Heather began working in the real estate industry in Athens in early 2002 while in college and became licensed in the Spring of 2004. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences majoring in Consumer Economics. She received her Broker’s license in 2007 and has continued her education, earning several designations along the way, including Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR), e-Pro, Graduate REALTOR Institute (GRI), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and At Home with Diversity (AHWD). She lives in Athens with her husband, Jon and their 2 daughters. Jon is a Lieutenant with the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office warrant division but also holds an active real estate license assisting Heather on his days off to ensure a seamless transaction. Heather has served on the Board of Directors for a number of local non-profits and volunteers at her church and girls’ school. She loves to travel, especially somewhere tropical, and ride bikes with her family. Her philosophy of providing top-notch service to her clients has afforded her loyalty and referrals from past clients for years. She genuinely believes in assisting her clients in making the most financially sound decision for their individual needs.

Our very own Laura Iyer is on the steering committee for the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group's "Million Solar Panel Challenge" initiative and works on tangible ways for local Rotary clubs to get involved.

The Million Solar Panel Challenge is a global endeavor that aims to promote renewable energy by encouraging Rotarians to install one million solar panels worldwide. Through this initiative, Rotary clubs are mobilized to support solar panel installation in their communities, including their homes and businesses, and through the work they do through grants from their club, district, and Rotary International. The challenge hopes to inspire practices across communities, demonstrating Rotary's commitment to environmental stewardship. By harnessing the power of the sun, the challenge is a path towards a clean and sustainable future, making a significant step in Rotary's journey towards Protecting the Environment.

Ms. Sawyer has worked for ACC since 2018 and stepped into her current position in 2023 to help the community reduce waste and preserve natural resources. Abbie graduated from UGA in 2020 with a degree in Ecology and certificates in Geographic Information Science and Urban & Metropolitan Studies. She is an artist and nature lover in her free time.

ACC Recycling Division's goal is to work with the Athens community to create a culture of zero-waste by encouraging proper management of discarded items, educating the public on waste minimization practices, and providing alternative methods of disposal that prolong an item's lifespan. ACC is proud to offer single-stream recycling, the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials, composting, and re-use programs to residents in the area.

Mr. NeSmith has been the Publisher as well as a Partner at The Bitter Southerner online magazine since 2016. He is also the Vice President of Community Newspapers, Inc., a position he has held since 2013. Eric is a 2002 graduate of The Grady College of Journalism at UGA.

The Bitter Southerner has a single aim: to uncover the American South in all its truth and complexity -- and in the process to break stereotypes abut the region and its people by pushing out important, difficult, uncomfortable, irreverent, witty, and addictive stories online. It's work is intended to keep the region honest, inspired, and moving forward. The publishing arm at BS Publishing works to do the same through new books and the full-format, print magazine.

A graduate of both West Texas A&M University and The University of Georgia, Mr. Novak is in charge of general operations at the Athens YWCO. He is primarily responsible for the implementation of new and current policies and procedures, creating a positive customer experience, and developing effective communication strategies for his staff. Prior to the YWCO, Eric had experience with local organizations including Golden Pantry, VanKirk Electric, and UGA.

Scott Long became the Executive Director of Bike Athens in August 2019. He joined the staff as Program Director in September 2018 after having volunteered nearly 2,000 hours since 2015. In February 2016, Scott started "Fix Your Own Bike" sessions on Thursday nights as a way to expand programming at the shop. His involvement with Bike Athens combines two passions -- bike mechanics and nonprofit administration. Scott holds a Master of Public Administration degree from UGA and is a League Cycling instructor.

President and Board Member Jason Perry has been involved with Bike Athens since 2008. also having served as volunteer shop manager and shop council member. By trade, he is a mechanical engineer and certified energy manager, working in the UGA Office of Utility and Emergy Management. Jason is also a League Cycling instructor and loves teaching beginner cyclists how to ride. He believes in making it possible for anyone who wants a bike to get one because bikes can change lives.

