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Norcross High School Foundation’s Annual Gala Set for April 21

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The 22-year-old nonprofit continues its commitment to student excellence.

The Norcross High School Foundation was started in 2001 by a group of parents who really wanted to make a difference in the community. As one of the longest running foundations in the county, the original goal of the grassroots organization was to make sure children have a good place to be after school. The founders realized that it would take money to make that happen and went about raising funds to enhance the education experience.

Today, the foundation has taken that mission further by working with teachers, coaches, advisors and volunteers. Although it may be confused with a booster organization, it doesn’t focus on a single sport or extracurricular activities. And it’s not in competition with the Parent Teacher Student Association – it actually tries to work in concert with that organization for student success.

Norcross High School Gala

“Our mission, our vision, is that every student across high school will be prepared to excel in college, career and life. We ensure the success of students at Norcross High School by building community support and by raising funds to gain excellence in academics, arts and athletics,” said Tiffany Elner, co-president of the foundation.

“Not every student engages in athletics, not every student engages in art, so at a minimum by impacting academics, we are reaching every single student and that really was the goal was to take community resources from parents to bring in sponsorships and the business community,” she added.

With that mission in mind, the Norcross High School Foundation will host its annual gala on April 21 at Atlanta Tech Park.

The foundation wants its resources to impact all of the students, added Erin Griffin, also co-president of the foundation. With approximately 2700 students at the school, every dollar is needed.

The foundation raised $129,862 last school year, and since its inception has raised more than $2.6 million for Norcross High School (NHS). Close to half of that money – about $60,000 – was spent on classroom needs.

Every faculty member at NHS is asked to submit a list of things they need and want the foundation to raise money for.

“In the past, we had them on the wall like bricks, so they’ve just historically been called “wish bricks,” said Elner. “So basically, when someone purchases a brick at the gala, they’re funding this wish list item that whatever faculty member has submitted.”

There are items in every area of academics, arts and athletics. The requests also include counseling, fine arts and visual arts.

“With every single faculty member of the school involved, the giving touches every single classroom, every single activity, every sport that you can imagine,” Elner added. 

Foundation funds at work

Last year the funds went to directly support 160 faculty-led endeavors. One example is gains for the After School Matters (ASM) program where students receive extra help in academics. These students now have a newly dedicated lab space in the Gwinnett Online Campus Lab at NHS.

After returning to a 100% in person program, ASM served 86 students. Each one of the 14 seniors enrolled in ASM were on track to graduate in May or June (after attending summer school).

In March 2022, 41% of the ASM students were failing three or more classes, but by May, that number decreased to 27%. In March, 6% of students were passing all classes, which increased to 13% of students passing all classes by finals in May.

Foundation bricks also funded the purchase of graphic design software and hardware tools for NHS graphic design students to create logos and marketing campaigns for hypothetical and real-world assignments.

NHS graphic design students and their teacher met with foundation board members to create new social media logos using the tools purchased by gala bricks for the Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign. The students’ work is featured on the Foundation website and in Foundation social media posts.

Other wish bricks provided entry fees for students to participate in clubs and competitions in academic areas like math, Mock Trial and National Honor Society. Students in the arts program benefited from brick purchases for home improvement materials to build drama sets, sheet music and practice tracks for chorus students, as well as specialized materials for fine arts.

In athletics, bricks provided scholarships for students to participate in cross country and track, swimming and wrestling and provided training equipment for every sport at NHS.

This year, the foundation is looking to update the electronic sign in front of the school.

“The matrix sign in front of the school is very old …and we can’t really get messages out to the community,” said Elner. “You can only get two short lines of text on it. You can’t really convey a lot of information as people are driving by.”

In addition to the Wish Bricks, the gala will have auction items such as a beach vacation and golfing experience. There will be smaller ticket items as well.

NHS Foundation for Excellence Gala

Atlanta Tech Park, 107 Technology Pkwy., Peachtree Corners

Friday, April 21

Tickets: $125

  • Hall of Fall Induction Ceremony: 6:30 p.m.
  • Gala Reception: 7-10 p.m.
  • Live Auction: 8 p.m.

Hall of Fame

Another highlight of the Norcross High School Foundation gala is recognizing the contributions from individuals at the school and in the community towards student success.

“We are grateful for these people because our high school is a family in itself,” said Tiffany Elner. “Even after their children graduate, we have people who still come to games and give back to the school in so many ways.”

Many would say that you don’t see that type of dedication every day. “Norcross High School is such a special place that I think you do find people like that every day,” said Elner.

