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2025 GNFCC Nonprofit Award Winners Making a Lasting Impact: Chattahoochee Nature Center and RUMC Job Networking

June 25, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

2025 GNFCC Nonprofit Award Winners Making a Lasting Impact: Chattahoochee Nature Center and RUMC Job Networking

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2025 GNFCC Nonprofit Award Winners Making a Lasting Impact: Chattahoochee Nature Center and RUMC Job Networking (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 108)

In this special episode of the GNFCC 400 Insider podcast, host Rebekah Anderson sits down with the 2025 Nonprofit Award Winners to explore the remarkable impact of two standout organizations: RUMC Job Networking Ministry and the Chattahoochee Nature Center.

Jay Litton shares how the job ministry at Roswell United Methodist Church has helped over 90,000 job seekers find meaningful work, combining practical support with faith and community. David Miles of the Chattahoochee Nature Center discusses how the center’s environmental education, volunteer-driven gardens, and legacy partnerships serve over 150,000 visitors each year—fostering stewardship for the Chattahoochee River and beyond.

Whether you’re passionate about workforce development, environmental education, or volunteerism, this episode celebrates the power of nonprofit leadership to create lasting change.

The GNFCC 400 Insider is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from this Episode

Helping People Find Work is Helping Them Find Themselves – RUMC’s job networking ministry has supported over 90,000 individuals, helping restore identity, confidence, and community.

Nature and Nourishment Go Hand in Hand – CNC’s Unity Garden delivers 10,000 pounds of fresh produce annually to North Fulton Community Charities—all maintained by volunteers.

Legacy Built on Generosity and Longevity – With nearly 50 years of service, both nonprofits continue to innovate and expand—through tech tools like AI at RUMC Job Networking and major capital investment at CNC.

Volunteers Make the Mission Possible – Both organizations thrive because of their dedicated volunteers, many of whom are former beneficiaries of their services.

Education is Everywhere – CNC impacts 52,000+ students annually and offers immersive learning—from canoeing to conservation—on-site and in schools.

The River Connects Us All – The Chattahoochee River, source of 70% of Atlanta’s drinking water, is a vital thread in CNC’s mission to educate, protect, and connect.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to GNFCC 400 Insider
00:55 Meet the Nonprofit Award Winners
01:30 RUMC Job Networking Overview
03:53 Chattahoochee Nature Center Insights
05:15 Impact and Community Involvement
07:25 Volunteer Contributions and Sustainability
16:02 Getting Involved with Roswell UMC Job Networking
17:27 Navigating the Job Networking Ministry
18:08 Employer Engagement and Job Fairs
19:15 Volunteer Opportunities at the Nature Center
21:37 Success Stories from Job Networking
24:25 Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Achievements
27:48 Future Plans and AI Integration
31:39 The Importance of the Chattahoochee River
33:58 Getting Involved and Final Thoughts

The Chattahoochee Nature Center

**David Mills, Senior Director of Resource Development**

The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a private, non-profit environmental education facility located on 127 acres of forest, wetland, and river habitat adjacent to the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Georgia. Its mission is to connect people with nature through immersive experiences, educational programs, and hands-on exhibits focused on the local ecosystem and the Chattahoochee River watershed.

Visitors can explore well-marked walking trails, a river boardwalk, beautiful butterfly gardens, and native plant displays, while observing rehabilitated birds of prey and other wildlife up close. The center features a Discovery Center with interactive exhibits, a high-definition theater, and a Nature Exchange for educational trading. Additional highlights include a wildlife rehabilitation clinic, sustainable community gardening in the Unity Garden, and popular seasonal camps for children. The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a destination for families, nature enthusiasts, and anyone interested in learning about Georgia’s native plants, animals, and conservation efforts

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

RUMC Job Networking

RUMC Job Networking is a volunteer ministry at Roswell United Methodist Church in Roswell, Georgia, offering support to individuals navigating job transitions or seeking employment. Established over 35 years ago, the ministry brings together job seekers, industry professionals, and volunteers for regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, excluding major holidays. Participants benefit from workshops on resume writing, interviewing, LinkedIn optimization, and other job search strategies, as well as one-on-one resume reviews with experienced recruiters and HR professionals.

