The City of Peachtree Corners has released a video on the state of its city. Mayor Mike Mason hosts this 16 minutes video, highlighting what has recently gone on within the city’s borders. He emphasizes the city’s success is a team effort and introduces the members of the City of Peachtree Corners team.
Within its borders, its Town Center, which celebrated its fifth anniversary, continues to thrive as a community gathering space. Recent upgrades include improved lighting, Wi-Fi, security, a new drainage system, a dog park, a tot lot playground, and additional seating and shade. Overlook Garden was also built as a memorial to Debbie Mason. The Peachtree Corners Pedestrian Bridge has further unified the city’s downtown, spurring redevelopment at The Forum with housing, retail, and entertainment options.
Curiosity Lab, a key innovation hub, has supported over 150 companies in testing smart city technology. The lab has enhanced public safety, transportation, and economic development, adding 2,700 jobs and supporting 84 startups.
- To view the the mayor’s state of the city video, go to: https://youtu.be/IPCDyqqe-yE
Balfour joins Southern-focused public affairs firm
A southern-focused public affairs and government relations firm has hired former state Sen. Don Balfour of Norcross as one of its executive vice presidents. Ohio River South announced that Balfour will bolster the firm’s reach and relationship for federal and multi-state engagements with this expansion.
Balfour
At the same time, the company also announced that Andy Beck is also joining the firm also in the executive vice president capacity. He will lead the firm’s communications practice as it expands to Washington D.C.
Howard Franklin, founder and CEO of Ohio River South, says: “Andy and Don bring tremendous expertise and credibility to the firm. Their experience in public affairs, government relations, and corporate strategy will be tremendous assets to our growing roster of clients across a wide array of industries and geographies.”
Balfour will be Executive vice president of government relations. He was the longest-serving Republican in the Georgia State Senate, representing Gwinnett County for more than 20 years, where he chaired the key rules and reapportionment committees and shepherded landmark legislation into law, including property tax freezes and eminent domain reforms.
Balfour will lead the firm’s multistate practice. He previously was president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, chairing the State Suggested Legislation Committee for the Council of State Governments, and held multiple posts within the American Legislative Exchange Council. Additionally, Don served as an executive with Waffle House for over 25 years.
Ohio River South is an advocacy firm working with public and private sectors across the American South. Specializing in lobbying, strategic communications and business partnerships, the firm has helped clients score legislative wins, drive public perception, and launch innovative projects across multiple southern states. For more information, visit www.ohioriversouth.com.
GGC provides two stories for Valentine’s Day
Velasquez and Gonzalez family at GGC. Provided.
The adage goes, you learn more outside the college classroom than in it. It’s when many learn how to live independently, discover their true calling, conquer insecurities and rise to significant challenges. For the exceptionally fortunate, it’s also when they meet their true love.
There’s no telling how many people have met as Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students and gone on to tie the knot. Here are two of those stories:
A Million to One
The likelihood that Esteban Gonzalez and Valentina Velasquez would ever meet was at least a million to one. Both grew up in different Latin American countries, Esteban in Monterrey, Mexico, and Valentina in Manizales, Colombia. The two cities are well over 4,000 miles apart.
But, as luck would have it, Esteban’s parents immigrated to the United States in 2000 when he was 5 years old, and Valentina’s in 2008 when she was 17. Both families settled in Gwinnett County for work and because they liked the school system. When they both chose to attend GGC, in 2017 they were introduced by mutual friends at a soccer game in Atlanta.
They both noticed the same thing about each other right away. “She has a strong personality, but I could tell right away she had a good heart,” he says. “He was funny, and I could tell he had a good heart,” she also says.
They started dating. On Valentina’s 29th birthday, Esteban surprised her with a black labrador retriever puppy named Belky. She was overjoyed, and then she noticed the puppy’s collar had a strange tag with something written on it. She pulled the tag straight to find the words, “Will you marry me?” They were married on August 21, 2021, in Santiago Nuevo León, México
Both graduated in 2016. Today, Esteban is a project engineer for Archer Western Contractors in Atlanta, and Valentina is a digital marketing manager at Lanier Islands Resort in Buford. In July 2022, their family expanded when they welcomed daughter Antonella. Belky is still living her best life as the cutest wingman ever.
Love at Second Sight
Zeleda family. Provided.
Mauricio and Natalie Zelada met at the March Through the Arch GGC welcoming celebration in 2012. They had no idea they had already been peers at Collins Hill High School in Lawrenceville for four years.
Natalie remembers: “I had just gotten out of a previous relationship, so when he asked me to have coffee with him, I declined.”
They remained friends. But soon it was apparent something more powerful was developing. Mauricio asked Natalie to dinner. This time, she happily accepted. “He was a gentleman and made sure I was taken care of, and since I was still living at home at the time, he made sure to drive me back and say hello to my family as well.” That sealed the deal.
They began dating in March 2015. Three years later, Mauricio surprised Natalie by proposing to her at their church, surrounded by friends and family. They were married that June.
Natalie says her favorite thing about Mauricio is his ability to understand others. “He is aware of others’ emotions and is very empathetic to what they need.” Mauricio said he loves how approachable and easy to talk to Natalie is. “That was one of the first things I loved about her,” he says.
Natalie graduated in 2016, and Mauricio followed in 2018. Today, Natalie teaches second grade at Rock Springs Elementary School, and Mauricio is an accountant at Store My Truck in Norcross. They had their first baby, Evelyn, in January.
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