Carrie and Jed DeLong

Carrie & Jed DeLong
Carrie and Jed DeLong

Atlanta natives Jed and Carrie DeLong have lived in Peachtree Corners for 22 years. They consider themselves proud graduates of local public schools and their youngest daughter, Remi, graduated from Norcross High School (NHS) in 2021.

The DeLongs feel strongly about supporting educators and investing in future generations. They began serving at Cornerstone Christian Academy in 2008 and served on the capital campaign committee and the parent teacher fellowship executive board.

They joined the board of NHS Foundation for Excellence in 2017 where Jed served on the investment committee and Carrie served as co-president. The couple have supported many facets of Norcross High life including cheerleading, football, baseball, soccer and are especially proud of the creation of the sensory room for the special education department.

In addition to supporting NHS, Jed has volunteered with the City of Peachtree Corners as a member of the zoning board of appeals and has served as president of their neighborhood HOA.

Carry and Jed DeLong are longtime supporters of NHS and the community. Although all three of their children have graduated, they are still active with the foundation and help every year. 

Dr. Phyllis Alexandra Gerard 

Dr. Phyllis Gerard
Dr. Phyllis Gerard

Dr. Phyllis Gerard was born 60 years ago on the small island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She is the youngest of four children and proud of her Afro-Caribbean Latin American heritage. Dr. Gerard made her way to Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.

There she met her lifetime mentor, Dr. Richard L. Hayes, a motivating force and staunch supporter as she pursued her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in community counseling. Dr. Gerard found employment in a counseling position at a school-based medical clinic in Chicago. Richard T. Crane High School, located on the west side of Chicago, taught her critical lessons about serving students with a myriad of needs. 

Dr. Gerard pursued a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Hayes served as her major professor and influenced her desire to pursue a career in education. In 1998, while being interviewed by Dr. Francis Davis on the UGA campus, she was offered a position in a high school setting in Gwinnett County. 

During the interview at the old Norcross School building on Beaver Ruin Road, high school principal Judy Rogers asked Dr. Gerard to commit to remaining at Norcross for five years. She agreed, and the rest is history. 

Dr. Gerard has now served at NHS for 25 years in the counseling department and contends that this group of colleagues are by far the best group she has had worked with. She admits it is often difficult, but the work is incredibly rewarding. She calls her kids her “babies” or her “peoples” and delights in making them smile. 

Dr. Gerard’s daily task is to help students make better choices as they weather their own personal storms while identifying future paths that will lead to successful educational and/or career choices. 

Elner had high praise for Dr. Gerard and her dedication. “She is just an incredible counselor at our school, but she’s so much more than that,” said Elner. “She has such a heart for our students in her community and she has been so devoted to it. …People who aren’t even enrolled yet, who are just interested, she treats them like they are family because of how she sees them.”

Lee Newman

Lee Newman
Lee Newman

Lee Newman has served as the director of bands at Norcross High School since 2011. His duties include directing the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Blue Devil Marching Band, brass studies and leadership as well as teaching International Baccalaureate music classes. 

During his time at Norcross, Newman has continued a proud tradition of excellence. His ensembles have been invited to perform at the Georgia State Honor Bands of Distinction in 2013, 64th Annual UGA January Music Festival in 2014, the 2015, 2018, and 2020 Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert festival, the 2018 and 2020 Yamaha National Concert Festival, and the 2021 and 2022 Georgia Music Educators In- Service Conference. 

Newman has served in multiple leadership roles, including NHS Fine Arts Department Chair, Gwinnett County High School Band Co Lead Teacher, District 13 Band Chair and District 13 Chair. He was also named the Norcross High School Teacher of the Year for the 2019-2020 school year.

“He has impacted so many students,” said Elner. “It’s just neat to think that his children have grown up in the community and now he has one of his children as a student. …He does such a good job of engaging every single student in his program.”

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PTC Arts Inc. Furthers Mission to Provide Accessible Art

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A woman in a pink sweater holding a small dog and sitting at a table with pink and white flowers

Not long after the incorporation of Peachtree Corners in 2012, city leaders envisioned an arts council that would ensure local arts and culture were given necessary attention. The Peachtree Corners Arts Council, now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was established in 2016 to bring that vision to life by creating an Arts & Culture Master Plan and Public Art Initiative program for the city.

The council facilitates public art projects, such as a soon-to-be-completed mural on Peachtree Corners Circle by artist Jonathan Bidwell. With another major endeavor, the independently funded Debbie Mason Memorial Garden, also nearing completion, Peachtree Corners Magazine caught up with the organization — now called Peachtree Corners Arts Inc. (PTC Arts) — to learn more about the projects as well as the future of arts and culture in our city.

