Falany & Hulse Women's Center Opens in Towne Lake Falany & Hulse Women's Center is scheduled to open a new Towne Lake location on January 12. The team of board-certified physicians includes Dr. Angela Falany, Dr. Michael Hulse, Dr. Najai Lawrence, and Dr. Annie Kim, along with certified physician assistants. Falany & Hulse Women's Center provides state-of-the-art women's healthcare, including OB/GYN services and surgical procedures performed in office and at Northside Hospital-Cherokee and North Georgia Medical Center in east Ellijay affiliated hospitals. 900 Towne Lake Parkway, Suite 404, Woodstock. 770-720-8551, FalanyAndHulse.com
Georgia Academy for Economic Development Includes Cherokee Graduates The Georgia Academy for Economic Development, held this past December, included a 2014 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program open to Cherokee County participants. Meghan Griffin, director of the City of Canton's Main Street program, and Mitzi Saxon, administrative coordinator for the City of Woodstock's Office of Economic Development & Downtown Development Authority, were among the participants from professional and non-professional economic development fields, elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers across 10 counties in metro Atlanta. Georgia EMC and Georgia Power provide facilitators for the program, and the Georgia Dept. of Community Affairs provides staff support to this important program. Created in 1993, the Academy is taught one day a month over a four-month period. It includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, planning, and other essentials for community success. In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills, such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development. Local elected officials may receive certification training credits through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program. "One of the goals for the multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation," says Corinne Thornton, director of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. "Many times the participants discover the issues facing their community are the same as those facing other communities in their region, and can then combine limited resources to address the issue."
Studio 121 Relocates to Ball Ground Studio 121 has relocated from Downtown Canton to a new facility in Ball Ground. Patricia Reeves, proprietor of Studio 121, has been "serving soul food through the Arts" with an army of artists in the "Art of the Living Coalition," a 501(c)(3) mobile ministry since 1994. Volunteers take art and music programs to special needs' groups, including nursing homes, hospitals, and drug/alcohol rehabilitation facilities. The studio serves as both an art gallery and workshop for resident and visiting artists, and offers art and music lessons, as well as art camps during school breaks. Patricia and the artists donate 30 percent and 100 percent, respectively, of art sales to the "Art of Living Coalition" to continue to minister to special needs' groups, nursing homes, and drug/alcohol treatment centers in the area. The art gallery is open 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Saturdays, and by appointment. 1600 Howell Bridge Road, Ball Ground. 770-479-6961, TheStudio121.com
Inalfa Cherokee Facility Now Open Inalfa Roof Systems has opened its new assembly facility in Cherokee County. The new assembly facility, located at Cherokee 75 Corporate Park in Acworth, is part of the company's strategic expansion plan to double its efforts in technical innovation. According to a company press release, "In 2010 and 2011, as the North American market rebounded, it became clear that we needed to address the growing demand in the Southeast to satisfy our customers and growth of the business." Planning started for a new facility in 2012. Inalfa Cherokee currently produces roof systems for BMW, Ford and Nissan programs, with plans to add GM business and glass encapsulation capabilities in 2015. Currently, more than 250 employees work at the Inalfa Cherokee facility. With the continued growth of the business, Inalfa Cherokee expects to grow beyond 400 employees by 2016.
Cherokee Chamber Elects New Board of Directors The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce has announced the seven members who were elected recently to the organization's board of directors. These volunteers will serve three-year terms beginning in January 2015 and continuing through December 2017. The newly elected board members include Neil Blackman, Corblu Ecology Group; Dr. Brian Hightower, individual member; Karen Mathews, WellStar Health System; Jeff Mitchell, South State Bank; Michael Searcy, WLJA 101.1 FM/Enjoy! Cherokee magazine; Jennifer Stanley, Northside Hospital-Cherokee; and Alan Thompson, MOJO Productions. "I look forward to working with these new board members, as well as those who will be continuing to serve the Chamber as we work collaboratively to meet the Chamber's mission," said Jeff Rusbridge, of Dyer & Rusbridge, PC, who serves as the 2015 chairman of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce.