The program is known for its welcoming and collaborative environment, providing both practical resources and emotional encouragement. Through initiatives like the Industry Guides, job seekers can connect with volunteers from various fields for targeted networking. Supported by a large network of volunteers and community sponsors, RUMC Job Networking also maintains an active online presence for sharing job leads and networking opportunities, helping participants stay motivated and connected throughout their job search journey.

Website

About GNFCC and The GNFCC 400 Insider podcast

Kali Boatright, President and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) — **Kali Boatright, President and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce**

The GNFCC 400 Insider is sponsored by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC), and the host of the show is 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 1,400 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.

As a five-star accredited chamber, GNFCC’s vision is to be the premier organization driving member and community success across the region, and they are dedicated to pursuing this vision based on the guiding principles of advocacy, inclusivity, and operational excellence.

GNFCC promotes the interests of their 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 more information on other GNFCC events, follow this link.

GNFCC North Fulton HR Forum: “Pandemic: Changing People, Changing Places”

June 18, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

GNFCC North Fulton HR Forum: "Pandemic: Changing People, Changing Places"

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GNFCC North Fulton HR Forum – Pandemic: Changing People, Changing Places (“GNFCC 400 Insider,” Episode 43)

How should human resources professionals re-engage their workforce as the economy reopens? What’s the current pool of available talent look like? Those question and more were addressed in this Forum. The PowerPoint deck associated with this webinar can be found here. This Economic Recovery Forum was jointly presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Roswell Inc.. The PowerPoint deck associated with this webinar can be found here.

The host of “The GNFCC 400 Insider” is GNFCC CEO Kali Boatright, and the show is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. Business RadioX is the Media Sponsor for this series of Economic Recovery Forums.

Felton Anderson, Southern Company

Felton Anderson is a coordinator for labor relations for Georgia Power Company, headquartered in Atlanta. In this position, Felton provides strategic consulting and effective solutions to senior management of Georgia Power and leadership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 84 concerning labor and employment issues and plays an integral role in negotiations between the parties.

Felton joined Southern Company in 1994. Felton started her career with Alabama Power Company where her positions in corporate marketing included her Alabama Power United Way campaign roles of chair for marketing and co-chair for Alabama Power’s leadership giving. After leaving Birmingham in 1999, she led the implementation of a Southern Company system-wide uniform program on behalf of human resources for Southern Company Services in Atlanta.

Since 2002, Felton has held various positions of increasing responsibility at Georgia Power in corporate services, marketing, customer service, distribution, and human resources. Felton has been active in leadership development and mentoring programs for Southern Company and in the community. As an alumna of Leadership North Fulton, Felton is currently serving as a 2019-2020 program co-chair for Leadership North Fulton, a program of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Felton also serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Development Academy in Roswell.

Felton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama. Felton and her husband, Johnny Herbert, have four sons and live in Milton, Georgia.

Forum Panelists

Matthew S. Harrison, Ph.D., VP of HR, Jackson Healthcare

Matthew S. Harrison, Ph.D. currently works at Jackson Healthcare as Vice President, Human Resources. In this role he is responsible for planning, directing, and overseeing all human resources and administrative service functions for various Jackson Healthcare companies, and leads delivery in the areas of: talent management/acquisition, learning & development, employee relations, performance management, organizational development, change management, job & compensation analysis, HR metrics & reporting, and diversity & inclusion.

Previously, Dr. Harrison served in leadership roles at Mannheim, McKesson, The Weather Channel, and Comcast focusing on talent management/acquisition, learning & development, organizational effectiveness, diversity & inclusion, and HR business partner work.

