The LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce recognized small businesses and private school teachers in ceremonies Tuesday during its monthly breakfast.
“Each year, the chamber has recognized outstanding teachers from our public system. However, we have not extended the same recognition to our private school partners, that is until this morning,” said Dave Marler, the chamber’s vice-chairman for community development. He and Opal Hogg, chairwoman of the chamber’s education committee, recognized the following educators from LaGrange Academy and Lafayette Christian School:
LaGrange Academy: Gail Rachmuth (art teacher)
Lafayette Christian School: Lower School - Amanda Jordan (Kindergarten-4th grade teacher); Upper School - Cindy Cofield (math teacher)
Chamber board chairman Scott Landa and and Amy Warren, vice chairman for business retention, recognized the winners of the annual Small Business Awards.
Category I (0-5 employees): Capital Investment Services, accepted by Bobby Lumpkin
Category II (6-10 employees): Stephens Printing Company, accepted by Roger and Darlene Stephens and Adam Garrett
Category III (11-25 employees): Vernon Woods Retirement Community, accepted by Susan Burdick, Kathy Howard and Josh O’Neal.
Chamber members also heard from Troup County Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe about the proposed College and Career Academy. The academy is meant to prepare Troup County students to meet the demands of future employers.
Wolfe said that the first step in the creation of such an academy had to be understanding what the needs of businesses are. A questionnaire was put out to employers of which 58 percent of the industries have returned them. This information is being analyzed and this phase of the project will be completed by the end of May. John Asbell of Georgia Power is taking responsibility for this process.
The second phase of the project is to build the curriculum. Retired Superintendent Roy Nichols is taking on this responsibility and plans to have this phase completed by the end of July.
The additional pieces that must be in place in order for the academy to open for its projected 2014 school year are being attended to on a ongoing basis. Key people have been positioned to make the development of the College and Career Academy a reality for the students of Troup County.
“Public education is my business and it is your business…in a healthy community there must be mutual responsibility to help,” Wolfe said.
Post a Comment
