Executive-2018-Summer

A nnie Valenty’s job is to develop relationships— relationships with businesses, schools, nonprofit organizations and individual community members and families. And there’s no place she’d rather do it than Gwinnett County. “Sometimes I feel like we live in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood with the diversity we have here,” Valenty said, referencing Fred Rogers’ long- running children’s television show. “I love the energy of this community; the willingness of the community to work together.” As Community Development Officer for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), Valenty is deeply entrenched in the business, educational and public organizations of Gwinnett County. “My primary role is interaction with the community,” she said, and while her service area spreads over parts of Barrow, Walton and Hall County, Gwinnett County has been her home for more than 18 years. Valenty sits on a variety of boards to support initiatives and programs that compliment CHOA’s mission of making kids’ lives better. These include Gwinnett County Summer Swim League and the Gwinnett County Summer Reading program, as well as the Gwinnett YMCA. “It is through working with these organizations that an organic relationship develops and we find common goals,” Valenty said. “Many times those groups want to help CHOA more directly with toy drives, health initiatives like Strong 4 Life and fundraising.” She also works directly with families who have been touched by CHOA. “The best part of my job is getting to hear the stories of joy and relief and even those of sadness from the community,” she said. Valenty said those stories need an outlet, and she is happy to provide one. She said she gets very close to the families she works with and tries to help them any way she can, whether it’s finding resources or helping to bring public awareness to diseases. “This job creates beautiful friendships,” Valenty said. “You can’t get through this job without tying it to the children and all that they are going through. What they go through, you are going through.” Each relationship she builds, both BUILDING HEALTHCARE ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME Annie Valenty, Community Development Officer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta 6 the EXECUTIVE