“Gwinnett is Great” was the motto long-used to describe Gwinnett County, GA. On this edition of “The Dr. Dionne Show“, the panel takes a look inside the day-to-day operations, initiatives, and challenges of growing, sustaining, and enriching a county.
Nicole Hendrickson/Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners
Nicole Hendrickson was appointed as the Director of the Community Outreach Program for the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners in 2015, and has developed a comprehensive outreach plan that involves engaging diverse constituents in county government. In her first year, Nicole launched two notable programs: the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy, and Dinner & Dialogue with Chairman Nash. Both gained popularity with residents across Gwinnett County.
Prior to her role with county government, Nicole served as the Associate Director for the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services for eight years. In that capacity, she spearheaded the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute, providing grassroots community leadership training to residents, and led the annual Gwinnett Great Days of Service which is known as one of the largest volunteer initiatives in the country. She is actively involved in the community, serving in a variety of capacities.
Her current involvement includes serving on the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Gwinnett Community Board, the United Way Gwinnett Advisory Board, and the Gwinnett Young Professionals Board of Directors. Nicole is a graduate of the Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2010, the Georgia Center for Non-profit Leadership Program, the 2016 Regional Leadership Institute, and the Georgia Hispanic Chamber’s Cultivating Hispanic Leaders Institute. Nicole is a recipient of the 2017 Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Annual Public Service Award.
Her work has been featured in Gwinnett Magazine, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, and the Gwinnett Chamber’s Edge Magazine. She has served as a panelist on diversity and inclusion for the Partnership Gwinnett Summit.
Brandy Swanson/Smith & Howard CPA
Brandy Swanson is an associate with Smith & Howard CPA firm. With over 20 years of experience in small business leadership, development and management, she has proven skills in senior leadership, business development, budgeting, recruiting, profitability, accounting, sales, customer service and human resources.
Brandy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University and is a proud graduate of Leadership Gwinnett. She is an active member of the Gwinnett Rotary Club and has been a Rotarian for over 24 years. Their motto “Service above Self” is her mantra. Over the years, she has served as president, treasurer, vocational chair, youth services chair and international chair.
Prior to Smith & Howard, Brandy was VP at Accent Creative Group; Executive VP at Sandler Training; the Chief Operations and Financial Officer at Lloyd Pro Group; VP of Operations at VIP Auto Care; and a Sales Manager for Administrative Managers, Inc. Her financial planning and advanced skills in contract negotiation significantly increased profitability and guided the sale and purchase of several businesses.
HOST: Dr. Dionne Wright Poulton
Dionne Wright Poulton, Ph.D., is an HR and Leadership Consultant, Educator, Author, Speaker, and Owner of Poulton Consulting Group, LLC, an HR and leadership consulting business specializing in diversity and inclusion, equity, bias, intercultural communication, adult learning, adult behavior, and conflict mediation. Since its inception in 2004, Poulton Consulting Group has worked with a wide range of diverse clients in the U.S. and Canada including many in the San Francisco tech and digital marketing industry; K-12 schools and higher education; and many corporate and service industries. Poulton Consulting Group is also a government-approved business for local, state and federal level contracts.
Dr. Wright Poulton is author of the acclaimed book “It’s Not Always Racist…but Sometimes It Is” which is an extension of her PhD dissertation at the University of Georgia where she researched the racial biases and assumptions of teachers. She is also a certified K-12 teacher whose work is inspired by her 16 years of cumulative experiences as a high school teacher and university instructor in public and private institutions in Canada and the United States. Additionally, Dr. Wright Poulton has earned professional degrees from San Francisco State University (M.A.), the University of Toronto/OISE (B.Ed.), and from Rice University (B.A.) in Houston, TX where she was a former NCAA Division I track and field scholarship athlete.
In 2014, Profiles In Diversity Journal identified Dr. Wright Poulton as “a woman to watch.” She has presented social commentary in print media in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, as well as on numerous radio shows including CBS Radio stations in Atlanta, GA and on Tavis Smiley’s Radio Show. “The Dr Dionne Show” debuted in 2016 on Business RadioX with a focus on smart dialogue about diversity, leadership, and behavior in the workplace and beyond.
Dr. Wright Poulton is originally from Toronto, Canada and is a former member of Canada’s National Track and Field Team. She currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Snellville, GA.
To book Dr. Dionne Poulton as a speaker for your next event, or to facilitate one of her innovative professional development workshops based on her PhD research, you can reach her through:
Email: dionne@poultonconsultinggroup.com
Phone: 404-323-3842 or 1-877-263-2227 (internationally)
Facebook: The Dr. Dionne Show
LinkedIn: @Dr Dionne (Wright) Poulton
Twitter: @DrDionnePoulton
For more information, visit Dr. Poulton’s business website: www.poultonconsultinggroup.com
