VISION 2030 Winter 2015 Newsletter

WINTER 2015
Board of Directors
Davis White, Chairman, VISION 2030
LinkPoint Advantage, LLC
Melissa Tymchuk, Vice Chair, VISION 2030
Northeast Georgia Health System
David Lee, Chairman, Greater Hall Chamber
Jackson EMC
Kit Dunlap, President/CEO
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce
Meg Nivens, Executive Director, VISION 2030
Carl Romberg, Immediate Past Chair, VISION 2030
Direct South, Inc.
From the Chairman
Davis White
Chairman, VISION 2030
LinkPoint Advantage, LLC
The new year is off to a busy start for VISION 2030 as we focus on several of
our “Big Ideas.” Since its inception in 2005, our mission has been to promote
healthy practices and support innovative programs that enhance our community and provide additional opportunity for residents and supporters. As we
approach the mid-way point of our initiative, we celebrate the pioneers of our
effort and the many resources we now have in place to help us reach our goals.
Through the efforts of dozens of volunteers, committee work remains strong
in the areas of Diversity, Public and Performing Arts, Greenspace, Education,
The Wisdom Project and the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue. The Healthcare
Consortium is in the process of planning a community-wide event to celebrate
our accomplishments and motivate all of us to take the next steps in making
our community healthier in the broadest sense. Many thanks to each of you
for your support and please contact us with any comments, questions, or concerns. Stay up to date with VISION 2030 online at VISION2030.org
Healthcare Initiative Consortium
The VISION 2030 Healthcare Initiative Consortium is a group of healthcare leaders gathering Hall
County data on some of the top health indicators. This group is working toward community health improvement on the local level using meaningful and specific data, as well as ongoing communication. Last
year, this group provided a community snapshot on adult health indicators. Today, the consortium decided that the next step in assessing the health status of our community would be completing an analysis of
health data of children. In the next few months the VISION 2030 Healthcare Consortium will share these
findings with the community. The next step will be to determine how to reach the goal in VISION 2030
to Create a Culture of Wellness. The consortium recognizes that health data analysis is the first step in
determining community needs and that the Vision 2030 “Big Ideas” addressing Diversity, Green Space,
Transportation, Art, Education and others increase the degree to which the community can achieve and
maintain health and well-being. For details, visit VISION2030.org/healthcare-initiative-consortium
Dr. Eloise Barron
Hall County Schools
Enrique Montiel
Merial Select, Inc.
Dr. Linda Barrow
Lanier Technical College
Phillippa Lewis-Moss
City of Gainesville
Central Hall Trail Construction Begins
Cheryl Christian
Good News Clinics
Frank Norton, Jr.
The Norton Agency
Mimi Collins
The Longstreet Clinic
Richard Riley
Community Volunteer
Matt Dubnik
Forum Communications
LeTrell Simpson
Con-Sen-Sus Consulting
Judge John Girardeau
Community Volunteer
Tim Knight
Knight Commercial Real
Estate
Construction is expected to begin soon on Hall County’s new Central Hall Trail. Work will begin on a
section approximately 2.5 miles long from Palmour Drive to Balus Creek in the area of Lanier Technical College and University of North Georgia’s Gainesville Campus. This section also includes a tunnel
underneath Atlanta Highway near the Georgia Department of Labor. The current section is part of an
overall master-planned system that connects with Gainesville’s Midtown Greenway and Rock Creek
Greenway. The cities of Oakwood and Flowery Branch would like to see the trail extended south
through their cities and connect with current road widening projects along State Route 347 and the
proposed road widening project along Spout Springs Road.
• Phase I of Central Hall Trail has some $2.5 million in Federal funds allocated to this project.
• Construction bids have been received for the Phase I and are anticipated to be presented to the Hall
County Board of Commissioners soon.
• Construction could begin in early 2015, and is estimated to last six months, opening in summer 2015.
• The Gainesville-Hall Metro Planning Organization is working to build partnerships with interested
parties, including local bike shops, bicycle clubs, citizens, businesses, etc. to create awareness and
advocacy for multi-modal facilities around Hall County.
• The trail will be a 10-foot-wide multi-use paved path for non-motorized uses (running, bike riding).
Lee Hemmer
The Simpson Company
Robert Horne
Community Volunteer
Cindy Wilson
Challenged Child &
Friends
VISION 2030, a program of the Greater Hall
Chamber of Commerce, is funded through
HALLmark... The Next Generation 2010-2015.
HALLmark 2010-2015 is a five year economic
and community development initiative supported
though the investments of over 150 businesses in
the Greater Hall area.
Chamber Chase 5K Run & Wellness Walk
The 2015 Chamber Chase 5K & 2 Mile Wellness Walk is Thursday,
March 26. Now in its eighth year, Chamber Chase is a VISION 2030
initiative. Presented by AEON Clinical Laboratories, this year’s event
includes new and exciting activities – People’s Choice Award for Best
T-shirt, recognizing the top CEO, top corporate team, top community
team and much more! Hall County’s Largest Office Party wraps it all
up with music, food, awards, and recognition! Registration Cost: $30
per runner/walker; $35 after March 14. Register online at ChamberChase5K now through March 20. Register in person at the Greater
Hall Chamber (230 E.E. Butler Parkway in Gainesville) through March
25. Details: Megan Martin, 770-532-6206 x 115. ChamberChase5K.com
Wisdom Project: 100 Graduates Strong
Now in its third year,
the Wisdom Project, a
VISION 2030 Initiative,
is going strong with some
100 graduates from the
55 and older population.
