Savannah Johnson receiving the SW Gwinnett Chamber Character award. Pictured from left: Wesleyan Volleyball Coach and Department Chair Ted Russell, Elizabeth Johnson (mother), Savannah Johnson, Mary Beth Bender, Chamber board member, and Margie Asef, Chamber Chair.
At its monthly First Friday breakfast at Peachtree Corners’ Atlanta Tech Park, the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber recognized a local youth for hard work and leadership. Wesleyan School junior Savannah Johnson is the second student to be bestowed with this honor.
The young lady had no idea why she was asked to attend the networking event for area business professionals. After a description of her character and accomplishments, rampant applause was heard as Savannah approached the stage to be recognized by Chamber members. MaryBeth Bender, the Chamber executive board member, conveyed the organizations’ desire to elevate students making a difference in their community — not as much because of what they do, but because of who they are.
Savannah Johnson
The Chamber’s Character Award was created to recognize outstanding students whose attitude and actions embody the organization’s mission, passion, and commitment to excellence and community action.
Dr. Joseph Koch, principal of The Wesleyan School, recommended Savannah Johnson because of her leadership. Various Wesleyan faculty supported his nomination, all describing Savannah as a hard-working, mature, conscientious and respectful leader amongst her peers — consistently offering a helping hand, as well as stepping up to lead without being asked. Each contributed examples of trustworthiness, accountability, and giving her best effort at all times.
“Savannah truly strives to make the right decisions each and every day,” Koch explained in the nomination. “Many times, these students are overlooked because they make the conscious choice to be a person of character and substance. Savannah is that person every day.”
The 222-room Atlanta Marriott Peachtree Corners features a fitness center, indoor pool and outdoor fire pit seating area. All meeting and event spaces are equipped for various events, from industry conferences to happy hours and lifecycle events.
“As the second full-service Marriott Hotel and 16th Marriott-branded property in our portfolio, said Ferit Ferhangil, Principal of Waramaug Hospitality, “we see tremendous revenue growth opportunities for this asset in a thriving market.”
The property, which will now be managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, is located within Technology Park, a regional technology and innovation hub. The 500-acre campus is a destination for technology innovation in the Southeast and home to over 2,300 businesses ranging from tech startups to Fortune 500 companies.
The honorees were determined based on employee feedback gathered from a third-party, anonymous survey. The survey measured multiple factors critical to the success of any organization. Of nearly 8,000 companies that applied, only 332 businesses were chosen to participate.
Colin Creel, Headmaster at Cornerstone, stated, “We were extremely humbled to hear that we were not only named on the list, but ranked first among small companies. I am very thankful our staff has received this public validation of the amazing work that occurs here at Cornerstone. Our staff deserves all of the accolades they are receiving; Cornerstone is a very special place because of them.”
Calling all racquet sport lovers! Premier Racquet Sports, a tennis pro shop, recently opened on March 15 in Peachtree Corners off Spalding Drive.
This is Premier Racquet Sports’ second location in Atlanta, the other being in Dunwoody. However, this pro shop brings something unique and special to the competition wherever it lands.
Founded by Corey Matney, with partners Claude Badowski and Bobby McMahan, Premier Racquet Sports is a shop with an emphasis on a community-driven approach to the racquet sports industry.
In an industry where it can be overwhelming and daunting to adventure into the realm of pro shops, Premier Racquet Sports aims to break the status quo by making tennis available to all.
“Our goal is anyone who comes in, whether you’ve never played tennis before, never played pickleball before, or you are basically a professional, you will have time spent with you explaining what’s the best kind of choice for you,” said Badowski. “Learning about customers as a person and trying to really build a relationship makes it so that we can help people long term rather than just transact with them.”
Some of the many pickleball paddles and tennis rackets offered in
store
More than a business
Matney began stringing rackets in high school to be able to afford tennis lessons and eventually went into college playing Division I tennis. Not only did a passion for the sport drive him to create Premier Racquet Sports, Matney also found an intense need for a friendly business based in the racquet industry.
“…to be able to offer the community high-level technical services and be able to have everyone feel like they’re getting the same treatment that a professional tennis player would when they come into a tennis shop, and meet their needs,” said Matney.
As a long-term tennis player, Matney found that service at pro shops could feel impersonal, furthering his drive to create a pro shop that was more than just a shop.
One way the shop has accomplished this objective is through occasions such as demo days, events where the shop will demo rackets and bags while also running free tennis drills.
“It’s a great chance for people to talk to us about what’s the best racket for them and what’s the best string for them to hit with it,” said Badowski. “They get to feel the difference, because there’s hundreds of rackets out there and thousands of string and string combinations. It’s very rare for people to be able to try them all and get instant feedback …they can feel the difference.”
Additionally, Premier Racquet Sports will have their next demo day on July 14. This event will feature all Wilson products as well as Wilson’s new racket called the Shift.
Community members celebrate
the grand opening of Premier Racquet Sports in March
In-store action
However, this level of care and concern extends beyond their demo days. By walking into Premier Racquet Sports, customers are making their choice of supporting a business that keeps their clients in high regards.
“All of us enjoy being able to help players explore and go down the pathway of finding the right equipment for them,” said Matney. “This is mostly stringing, but also rackets, shoes or any portion of the necessary tennis items; just being able to have that connection to the player and have them know that we are a sounding base for their questions and will help them find what they need.”
Premier Racquet Sports prides itself on its collection of all things tennis. Within their store, they carry all major brands, rackets, shoes, grips and over 250 varieties of string. They claim to be able to have anything a player may desire shipped to their store within two days, too.
Welcome Premier Racquet Sports to the Peachtree Corners community by stopping by, whether you are a tennis expert or a novice.