Dr. Harrison also currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology at The University of Georgia. He is a published diversity researcher, and is renowned for his research on the topic of colorism. His master’s thesis received wide publicity–being featured on websites such as CNN, CNBC, ABC News, was reported in various newspapers and media outlets across the US (and United Kingdom), and received an initial inquiry from an executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Dr. Harrison is a graduate of Emory University (B.A.) and The University of Georgia (M.S. & Ph.D.).

Jay Litton, RUMC Job Networking

Jay Litton is an Enterprise Account Executive for Sumo Logic (www.sumologic.com) which is headquartered in Redwood City, CA. Sumo Logic helps large companies proactively find problems in real time with their IT applications, operations and security. The solution is a SaaS, Cloud Native service which helps prevent customer facing mission critical issues and data breaches via machine learning.

Jay has over 35 years of sales/sales management experience working at both start-up and multi-billion dollar companies primarily in the software IT industry.

Jay began his leadership 23 years ago at RUMC Job Networking (www.RUMCjobnetworking.com) in 1997 which was 9 years after the founding of the ministry. Since this time RUMC Job Networking has grown to become one of the largest ministries of its kind in the United States. Hundreds of people are typically on-site and now job seekers attend virtually every second and fourth Mondays through their 11-hour virtual workshop and one-on-one sessions. Jay is also the creator of the WoW! Interview (www.WowInterview.com) and has presented his method in person to over 10,000 people in career transition. RUMC Job Networking has been showcased by ABC’s World News Tonight by Diane Sawyer, The Economist, Atlanta Journal Constitution, WSB-TV, The Wall Street Journal and many other media sources.

Jay has been married to his wife Donna for 37 years and they have three adult children. Jay and Donna have lived in Roswell for 26 years.

Jenny Taylor, VP Career Services, Goodwill of North Georgia

Jenny Taylor is a sought after public speaker on the topics of successful large-scale public/private partnerships, employer engagement, workforce development, and employment outcomes for people with significant barriers. She is Vice President of Career Services at the second largest Goodwill in the nation, leading evidence-based programs with outcomes in the top 10% of the industry, as measured by the National Benchmarking Project.

Her agency has a $175 million dollar budget and operates programs that placed 25,688 people in competitive employment last year.

She holds a Masters of Rehabilitation Counseling and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She is a member of the National and Georgia Rehabilitation Associations, and Mensa.

About GNFCC and “The GNFCC 400 Insider”

**Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC**

“The GNFCC 400 Insider” 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®.

Jay Litton and Katherine Simons, RUMC Job Networking

April 10, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jay Litton and Katherine Simons, RUMC Job Networking

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“North Fulton Business Radio,” Episode 215: Jay Litton and Katherine Simons, RUMC Job Networking

RUMC Job Networking has touched literally thousands of lives in the well over two decades of its existence. Jay Litton and Katherine Simons, co-leaders of this ministry of Roswell United Methodist Church, join the show to talk about how they have morphed their programming to a virtual platform, advice they’d offer job seekers in this economic climate, and much more. The host of “North Fulton Business Radio” is John Ray and the show is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

RUMC Job Networking

For over 25 years RUMC Job Networking has been providing employment workshops, ‘mini’ job fairs, and evening dinners with keynote speakers to those in need of employment or job readiness. RUMC Job Networking exists to teach job seekers how to begin and sustain a job search while providing emotional support and encouragement. They provide this support through mentoring, community prayer partners (all faiths and denominations), and support groups.

Since 2010, they have been training on job readiness while making states and other countries aware of the need for Job Networking including: Holland, Singapore, Portugal and London. The impact of this program has reached the attention of ABC World News, Fox 5 News, the Wall Street Journal, and the Atlanta Journal. Their interview on National Public Radio discussed how a community works together to help the unemployed. They have developed close relationships with the state and federal departments of labor and have attended events hosted by the White House and the Community Partnerships for Faith Based Programs. They have reinforced that we are filling a gap they cannot serve.

RUMC Job Networking meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. During the coronavirus pandemic they have gone virtual, still meeting on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, so they can stay engaged with job seekers during their job search.

To connect with RUMC Job Networking, visit their website to find their next meeting and agenda.