Debbie Mason Memorial Garden

The Debbie Mason Memorial Garden is an aesthetic and contemplative garden space nestled in an area of the Peachtree Corners Botanical Garden near Town Center. A group of Peachtree Corners residents, with a shared love for the city’s first first lady and an appreciation for all that she has done for the city, formed the Debbie Mason Memorial Committee (DMMC) to raise funds to build the oasis that will delight with flowering color each season.

Painting of a blue birg by Jonathan Bidwell
Blue bird by Jonathan Bidwell

The goal of the DMMC is to preserve Mason’s memory by transforming a space that will offer Peachtree Corners residents a quiet place to reflect, connect and rejuvenate among vibrant colored seasonal plantings and mosaic tiled artwork, according to the PTC Arts website. 

Although the Debbie Mason Memorial Garden falls under the umbrella of PTC Arts Inc., it had its own committee in charge of design and fundraising goals.

“When they started getting going, because they were creating an artistic kind of installation in the city and were going to raise the funds for it, they worked with our council for ideas and input on the plan that they ultimately came up with,” said Marcia Catterall, a member of PTC Arts. “They really ran independently with that. Primarily, they used us as the nonprofit vehicle to raise the funds.”

Independent of PTC Arts, DMMC created all of its own publicity and had a committee tasked with handling all of the fundraising.

Building a master plan

Although the objective of PTC Arts Inc. is simple, the execution can be complicated.

“We had our hands in numerous things,” said Catterall. “We’ve created the city’s arts and culture master plan. We created a public art initiative. Our goal was to think about all of the ways that arts and cultural activities could impact the city and then to help facilitate the creation and the installation of arts and culture in the city.”

The initiative, along with the master plan, took up the first several years of the council’s efforts. The master plan was formalized and officially adopted in 2018. 

Part of a mural painting by artist Jonathan Bidwell
Early mural mock-up from artist Jonathan Bidwell

According to city records, “The resolution requires developers to meet with the Peachtree Corners Arts Council to discuss possibilities for public art on their property. Developers would also be asked to voluntarily set aside one percent of their project costs for public art, either by including public art on their site or contributing money to a public art fund administered by the city.”

“This Public Art Initiative and Vision Map is intended to help city officials, developers and the community at large visualize and implement the city’s public art future. It outlines a vision for public art, offers an inventory of opportunities for public art throughout the city and provides background on the types of projects that should be encouraged and prioritized,” the records continued.

painting of a dog running
Greyhound courtesy of Jonathan Bidwell

Early efforts of the council included designing activities for the Town Green and facilitating the use of public spaces for a variety of arts and cultural activities.

“One of the things that we helped with initially was designing some of the activities and talking about how to host activities on the Town Green,” said Catterall. “Now that’s all handled separately by the city, but we were sort of the sounding board and created a lot of the ideas and the thoughts about how Town Green was to be used.”

The mural project and what’s ahead

The first big art installation project initiated from beginning to end by the council is a mural on the retaining wall at Peachtree Corners Circle.

“That’s going to be our first big project that we’ve started — soup to nuts — and have run with completely on our own,” said Catterall.

Jonathan Bidwell, a well-known artist out of Asheville, North Carolina is creating the mural, having designed several others in the past.

A smiling man wearing a grey shirt and cap holding a white dog with black and brown markings
Artist Jonathan Bidwell (right) with his dog Buster

“He designed, for example, the playful foxes on the Social Fox Brewing Company in downtown Norcross,” she said. “He’ll be covering the big, long retaining wall that will border part of the Botanical Garden Walk around the Town Center area. And it will actually be near the Debbie Mason Memorial Garden.”

Funding for the mural project was covered partly through business donations.

“Part of our arts and culture master plan is to ask businesses, when they either develop or open up a new business, to donate 1% of their project value towards public art on their property or to give that to us,” Catterall said. “So, this is being funded mostly through the donation from QuickTrip’s new development.”

Since the company didn’t have a particular art installation in mind for its property, it allowed the money to go toward an effort elsewhere in the city.

The mural’s background colors were scheduled to be painted by the end of September with the remaining details to be completed by late October, in time for the ribbon cutting for the Debbie Mason Garden. That event is set for 11 a.m. on October 26.

For more information about Peachtree Corners Arts Inc., the mural or the Debbie Mason Memorial Garden, visit ptcarts.org.

You can read this article in the October/November issue of Peachtree Corners Magazine.