These graduates are
making a difference!
Wisdom Keepers, a
think tank made up of
the graduates of the
Wisdom Project, are
strengthening Greater Hall
County through action
and advocacy. One of their efforts is a new non-profit senior transportation program, ITNLanier.
ITNLanier is on track to open its doors for its first ride in July 2015. With 10,000 people turning 65
every day and the 85 and older being the fastest growing segment of the population, ITNLanier is
much-needed. More people are living to a point when they can no
longer drive and need assistance to get to the doctor, go to church, or
visit their favorite places. ITNLanier will provide 24/7 “door-throughdoor, arm-in-arm” transportation for the 65 and older and visuallyimpaired living in Greater Hall County. VISION2030.org
VISION 2030 News & Events
• The VISION 2030 Public Art Committee promotes access to the arts in
Gainesville-Hall County. The committee is developing an Art Walk brochure and map showcasing over 28 pieces of public art already on display
in Gainesville-Hall County. The next project is to install an art piece on
the lawn of the Gainesville Civic Center. The committee, in partnership
with the City of Gainesville, has applied for the National Endowment of
the Arts Art Works Grant. The timeline of completion is funding dependent, however, a call for artists is in the works. VISION2030.org/art-districts
• Lake Lanier Olympic Venue at Clarks Bridge will once again be the site
for a major championship. The USA Canoe/Kayak has been awarded the 2016 Pan American Championships for Canoe Sprint. The Lake
Lanier Olympic Venue will play host to these championships (date not
Bronze sculpture at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
determined), which will also serve as the Continental Olympic Qualifier
for the Americas. The Lake Lanier venue has been the site of many major Elipida by Jean Westmascott.
international events in the past, including the 1996
Atlanta Olympic Games. “This is great news for USA
Canoe/Kayak! Having the Pan American Canoe
Championships on home turf, which will serve as the
Continental Qualifier for Rio 2016, is a real plus for
our athletes,” said Michele Eray, USA Canoe/Kayak’s High Performance Director for Canoe Sprint.
“The Lake Lanier Olympic Venue did a fantastic job on their bid, and we look forward to an exciting
event in 2016.” The Pan American Canoe Federation (COPAC) received bids from Canada, Brazil, and
the U.S. for the 2016 Pan Ams. All three bids were of a high technical and organizational level. After a
careful evaluation process, the U.S. Lake Lanier bid was selected. lakelanierolympicvenue.org
• The 2014 Most Fit Company Awards are a VISION 2030’s Community Wellness Initiative. Judging criteria for the contest included wellness, nutrition and fitness opportunities provided for employees.
The Small Company Award (50 or less employees) went to Kipper Tool
Company. Kipper employs 42 people and designs, manufactures, and
sustains custom tool kits for business, industry, and government agencies.
The Medium Company Award (51-250 employees) went to Alkermes, a
leading biotechnology company with 170 employees. Large Company
Award (251+ employees) went to SAPA Extrusions, a world leader in the
aluminum extrusion industry with 330 employees in Gainesville.
VISION 2030 is a Program of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce
January 2015
Meg Nivens, Executive Director • Davis White, Chairman
230 E.E. Butler Parkway • Gainesville, GA 30501 • 770-532-6206 • www.VISION2030.org
– Big Ideas –
Strategies for the Big Ideas
– Create a culture of wellness
– Support and sustain life-long learning
– Build an economy around life sciences
– Encourage innovative growth
– Encourage infrastructure development.
– Promote cultural integration
• Downtown Hotel/Conference Center
A state-of-the-art hotel and conference
center is located in Downtown Gainesville.
• Culture of Wellness – Gainesville-Hall
County is a model for providing high
quality, affordable healthcare to its residents.
• Major Healthcare Center – Gainesville
Hall County is a center for healthcare,
education, life sciences, employment and
medical device manufacturers.
• OneHall Model for Diversity – An
Inter-cultural Arts Conference Center is a
meeting place for groups looking to bring
together Gainesville-Hall County’s diverse
population to work on community issues
and a center for ethnic culture and arts.
• Life-Long Learning – All students have
taken some classes from a post-secondary/
technical institution.
• Tourism & Recreation – Gainesville-Hall
County is a regional and international tourism and recreation destination.
• Lake Lanier Olympic Venue and Clarks
Bridge Park are a central destination for
serious and recreational sports enthusiasts.
• Harbor Town – A mixed-use community
development on Lake Lanier with restaurants, amphitheater, and commercial, retail
and residential space.
• Green Space Initiative – Gainesville-Hall
County has the greatest amount of protected green space of any urban county in
Georgia.
• Art Mecca – Gainesville-Hall County has
unique public art districts including all areas
of the County and Downtown Gainesville.
• Community of Towns – Future development in all municipalities preserves the
traditional scale of Gainesville-Hall County
buildings, streets and public spaces and
encourages connectedness among residents,
workers and visitors.
• Local & Regional Transportation –
Connects the communities with highway
bypasses around Gainesville and traffic on
downtown’s Green Street has lessened.
• Green Street Post Office – Relocated to
Midtown Gainesville.
VISION2030.org