Jay Litton

Jay Litton is a Senior Enterprise Account Executive at Sumo Logic. He is a seasoned enterprise sales/sales management executive with a track record of success as both an individual contributor and in sales leadership roles. During his career, Jay has achieved top performing status during at both start ups and multi-billion dollar organizations.

He has been providing career advice at RUMC Job Networking since inception of the ministry. With Katherine Simons, he co-leads a team of over 300 volunteer professionals who donate their time with an eight-hour agenda twice each month. Jay is also known as the creator of the WoW! Interview™ having taught over 10,000 professionals in career transition.

Jay previously appeared on Business RadioX® in 2017; you can find that episode here.

Katherine Simons

Katherine Simons is the previous owner of DDS Staffing Resources specializing in the temporary and permanent staffing of medical and dental staff . She also partnered with her son-in-law Tim Rush, in ownership of a Healthcare Job Board, Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC which features www.advancedpracticejobs.com, the largest and most successful job board highlighting nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

In addition to co-leading RUMC Job Networking with Jay, Katherine has served as Chairperson for New Members and Assimilation at Roswell United Methodist Church, a 6000 member congregation, She serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and on the HomeStretch Board of Directors.

Katherine is author of Loving Your Neighbor, A Faith Community’s Response to the Unemployment Crisis, written in 2010, but so timely in our current environment.

Show Notes from Jay and Katherine:

Stay Positive, Move Forward and Keep the Faith…
Stay Positive by…..
1. Keep your energy level high through diet, exercise, rest, and positive thinking
2. Surround yourself with friends who have a good story to tell. Stay away from “downers”
3. Trust that God has a Plan for your life and it is up to you to see and hear it. Be willing to try new things. It could lead to his plan.
4. Be like Thomas Edison….see every “no” as that much closer to a “yes” answer. Learn from the “no’s”
5. Go places where you find positive people . Today, there are many ways to connect with positive ideas on-line.
6. Be ready everyday for a virtual interview. Be dressed. Look the part.
Move Forward by…
1. Continuing to learn and try new job search techniques
2. Connecting with people in your industry
3. Practice and prepare for company interviews PPQ
4. Track how many calls you need to make to accomplish a result. A result may be a conversation, an introduction, a new direction, an interview. Once you know how many calls it takes to get to one of these results, schedule every day to make the necessary calls.
5. Treat the process like an Adventure. You never know what’s around the next corner.
6. Keep a notebook of all successes and lessons learned.
7. Clear up conflicts that would cause references to be less than stellar. Never give reference for a job without calling person first to ask and explain the opportunity. A positive or negative reference can make or break the next step.
Moving Forward…
1. Learn LinkedIn like never before.
2. Learn Zoom – interview yourself on camera with a free Zoom subscription
3. Research – Get daily emails from the Atlanta Business Chronicle and other information rich sources that are locally based.
Keep the Faith by…..
1. We believe that you should not do your job search alone. God should included through prayers.
2. Take our Crossroads Career class which covers 7 steps of the job search and shows how God is in every step.
3. Consider taking a bible study via a free Zoom subscription with a few friends.
4. See God work in other people by listening to others and see where you can help.

Final comments…
1. Notice that people are being hired. We just received an email on Wednesday from an excited job seeker that attended one of our recent mini job fair.
2. Believe it is not “if” but “when” you will go on next interview
3. Continue to stay in shape….work head, heart, and body muscles
4. Where can you volunteer your time…even virtually to help others or a nonprofit group that helps others.
5. Biggest surprise? Lots of layoffs but companies are hiring.
6. Biggest concern? The layoffs mean quality people are hitting the market. You need great job search skills and persistence to win.
Taking Action!
1. Attend our virtual RUMC Job Networking meeting on Monday, April 13th and our upcoming meeting agenda. Visit the RUMC Job Networking website for details.
2. Subscribe to our email Groups called Groups.io. to get the job leads submitted to us by employers and volunteers.

North Fulton Business Radio” is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® 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, 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.