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As a parent of four
children, ages 7 to 15, I
know firsthand that the
challenges our children
face have never been
greater. From the debt
our country has amassed
in recent years, to global
work place competition,
parents struggle with how
to confidently guide our
younger people. But
whenever I am at my children’s schools and
see remarkable teachers preparing students
for the 21st century, I am encouraged.
It is then that I wonder: Will there be
enough money after all the budget cuts, the
shrinking real estate tax base and lingering
economic malaise, to give the kids the
education they need?
It is for these reasons I volunteered
to help educate voters to renew Gwinnett
County Public Schools’ Education-
SPLOST, the one-penny sales tax for
education, on November 8th. Only a small
handful could disagree with
the E-SPLOST campaign
message: Gwinnett Kids
Count.
First passed by almost
71 percent of Gwinnett
voters in 1997, the
funds generated by the
E-SPLOST have been
carefully used to make
Gwinnett County Schools
one of the best places in
the country to get an education. This fact
was proven just last year when Gwinnett
County was awarded the 2010 nationally
prestigious Broad Prize for education.
So here we are in 2011, and although
the challenges facing our schools continue
to grow, so, too are classroom technologies
and teaching innovations. If on November
8 Gwinnett voters approve extending
the penny sales tax for five more years,
the planned uses include building new
schools and additions to existing schools,
retrofitting all school gymnasiums with air
conditioning, and also eCLASS!
eCLASS is the county’s leading
edge initiative to upgrade our schools’
technology for both teaching and learning
and move to online text instruction. Over
time this will help kids not engaged by
books to get excited about learning from
online digital content. In my house, my
kids prefer to look at their iPad, cell phone,
or laptop instead of a 10 pound textbook
any day. Imagine the implications for
tomorrow’s workforce.
Gwinnett County has a lot of great
institutions, but I contend none is more
important to our future than our public
school system. I want to ask anyone who
has children, anyone who thinks American
students need higher quality education,
and anyone who understands how a strong
local school system drives our economic
engines – stop what you are doing and GO
VOTE YES at county polls November 8 to
renew the E-SPLOST for five more years.
Make sure the kids of Gwinnett know they
count.
Kids Count! Vote Yes for E-SPLOST on November 8th!
Sean Murphy, 2012 E-SPLOST Renewal Committee Chairman & President of Canvas Systems
strategic one.
“One of the things we noticed about
Gwinnett and its Chamber is that its leaders
did a great job of getting the movers and
shakers to become intricately involved with
the Chamber,” says Cole. “On top of this,
we’ve worked with hundreds of Chambers
in the past and there is not a better ran
chamber than the Gwinnett Chamber, so as a
leadership organization we naturally wanted
to be a part of this organization so we could
learn, network and be around the best leaders
in one of our key markets.”
In addition, with their sights set on
growing their global footprint, Cole added
that Gwinnett is the perfect launching pad
for their global expansion plans. “With
expansion plans in place in Gwinnett, we are
looking forward to numerous global outreach
opportunities from our headquarters in a
community that presents a strong, diverse
foundation for such growth.”
Inspiring Leaders
With the launch of The John Maxwell
Company, Mark says the organization can
now focus solely on helping individuals and
organizations live out the proven leadership
principles that John Maxwell teaches. “This
re-organization will allow us to augment our
executive training program and re-launch our
personal leadership tracks that companies
can implement with their employees,” says
Cole. “These services offer companies the
opportunity to develop their people and
corporate buy-in which leads to fewer
turnovers, a greater alliance, and a stronger
company.”
“As new Chairman’s Club members, we
look forward to working more intricately with
the incredible companies and their senior
leadership in Gwinnett,” continued Cole.
Offering tips for Gwinnett’s executive-
level business leaders, Cole recalls John
Maxwell’s key teachings – everything
rises and falls on leadership, leadership is
influence, and to live out leadership. “The
core essence of leadership is to understand
that no matter where you are posted, you
have the ability to influence and the only
way to lead is by living out the principles of
leadership,” says Cole. “Instituting these basic
principles into your company will ultimately
lead to success.”
THE EXECUTIVE – FALL 2011
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