Credit Unions Distinguished Service Award in 2022; the Moses C. Davis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015; and induction into the Credit Union House Hall of Leaders in 2013. Boutwell’s leadership has also garnered international recognition. He was the recipient of the Knights Cross of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland in 2021 and the Polish Credit Union Foundation “Feniks” Award in 2009 for his support of Polish credit unions.
Under his direction, Peach State has enjoyed astounding success; growing from $14 million to more than $933 million in total assets, over 70,000 members, a team of 200 plus employees, and 26 branch locations throughout Georgia and South Carolina.”
GGC wins three National Science IT grants
In less than a year, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has received three grants totaling $700,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF). All three grants will help address specific needs in the information technology (IT) field.
Dr. Chavonda Mills, dean of GGC’s school of science and technology, says: “We appreciate the generosity of NSF and the dedication and hard work of our faculty to recognize and find solutions for gaps in the information technology field. Our faculty worked tirelessly to submit these three proposals to NSF, all of which benefit our students.”
The most recent grant of $200,000 was awarded by GGC on March 26. Its aim, said Dr. Wei Jin, professor of information technology, is to improve retention and academic success for GGC’s information technology majors. The two-year grant is focused on “a holistic approach to improve learning and motivation in introductory programming with automated grading, web-based team support, and game development.”
Also this year, a grant of $200,000 was awarded on March 19 this year and will be used to fund a special internship program for IT students to help them gain real world experience while also helping area non-profit organizations in developing software. Its focus is to help encourage more Hispanic students to pursue careers in software development. The grant is for three years and will assist 18 GGC interns.
Says Dr. Cengiz Gunay, associate professor of IT at GGC: “We will conduct a yearly hackathon with a challenge to help causes in the Hispanic community and we will employ various methods to recruit more Latina students into the software development major.”
In October 2023, NSF awarded GGC a $300,000 grant to expand and broaden the Technology Ambassador Program (TAP). The grant helps TAP share its experience and work products with the public, especially teachers.
Dr. Anca Doloc-Mihu, associate professor of information technology at GGC, says: “The project will disseminate this expertise by sharing TAP workshop activities with teachers via on-site workshops and then on a public online repository so that anyone can use them for outreach. Finally, a newly created alumni network will provide career development workshops to nurture the current TAP students and strengthen this exemplary program.”
EMC foundation funds $57,500 to local nonprofits
A $10,000 Jackson EMC Foundation check to Vision to Learn will help provide free vision screenings, eye exams and prescription glasses for K-12 students in need in Gwinnett County schools. At the check presentation with students at Alford Elementary School were, from left, Jennifer Fennell, Jackson EMC Gwinnett district manager; Dee Anderson, Jackson EMC Foundation board member; Dr. Shon Davis, principal, Alford Elementary School; Beauty Baldwin, Jackson EMC Foundation board member; Ayanna Browne-Magee, national director of operations for Vision to Learn; and Kenny Lumpkin, Jackson EMC Foundation representative.
The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $107,795 in grants for organizations during its recent meeting, including $57,500 to organizations serving Gwinnett County.
- $20,000 to Hi-Hope Service Center, Inc., Lawrenceville, to help fund part-time nursing and nutrition services for 20 Gwinnett County residents with developmental disabilities.
- $15,000 to Heirborn Servants, Inc., serving Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties, to provide assistance with its Give Rides program, which partners with community groups, transitional housing organizations and rideshare companies.
- $10,000 to Vision to Learn to provide free vision screenings, eye exams and prescription glasses for K-12 students in need in Gwinnett County schools.
- $7,500 to NOA’s Ark, Inc. (No One Alone) for its Trauma Counseling Program, designed to serve adults and children in all counties served by Jackson EMC recovering from family violence, child sexual assault, and dating violence.
- $5,000 to Georgia Transplant Foundation, Inc., serving all Jackson EMC counties to provide financial assistance for organ transplant candidates and recipients for medication, insurance premiums, lodging, transportation, emergency assistance and other services.
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