Chad Atkinson Joins Henssler Financial Chad Atkinson, FIC, has joined Henssler Financial as an Insurance Specialist. Atkinson has nearly three years' experience in helping families with security needs through insurance products. A U.S. Navy veteran, Atkinson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance degree from Kennesaw State University. As a Cherokee County resident, he is active with the Cherokee Chamber, serving on the chairman's council and education committee, and also on the board of directors for Cherokee FOCUS and Give A Kid A Chance organizations. In addition, Atkinson assists numerous other organizations with fundraising and special projects, such as Healing Hands Youth Ranch, Next Step Ministries, North Georgia Angel House, and the Junior Service League of Woodstock. Henssler Financial has provided comprehensive financial solutions to clients for more than 25 years. The company's services include financial planning, tax preparation and consulting, risk management and estate planning, as well as CFO services for businesses. 3735 Cherokee St., Kennesaw. 770-429-9166, Henssler.com
Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C. & Aesthetic Center Relocates Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C. & Aesthetic Center has relocated to a new office in Marietta. Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C. & Aesthetic Center provides services related to the prevention and management of skin cancer, including skin cancer screening examinations; removal of skin growths for biopsy and the removal of skin cancers; Mohs micrographic surgery; and advanced reconstructive surgery for skin cancer. Office hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. 835 Cogburn Ave., N.W.., Marietta. 770-422-5557, SkinCancerSpecialists.com
Waleska, Woodstock Win Mayor's Recycling Challenge Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce "Going Green" committee challenged cities in Cherokee County to encourage residents to recycle as part of the third annual "Mayor's Recycling Challenge." For the third consecutive year, the City of Waleska collected the most recycling per capita, with 138.4 pounds per resident, as determined based on 2013 U.S. Census population estimates. Additional per capita totals included City of Ball Ground, 73.5 pounds/resident; City of Woodstock, 13.9 pounds/resident; City of Nelson, 8.2 pounds/resident; City of Canton, 6.6 pounds/resident; and City of Holly Springs, 6.3 pounds/resident. The City of Woodstock collected the most recycling, totaling 374,322 pounds; City of Canton, 158,622 pounds; Ball Ground, 109,000 pounds; Waleska, 96,760 pounds; Holly Springs, 61,660 pounds; and Nelson, 10,820 pounds. The combined total collected by all the cities was 811,184 pounds a 3-percent increase over last year. The winners were announced during the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce's "Good Morning Cherokee" breakfast meeting in September. North Metro Waste and Waste Management partnered with the Chamber on this event.
Northside Cancer Institute Honored for Excellence in Care Northside Hospital Cancer Institute was honored recently with the Outstanding Achievement Award for achieving excellence in quality cancer care, based on surveys performed in 2013. The award is presented by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. Since the award's inception in 2004, Northside has received the Outstanding Achievement Award for every survey performed (2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013); Northside is one of only 10 hospitals in the country to have received the award for each survey. Northside's Cancer Institute was evaluated on 34 program standards categorized within one of five cancer program activity areas: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, cancer conferences, clinical services, and quality improvement. Northside was further evaluated on seven commendation standards. To be eligible, all award recipients must have received commendation ratings in all seven commendation standards, in addition to receiving a compliance rating for each of the 34 other standards.
Burnette Opens Mediation Firm Burnette Arbitration and Mediation Services Inc. opened recently in Downtown Canton. The firm, led by Dennis Burnette, provides alternative dispute resolution as an effective way of handling conflicts without resorting to litigation. Burnette has the training to assist parties in resolving disputes through mediation, facilitation, and arbitration. Specialty areas include: business and commercial disputes, debt mediation, land-use mediation, and divorce mediation. In addition, Burnette's vast experience in banking including 35 years as bank president, most recently as president/CEO of Cherokee Bank provides a unique perspective on the financial aspects of a dispute. He completed training at Henning Institute in Atlanta and is registered through the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution with the Supreme Court of Georgia in General Mediation, Arbitration and Divorce Mediation. 150 North St., Suite F, Canton. 770-893-7085, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.