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GCPL Accepting Applications for Next New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator

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GCPL logo

The Gwinnett County Public Library is now accepting applications for its next New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator Program (NSEI).

NSEI provides business education for formerly incarcerated individuals through in-person classes, online coursework and a robust network of mentors and community partners. NSEI is specifically geared towards the reentry population, which, in Georgia, is disproportionately minority populations and people of color.

This six-month course is designed to help community members who have served time in jail or prison create and sustain their own businesses.

“Formerly incarcerated individuals are an overlooked population of aspiring entrepreneurs, often lacking the means, access and support to launch a small business successfully,” said Charles Pace, executive director of the Gwinnett County Public Library.

New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator logo

About the program

NSEI originated as a grant project in 2021, funded by Google in partnership with the American Library Association.

Coordinated by a team of five library staff members, NSEI includes cohorts of 15 to 20 students who attend monthly presentations by local business experts on topics such as finance, marketing, licensing and writing a business plan. Following each meeting, participants complete assigned online coursework and receive one-on-one support from experienced small business mentors. The library provides free laptops and Wi-Fi service to those who need them.

The program’s culmination occurs at Launchpad, where the aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to community business leaders.

As of this year, the program has graduated 35 entrepreneurs in four cohorts. And the Gwinnett County Public Library Foundation has awarded $8,000 in start-up funding through the Launchpad event.

For more information, visit gwinnettpl.org/adults/new-start-entrepreneurship-incubator.

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Gwinnett County Public Library Receives Innovation Award

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GCPL logo

The library system was honored with the Urban Libraries Council’s 2024 Innovation Award in Workforce and Economic Development

The Urban Libraries Council (ULC), North America’s leading nonprofit for urban libraries, has named Gwinnett County Public Library a Top Innovator for 2024. This recognition is in honor of the library’s New Start Entrepreneurial Incubator (NSEI), which offers business training and mentorship to formerly incarcerated community members.

Originally funded by Google through a grant from the American Library Association (ALA), the six-month program helps participants build the knowledge and skills necessary to start their own businesses.

“I’ve seen the life of each person who goes through this program change profoundly and significantly,” said Charles Pace, executive director of Gwinnett County Public Library. “We believe that people deserve a second chance. The New Start program gives them the tools, knowledge and support they need to become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses.”

ULC’s Innovations Initiative is a yearly showcase of exemplary projects from its more than 180 member libraries across the U.S. and Canada. It seeks to highlight how the library’s role as an essential public institution is evolving to meet the changing needs of our urban communities. From initiatives that promote civic engagement and intellectual freedom to projects that enhance digital connectivity and economic mobility, libraries are at the forefront of addressing today’s challenges.

Top innovators and honorable mentions

A distinguished panel of judges selected Gwinnett County Public Library as a Top Innovator. The project won in the Workforce and Economic Development category for its originality, measurable outcome and the potential for other libraries to replicate and implement this successful initiative. More than 230 library projects in six categories were submitted by ULC members from across the U.S. and Canada to be considered for the top awards.

Six public libraries received the Top Innovator designation, and six libraries received an honorable mention in recognition of their work. There is one top innovator and one honorable mention for each award category.

AWARD CATEGORYTOP INNOVATORSHONORABLE MENTIONS
Advocacy and AwarenessSan Francisco Public Library (CA)Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (PA)
Education: Children and AdultsVirginia Beach Public Library (VA)New York Public Library (NY)
Equity and InclusionMiami-Dade Public Library System (FL)Broward County Library (FL)
Health and WellnessDenver Public Library (CO)San Mateo County Libraries (CA)
Library Operations and ManagementToronto Public Library (ON)Pioneer Library System (OK)
Workforce and Economic DevelopmentGwinnett County Public Library (GA)Memphis Public Libraries (TN)

“This year’s Innovations Initiative honorees exemplify the evolving role of libraries as dynamic public institutions that are integral to the fabric of our urban communities,” said ULC President and CEO Brooks Rainwater. “The innovative projects highlighted this year demonstrate the power of libraries to not only adapt but to actively shape the future of our cities, ensuring that all community members have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”

Information about the winning project from Gwinnett County Public Library and that of other honorees is available on the ULC website at www.urbanlibraries.org/innovations.

About Gwinnett County Public Library

Gwinnett County Public Library is a free provider of education and information. Located in

metro Atlanta, the Library has 15 branches that offer free access to computers and Wi-Fi, classes, materials and programming for people of all ages.

For more information about Gwinnett County Public Library programs and services, visit www.gwinnettlibrary.org.

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