GNFCC Chairman's Circle Archives

LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Stacy Garmon, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

September 15, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Stacy Garmon, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

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LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Stacy Garmon, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 519)

Stacy Garmon is Vice President of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and joined host John Ray LIVE to talk about the Grand Opening Celebration. She discussed the new location, value-laden opportunities available to Chairman’s Circle members, and more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the Grand Opening celebration and ribbon cutting of the new offices of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce at the 10000 Building at Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia, on August 18, 2022.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

The mission of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is to be the recognized leader in its region for business growth, talent development and regional prosperity.

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, nonprofit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1,200 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Its service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

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Stacy Garmon, IOM, Vice President, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC)

Stacy Garmon is a Chamber of Commerce Executive with over seven years of experience providing fiscal and operational oversight for chamber membership, sponsorship, programming, and business advocacy activities. As a former small business owner turned chamber of commerce leader, she is deeply passionate about connecting and promoting businesses within her community.

Stacy worked her way up from Membership Director at a local chamber, to serving as Vice President at the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. She joined GNFCC in 2018.

Stacy is an expert in chamber leadership and operations from strategic planning to fiscal management, As a service-oriented leader at heart, she is dedicated to making a positive impact on the community through volunteering, board membership, and social services.

Stacy holds a degree from Berry College and is on the board of directors of The Drake House.

Questions and Topics in the Interview:

Stacy’s role at GNFCC
The new location
Chairman’s Circle

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

The GNFCC 400 Insider: The Greater North Fulton Chamber Year in Review: An Interview with outgoing Chairman Bill Bland, and Chairman-Elect Alan Najjar

December 20, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

The GNFCC 400 Insider: The Greater North Fulton Chamber Year in Review: An Interview with outgoing Chairman Bill Bland, and Chairman-Elect Alan Najjar

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Alan Najjar and Bill Bland — **Alan Najjar, Kali Boatright, and Bill Bland**

“The GNFCC 400 Insider,” Episode 31, The North Fulton Chamber 2019 Year in Review: An Interview with Chairman Bill Bland and Chairman-Elect Alan Najjar

2019 was a record-breaking year for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, and 2020 promises to be a year of continued growth and activity. On this edition of “GNFCC 400 Insider,” host Kali Boatright speaks with outgoing GNFCC Chairman Bill Bland and Chairman-Elect Alan Najjar. “GNFCC 400 Insider” is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

Bill Bland, 2019 Chairman, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

Bill Bland is Senior Vice President with Choate Construction. Bill’s primary responsibility for Choate is to originate and implement a marketing and sales strategy; focusing on procuring projects which fit the company’s experience and qualifications. On select projects, he works with the preconstruction team to review plans, and offer input into the program and schedule. Bill has been with Choate for 25 years where he was a project manager before joining the executive management of the company.

Prior to joining Choate, Bill was a principal and project manager for Wood, Morris & Bland where he was involved in the design and construction of numerous healthcare-related projects across the country. Bill earned a Bachelor of Science from Georgia Southern University and he is also a graduate of Georgia College and State University, where he received his Masters in Business Administration.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bill is active in several civic and professional associations. He has served as past President of CoreNet Global and Real Estate Group of Atlanta (REGA), and he is an active member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He is also an executive board member of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce where he serves as chair for the annual golf tournament and the 2019 Chairman of The Board.

Alan Najjar, Chairman-Elect, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

Alan Najjar is the 2020 Chairman for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Alan has overseen the business development efforts of Smith & Howard since 2011.

A veteran of the Atlanta banking and business community, Alan has held executive level leadership positions at SunTrust Bank and other Georgia financial institutions. Prior to joining Smith & Howard, he was the EVP and Chief Operating Officer of an Atlanta-based financial services company.

Alan is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He is a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Alan serves on the Board of Directors for The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and is a trustee emeritus for Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation and Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. He is active in numerous civic, social and academic organizations. Alan and his wife, Donna, are long-time residents of Gwinnett County and when away from the office, Alan most enjoys sunrises on the lake and time with his family.

About GNFCC and “The GNFCC 400 Insider”

“The GNFCC 400 Insider” (formerly “North Atlanta’s Bizlink”) is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806.

For the complete show archive of “The GNFCC 400 Insider,” go to GNFCC400Insider.com. “The GNFCC 400 Insider is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Jeff Petrea with Georgia Power and Bill Bland with Choate Construction

December 4, 2018 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Jeff Petrea with Georgia Power and Bill Bland with Choate Construction

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Bill Bland, Kali Boatright, and Jeff Petrea

Jeff Petrea/Georgia Power

Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, GA. It was established as the Georgia Railway and Power Company and began operations in 1902 running streetcars in Atlanta as a successor to the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway Company.

Georgia Power is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company. Georgia Power is an investor-owned, tax-paying public utility that serves more than 2.4 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties. It employs approximately 7,500 workers throughout the state.

Bill Bland/Choate Construction

Choate Construction Company is one of the largest general contractors in the Southeast specializing in Preconstruction, Design-Build, LEED Programming / Implementation, and Construction Management services for multiple market sectors. Choate is a 100% employee-owned company and proud to hold an 85% rate of repeat clients. Due to financial strength and depth of expertise Choate’s annual volume has continued to grow, topping $1.2 billion in 2017. Additionally, Choate has received many notable distinctions including being named the 2017 Southeast Contractor of the Year by ENR magazine. Choate’s employees are members of various professional and personal organizations with a strong backbone of charitable involvement. Choate is continually recognized as one of the top corporate fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation having raised over $3 million to date.

North Atlanta’s Bizlink is produced by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals. Our service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. We provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806.