FOCO Talks Leadership 2024

January 9, 2024 by Amanda Pearch

FoCo Talks

FOCO Talks Leadership 2024

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FOCO Talks Leadership 2024

Steve Cooper, 2024 Board Chair, Jan Rooney, Chair Elect & James McCoy, Forsyth County Chamber President & CEO

Since the inception of the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce in 1954, the purpose has remained the same; increase prosperity and promote and better community life for all. Our organization continues to be the leader in economic development, advocacy on issues of interest to business and engaging business leaders to ensure the long term economic health of our community.
Forsyth County is located just northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. The County was partitioned in 1832 from a section of Cherokee County territory along with nine other counties in the area. Forsyth County was named for John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia from 1827 – 1829.
Cumming and Forsyth County, Georgia are consistently ranked among the most desirable communities in the nation. World class schools, nationally recognized parks, over 200 miles of lake shore line, the lowest property taxes in the region and a vibrant business community are the primary factors that earn the community accolades year after year.
The Chamber exists to be the voice of business, fostering a strong economic
environment and a superior quality of life in Forsyth County. Over the past sixty years, they have become experts in economic opportunity and growth. Visit www.focochamber.org to learn more.

SUBSCRIBE to “FOCO Talks” wherever you enjoy your #podcasts

SERIES PRESENTED BY:

“FOCO Talks” is presented by the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce

Broadcasted LIVE from the Forsyth Business RadioX Studio in Cumming, Georgia

Podcasts by Amanda Pearch

Peachtree Corners Business Association Year End Celebration

December 18, 2023 by Amanda Pearch

Forsyth Business Radio

Peachtree Corners Business Association Year End Celebration

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The Peachtree corners End of Year Celebration was a success. Hitting an exciting milestone in 2023. Collectively, they donated $151,100 to local non-profits and awarded 17 scholarships over 11 years in business! These donations are funded through their annual charity event and from a portion of membership dues and sponsorships.

Peachtree Corners Business Association (PCBA) is a business membership organization that focuses on innovative approaches, programs, shared resources, community outreach, and opportunities for our member businesses and professionals to connect, develop, grow, and prosper. The PCBA is made up of businesses of all sizes and types who want to expand their reach and grow their business within Peachtree Corners and the greater metro-Atlanta area.

If you are interested in learning more about the PCBA initiatives, membership and events visit Home – Peachtree Corners Business Association, GA (peachtreecornersba.com)

**Special THANKS to the three Patron Sponsor companies of the End of Year Celebration**

Broadcasted on site at the Peachtree Coroners Business Association End of Year Event

Produced by Dan Braverman

Production of Forsyth Business RadioX

Connect with us on Social Media @forsythbrx

Listen to shows 24/7 on businessradiox.com/forsyth-studio and SUBSCRIBE wherever you get your #audio shows to “Forsyth Business Radio” to enjoy past and future episodes.

Interested in learning more about podcasting or on- site interviews for an upcoming event, connect with

Amanda Pearch

Cherish De la Cruz, Managing Attorney of Probate and Estate Planning for The Manely Firm

December 8, 2023 by Mike

Celebrating Powerhouse Women

Cherish De la Cruz, Managing Attorney of Probate and Estate Planning for The Manely Firm

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Cherish De la Cruz and Amanda Pearch Marmolejo

Celebrating Powerhouse Women salutes and recognizes women who are making an impact, whether it’s in business, philanthropy, public service, or elsewhere.

Cherish De la Cruz/The Manely Firm

Cherish De la Cruz is the Managing Attorney of Probate and Estate Planning for The Manely Firm. She loves getting to know her clients and learning about their families, their businesses, and their lives. She designed her practice to include both estate planning, probate and small business law because she understands how much overlap there is in these areas —especially for first- and second-generation American families.

Cherish was born and raised in the culturally diverse city of Toronto. Her parents had immigrated to Canada from the Philippines, and growing up, Cherish saw firsthand how difficult it was for them to establish themselves in their new country. She was frustrated by how her parents were treated and realized that they could have avoided much of the hardships they faced if they’d only had good information and proper legal structures in place. That’s what got her interested in becoming a lawyer and ultimately focusing her mission of helping other families. After earning her law degree, Cherish began her career as Public Defender in Florida. These formative years shaped her ability to proactively navigate the probate system. It also taught her that she’d much rather help clients prevent problems and avoid the expense and stress of going to court over routine estate matters.