Mr. Stone joined Athens Land Trust as Strategic Partnerships Director in February 2023. He previously served as Sous Chef at The National, Manager of the West Broad Farmers Market, as well as Community Chef and Culinary Arts Coordinator at Clarke County School District.

We look forward to hearing from Susanna Malmgren from Sweden, our current sponsored student in the Georgia Rotary Student Program. She'll be speaking to us about her experiences in the program so far as well as her background, studies, and future plans.

Savie Arnold is the owner of the East side bakery, Sweetie Pie by Savie. After earning her PhD in Science Education in Thailand, Savie and her husband, Speedy, relocated back to Athens where they had met years earlier while Savie was conducting PhD research. While completing her PhD in Bangkok, Savie continued the love for baking she had discovered while in the United States and it soon became a small home business. Upon returning to Athens, Savie spent some time working at Dondero's before opening Sweetie Pie in July 2015. The bakery's cakes and baked goods are known for their perfect level of sweetness and distinctive flavors, including Asian ingredients and spices.

Mr. Watson is the Complex Manager for the local Pilgrim's Pride facility.

Pilgrim's is a leading global provider of high-quality food products, including well-recognized brands and value-added premium products. As one of the world's largest poultry producers and a fully integrated pork producer, Pilgrim's has provided wholesome, quality products to customers and consumers for more than 70 years.

Their 58,000 staff provide more than 133 million daily servings of protein to retailers, restaurants, and food service providers around the world. They have 66 facilities in 14 U.S. states as well as Puerto Rico, Mexico, the U.K., and Europe. Pilgrim's partners with 4,900 family poultry farms and 6,300 family hog farms.

Wesley Mellina is the CEO of the Athens Community Career Academy. Wesley’s 15-plus years in the hospitality industry and experience in secondary education equipped him with a skill set and passion for youth workforce development and Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education. 

Following his move to Athens with his wife Jennifer in 2015, Wesley joined the Clarke Central High School staff, where he coordinated the school’s Work-Based Learning Program and developed a summer program that focused on helping middle school students successfully transition to high school. In 2018, Wesley became the Clarke County School District Workforce Development Coordinator.  In this role, he coordinated the Work-Based Learning Program for the Clarke County School District.  Additionally, he led career readiness programming, collaborated with business and industry partners in the Athens area to develop the Advanced Manufacturing and Welding Pathway, co-wrote grants that resulted in awards of over $210,000 for lab equipment at the Athens Community Career Academy, and developed an educator externship program.  

Since becoming CEO in 2022, Wesley has focused on developing pathways that align with high-demand workforce needs in the Athens area, increasing opportunities for students to earn industry-recognized certifications, and beginning a Youth Apprentice Program. A CNA, Certified Phlebotomy Technician, and a Caterpillar Youth Apprentice Program kicked off in the 2023-2024 school year and Wesley is currently working closely with Athens-Clarke County Economic Development and Athens area employers to develop Bio-manufacturing, Firefighter/EMT, and Entertainment, Sports, and Event Management pathways to begin in the 2024-2025 school year.

Wesley is an avid Braves baseball fan and enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time outdoors with his wife, Jennifer, daughter, Bailey, and two Golden Retrievers, Maddux and Bobby Cox.

Dr. Kaitlyn Casulli is an Assistant Professor and Extension Process Specialist at University of Georgia with expertise in microbial inactivation and risk modeling. Prior to joining UGA in January 2022, Kaitlyn was a doctoral fellow at Michigan State University. Her research program broadly encompasses developing mathematical models for process validation. Her extension activities have included assisting companies with process validation and delivering workshops to industry and government learners on topics such as developing food safety plans and starting a new brewery. She currently leads a newly formed USDA-funded center, the Value-addition Institute for Business Expansion, with the goal of supporting small business development in rural Georgia. When not at work, Kaitlyn enjoys visiting breweries with her dog, Porter.

Charlie Mustard has been the head roaster for Jittery Joe's since their early days when they first began roasting their own coffee. Not originally from Athens, coffee roasting wasn't always in the plans for Charlie. While working on his Master's thesis at UGA, Charlie spent a lot of time at the then new coffee shop in town, Jittery Joe's. He got to know the two brothers that started the shop and happened to hear them discussing roasting their own beans rather than continuing to outsource them. Charlie offered to help them out and roast for them as long as he could get all the free coffee he wanted. With no prior experience in the industry, he immediately began to research how to roast coffee, pulling from his background in Chemistry. More than twenty years later, he still has an ever-growing passion for his craft and Jittery Joe's.

This week's meeting is the annual Club Assembly. Come prepared to share your ideas and feedback.

There is no meeting this week since we will be holding our Annual Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 12 at 6:00 PM at Epting Events, 1055 Barber St. in Athens. Don't forget to bring your naughty or nice gift for the White Elephant Gift Exchange (no more than $20 value, please).

Kelly Girtz has been serving as mayor of Athens-Clarke County since January 2019. Prior to serving as mayor, Mr. Girtz was the District 9 Commissioner for 12 years. A renowned local educator, Mr. Girtz was both a teacher and administrator in the Athens-Clarke County school system from 1998-2014 and then served as Regional Director for Student Services & Special Education for Foothills Charter High School.

Randy is a leader of the non-partisan group, Citizens for Sustainable Jackson County, opposed to the proposed new 1,000-acre rock quarry near Center, in Jackson County, between Route 441 and Chandler Bridge. The proposed site is just north of the Athens-Clarke County line. The land is currently zoned as agricultural, with most in conservation. Water pollution is one of the largest issues as the proposed site is directly on top of the largest of Jackson County's four ground water recharge areas, meaning it is land where water infiltrates into the ground to replenish an aquifer. The concern is that the quarry will affect ground water quality and may impact the actual wells critical for livestock and farming in the area.

We will not be meeting this week in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Relax and enjoy this special time of gratitude with your loved ones, and if traveling, we wish you safe travels. 

Weekly meetings will resume on Monday, November 27 at Athentic Brewing.

Gerry is retired from United Way of Northeast Georgia as the Vice President of Resource Development. In addition to most recently serving as Rotary District 6910 Governor, Gerry has held numerous leadership roles in The Classic City Rotary Club as well as District 6910 including:

Service Chair 2008-2009                                                                           
Membership Chair 2009-2010 & 2018
Club Training Chair 2011-2017
Vice President 2010-2011
President-Elect 2011-2012
President 2012-2013
Immediate Past President 2013-2014
Membership Co-Chair 2013-2015
Membership Chair 2018-2020
Administration and Strategic Planning Chair 2014-2015
Assistant District Governor Area VII 2015-2018
TRF Foundation District Team Member 2016-2017
Million Dollar Dinner Recruitment Team Member 2016-2017
District 6910 Training Team Vice Chair 2017-2019
Peach State PETS Training Facilitator 2017-2019
District 6910 Board of Directors 2017-2019
District 6910 Awards & Recognition Chair 2019-2020
District 6910 Conference Committee Member 2019-2020
District 6910 Speakers Bureau – RLI and Club Management & Leadership
Rotary Leadership Academy Graduate 2011
Rotary Leadership Institute Graduate 2013
Rotary Leadership Institute Graduate Course 2016
Rotary Leadership Institute Discussion Leader Graduate 2018
Rotary Zone 33-34 Summit Emerging Leader 2019
Area VII Rotary Peace Garden Committee Chair 2019-2019
Paul Harris Fellow 2013
Paul Harris Fellow + 1 2018
Paul Harris Fellow +2 2019
Rotary Foundation Benefactor 2014
Rotary Foundation Bequest Society Member 2015
Rotary Foundation Bequest Society Level II Member 2016
Paul Harris Society Member 2019
GRSP Will Watt Fellow 2019

Paul Skinner was born and raised in Iowa and grew up farming in a small town agricultural community but always had a passion for science. After college, Paul married his wife Dawn and began his career in the field of Veterinary Animal Health at the National Animal Disease Labs in Ames, Iowa. After moving several times over the years for new opportunities, Paul and Dawn ultimately relocated with their family from Iowa to Georgia in 2000 and immediately fell in love with the area (and have stayed ever since).