Cherish experienced the importance of planning first hand when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and experienced what she had preached to her clients all these years. The reality and the importance of “planning” in practice as a business owner, mother of three young children and daughter of aging parents. Through her extensive and wonderful network, she was able to see Dr. Viraj Masters at Emory Winship who helped her through her cancer journey. As a cancer survivor, and because of her own personal experiences, she can understand the emotional challenges and difficulties that each client faces when planning for death and the possibility of disability. She takes her own personal experiences and legal expertise to carefully and thoughtfully plan for the “what if’s” in life with all of her clients. Cherish came to the Manely Firm P.C. because their mission and values matched her own and she knew each of her clients would be cared for.

Celebrating Powerhouse Women is presented by

Deon Tucker, Regional Director for Georgia Power

December 1, 2023 by Mike

Celebrating Powerhouse Women

Deon Tucker, Regional Director for Georgia Power

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Celebrating Powerhouse Women salutes and recognizes women who are making an impact, whether it’s in business, philanthropy, public service, or elsewhere.

Deon Tucker/Georgia Power

Deon Tucker is the Regional Director at Georgia Power. She leads the company’s external affairs activities for DeKalb, North Fulton, Gwinnett, Forsyth and Rockdale counties. She also provides leadership and support for power delivery, customer service, sales, and community and economic development to bring value to customers.

Deon began her career with Georgia Power in 1994 as a temporary customer service representative. Since then, she has held various positions throughout the company — including human resources associate, scheduling analyst, customer service supervisor, assistant to the manager of customer field services, field operations and development manager, region customer service manager and sales and service manager for Georgia Power’s statewide, 24-hour call center.

Additionally, Deon is active in the community and currently co-chairs the Forward Macon campaign, an economic development effort of the Macon-Bibb County Chamber and is a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and Leadership Henry.

Deon holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Troy University.

Celebrating Powerhouse Women is presented by

Claire Dees, Executive Director of Spectrum Autism Support Group

November 17, 2023 by Mike

Celebrating Powerhouse Women

Claire Dees, Executive Director of Spectrum Autism Support Group

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Celebrating Powerhouse Women salutes and recognizes women who are making an impact, whether it’s in business, philanthropy, public service, or elsewhere.

Claire Dees/Spectrum Autism Support Group

Claire Dees is the Executive Director and co-founder of Spectrum Autism Support Group, a local non-profit organization, providing support, education and resources for individuals and families impacted by autism. Spectrum serves over 2000 individuals with autism each year and their families with support groups, camps, respite, socials skills groups, family event and community education and training. Claire has a BS in Business Administration from Presbyterian College and over 35 years in the field of disabilities, both as a parent and a professional.

Claire serves on the Autism Plan for Georgia Advisory Council, the Center for Leadership in Disability Advisory Council, Board of Visitors of Georgia Gwinnett College, Northside Women’s Leadership Council, is a Gwinnett Chamber Chairman’s Club member, member of the Duluth Business Association and the Peachtree Corners Business Association and president of the Duluth Civitan Club. She was the recipient of the Georgia Achievement in Autism award in 2019. She has been nominated for Chamber Moxie awards the past 2 years in several categories. Claire was previously a lobbyist for disability issues for 4 years in Georgia and continues to advocate as well as educate families on how to speak up for their family members at the state and national level.

Claire is the parent of 3 adult children, one of whom lived with autism until his early demise in 2011. Her passion is helping families live better and more inclusive lives in their communities, regardless of abilities, where all can live, work, play and worship together. Opening the new Spectrum Autism Support Center in 2023 will be one of her greatest accomplishments as Spectrum celebrates it’s 25th anniversary this year.

Celebrating Powerhouse Women is presented by

Shannon Brooks, Owner of Shannon Brooks Consulting

November 10, 2023 by Mike

Celebrating Powerhouse Women

Shannon Brooks, Owner of Shannon Brooks Consulting

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Amanda Pearch Marmolejo & Shannon Brooks

Celebrating Powerhouse Women salutes and recognizes women who are making an impact, whether it’s in business, philanthropy, public service, or elsewhere.

Shannon Brooks/Shannon Brooks Consulting

Shannon Brooks Consulting helps companies and entrepreneurs navigate the ever-changing landscape of business by turning their vision into action.

As a Fractional COO, Shannon Brooks helps businesses in transition grow sustainably and navigate change effectively. She has a proven track record of success in developing and implementing operational strategies, streamlining processes, and building high-performing teams. She believes that the best way to achieve company success is to create a culture where employees feel valued, respected, and supported. When employees are empowered to do their best work, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and innovative. As Richard Branson said “Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, give them everything they need to grow, and your business will thrive”.

Shannon has a deep understanding of business operations and how to improve efficiency. She has helped her clients reduce costs, streamline processes, and increase profitability. She believes that growing up on a farm in Indiana prepared her to understand the connectivity and consequences of every decision, while instilling a strong work ethic. Her dual degrees in Marketing and Psychology armed her with both a business-sense and people-sense to allow her to collaborate within any organization. Her over 20 years of experience working in mid-size, privately owned companies afforded her the opportunity to garner hands-on experience in a wide range of business functions. These various aspects of her journey helped her find a passion for supporting a company’s growth and success. She believes that every company has the ability to reach its full potential.

Celebrating Powerhouse Women is presented by

Lisa Bennett, Abby Otwell & Leigh McIntosh of Creative Enterprises

November 3, 2023 by Amanda Pearch

Creative Enterprises

Leigh McIntosh (CEO), Lisa Bennett (Regional Manager), and Abby Otwell (Regional Coordinator)

Creative Enterprises is a training & employment community rehabilitation program for people with disabilities and a non-profit 501(c)(3) Community Rehabilitation Program.

The first campus of Creative Enterprises, located in Gwinnett County, was formed in 1976 with steadfast Values that are concreted in their Forsyth County Campus with the same Mission and Vision.

Help strengthen their Mission and be a part of this movement by making contributions of goods & supplies, or financial donations toward their new facility; Click Here

Broadcasted LIVE from the Forsyth Business RadioX Studio inside of the beautiful Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce in Cumming, Georgia

Podcasts by Amanda Pearch

Bobbie Menneg, Founder of Beyond the Ribbon

October 27, 2023 by Mike

Celebrating Powerhouse Women

Bobbie Menneg, Founder of Beyond the Ribbon

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Bobbie Menneg and Amanda Pearch Marmolejo

Celebrating Powerhouse Women salutes and recognizes women who are making an impact, whether it’s in business, philanthropy, public service, or elsewhere.

Bobbie Menneg/Beyond the Ribbon

Bobbie Menneg is the founder of Beyond the Ribbon, a non-profit organization that provides help for cancer patients, particularly those who do not have access to premium resources. Her mission is to advocate for support and resources beyond the diagnosis of cancer, to educate, inspire hope, cultivate awareness and empower individuals throughout their journey and beyond.

Join Beyond the Ribbon in Lawrenceville for their Rods, Ribs & Ribbons Car Show on October 28th and their Run for the Ribbons 5k on November 11th.

Celebrating Powerhouse Women is presented by

FOCO Talks Transportation

October 22, 2023 by Amanda Pearch

FoCo Talks

FOCO Talks Transportation

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FOCO Talks TransportationJason Bodwell, Sen. Greg Dolezal, Rep. Rick Jasperse, James McCoy

The annual Transportation Summit presented by Martin Marietta and in partnership with Forsyth County Government and the Lanier Forsyth Rotary Club. This event is an engaging opportunity to discuss the future of transportation in our county. Hear from local leaders on the challenges and opportunities our community faces as well as the latest updates in transportation infrastructure and how these will impact Forsyth County.

Speakers Include:

This summit will also offer a unique opportunity for networking and collaboration with fellow attendees, including government officials, industry leaders, and community stakeholders. We believe that by gathering, we can collectively work toward creating solutions for the future of our county.

To RSVP for the event, please click here or visit FoCoTransportationSummit.Com.

SUBSCRIBE to “FOCO Talks” wherever you enjoy your #podcasts