Paul explored the world of home-brewing in 2010 as he and Dawn joined a small group at their church that met weekly to brew, eat, drink and enjoy fellowship with each other. After gaining some confidence by winning several homebrew competitions, Paul along with his wife Dawn, and friends Mark and Peg, decided to take a leap of faith and open a brewery, Athentic Brewing Company, in 2020. In 2022,, Paul officially retired from the Biotech Industry after 40 years and has devoted himself full-time to his passion of creating a craft beer community in Athens, Georgia. Cheers!

Widely known as Mr. B Corp Georgia, Nathan has a firm belief that business can be a force for good and as such has a passion for helping good companies become great. He's been working with firms pursuing B Corp Certification since 2016, using the B Impact Assessment to align purpose with profit.

In addition to his experience working at a B Corp, Nathan teaches an MBA-level B Corp class at UGA, founded and chairs B Local Georgia, serves as a committee chair for B Academics, and was awarded the 2020 Community Builder Award by B Lab.

A two-time graduate of UGA (BBA '04, MBA '17), Nathan is also the Board Chair for Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, as well as a TEDx speaker, podcast host and guest, author, and dog Dad.

Stan Mullins is a true Southern visionary. Born in Cherry Point, NC and raised in Alexandria, VA, his story reads like a Hollywood blockbuster or a Neal Stephenson intellectual thriller. Skateboarding in the halls of  The Pentagon while his father was a Joint Chief of Staff aide to 4-star General George Brown, Mullins' early life was filled with the beauty and trappings of our nation’s capital, a grand vision, and a discipline to fulfill the task. His first real step as an artist was the invitation from the Corcoran Museum of Art for a summer curriculum. Mullins was 12 years old and already riding the DC metro with adults going to work in our capital city.

The University of Georgia became another launch pad for creativity and the UGA Study Abroad Program led to a lifelong embrace with Italy. One of Mullins’ epic oil-on-linen paintings graces the Chiesa della Spirito Santo in Cortona and has become part of the Vatican Collection.Purchasing his iconic studio in Athens, GA in 1990 became another milestone in the career and life of Stan Mullins.

The trajectory of art and inspiration remains the lofting arc in Mullins' life. From creating works of art in the jungles of Rwanda both before and after the genocide of 1994, to working in the wild Kimberlys of Northwestern Australia with one of the most remote Aboriginal clans in 2011 to a recent journey to the recluse country of Bhutan (Mullins’ portrait of Queen Jetsun Pema hangs in the Royal Palace),  Mullins’ artwork and zest of life embrace the larger vision of artist as cultural ambassador.

If you'd like to visit some of his works, several are on display in Atlanta:

“Chief Tomochichi”
The epic bronze sculpture is currently displayed on 17th St. Midtown Atlanta, will stand atop the 150 foot tall “Peace Column looking East  into the sunrise over Atlanta in Rodney Cook Sr. Park. 

“The Hungarian Freedom Fighter” 
A 15 ton ‘lightning granite’ sculpture was unveiled October 2022 in Millennium Gate Sculpture Park

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”
An 8’2” bronze sculpture of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park.

“Cyrus the Great”
An ongoing epic monument to World Peace.
October 2023 on World Cyrus The Great Day the ‘working maquette of the 20ft tall future bronze will be unveiled at Millennium Peace Park.