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Valencia Giles, Director and Owner of Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

August 9, 2024 by Mike

Celebrating Powerhouse Women

Valencia Giles, Director and Owner of Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

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Celebrating Powerhouse Women salutes and recognizes women who are making an impact, whether it’s in business, philanthropy, public service, or elsewhere.

Valencia Giles/Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

At the age of 7, Valencia’s father gave Valencia her first piano. She was so excited and enjoyed piano lessons like a little girl with a brand new doll. Little did she know the impact this gift would have on her life. Her elementary years were filled with music. By middle school, her second choice of instrument was the flute. Looking back, she realized that each band director in middle school, high school, and college appointed her as the director’s assistant. This path led her to the position she has today.

As the Director of the Lawrencevile-Suwanee School of Music (LSSM), she finds that her passion for teaching, assisting, and helping students has only grown. She loves what she does and she has a vision for every student who walks in the door. She is committed to making sure their musical beginning is filled with fun, quality instruction, and care. She is committed to hiring teachers that
are committed to the same goals of excellence.

Graduating with honors from Alabama A&M University with a double major in flute and piano was intense and rewarding. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). She is the author of “Beaker’s House of Music,” a note theory curriculum; a recording artist for kids, and a composer. She is also a wife and mother of 3 wonderful children.

CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube.

Celebrating Powerhouse Women is presented by

Hosted by Amanda Pearch

2023 Gwinnett Chamber Moxie Award Winners

August 27, 2023 by Mike

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce announced seven winners and recognized more than one hundred finalists at the 2023 Moxie Awards, presented by Northeast Georgia Health System. Established to honor women professionals, the Moxie Awards program welcomed more than 500 hundred attendees to the Gas South District for this year’s celebration.

“The Moxie Awards recognize women who are going above and beyond to make an impact in their places of work and in their communities,” said Dean Collins, Gwinnett Chamber Board Chair and Founder & President of Axis Companies. “Gwinnett is fortunate to have such dynamic and driven women leaders investing in its future and we would like to congratulate all of this year’s finalists and winners.”

Now in its sixth year, the Moxie Awards program hosts business leaders from across the metro Atlanta region. Seven winners were selected from 134 finalists, all within key categories that focused on everything from employers who champion women in business to individuals who have exceled as leaders, innovators, up- and-comers, and community engagers.

This year’s winners included:

Enlightened Employer Award
Robin Mauck, Executive Director
Obria Medical Clinics
Greater Good Award
Muriam Nafees, Volunteer Gwinnett & Collaboration Manager
Gwinnett County Government
Influence Award
Lisamarie Bristol, Solicitor General
Gwinnett County Government
On the Rise Award
Logan Serrano, Marketing & Communications Director
Leadership Gwinnett
Outstanding Organization Award
Valencia Giles, Director & Owner
Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music
Pay It Forward Award
Dr. Audrey Arona, CEO and District Health Director
GNR Health Department
Moxie Award
Kim Hartsock, Managing Partner – Atlanta Office
Warren Averett
Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce (Presenting Organization of Moxie Awards)
Nick Masino, President & CEO
Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce

The event included an insightful keynote address from Cheryl Mills Knight, SVP of Branding and Culture for Kendra Scott. Knight shared how her company built its billion-dollar brand through a focus on values and company culture.

The Moxie Awards is produced by the Gwinnett Chamber with the support of several community partners including Northeast Georgia Health System, Northside Hospital, Georgia Power, Piedmont Eastside, Walton Gas, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Gas South, Jackson EMC, Mighty 8th Media, Primerica, Renasant Bank, Andersen Tate & Carr, Kendra Scott, ATL Search Group, E2E Benefits Services, Greater Women’s Business Council, Level Seven Commercial Cleaning, Rock Paper Scissors Branding & Marketing, Celebrating Power House Women Podcast Series on Business RadioX, The Water Tower, Helping Mamas, Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Obria Medical Clinics Gwinnett, and Rainbow Village.

“We would like to sincerely thank all sponsors of this year’s MOXIE Awards,” shared Nick Masino, President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett. “Their support enables us to curate relevant programming that meets the growing needs of businesses in our community, and we appreciate their partnership.”

For more information on the Moxie Awards or upcoming events at the Gwinnett Chamber, please visit GwinnettChamber.org/Events.

2023 Moxie Award Winners: Dr. Audrey Arona, Lisamarie Bristol, Robin Mauck (Obria Medical Clinics), Kim Hartsock, Valencia Giles (Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music), Muriam Nafees, Logan Serrano

Family Business Radio, Episode 4: Valencia and Ozzie Giles, Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music, Melissa Gunderson, Morsels by Melissa, and Bonnie Mauldin, The Mauldin Group

November 12, 2019 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Family Business Radio, Episode 4: Valencia and Ozzie Giles, Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music, Melissa Gunderson, Morsels by Melissa, and Bonnie Mauldin, The Mauldin Group

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**Anthony Chen, Bonnie Mauldin, Melissa Gunderson, Valencia Giles, and Ozzie Giles**

Family Business Radio, Episode 4: Valencia and Ozzie Giles, Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music, Melissa Gunderson, Morsels by Melissa, and Bonnie Mauldin, The Mauldin Group

On this episode of “Family Business Radio,” host Anthony Chen welcomes Valencia and Ozzie Giles, owners of Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music, Melissa Gunderson, chef and owner of Morsels by Melissa, and Bonnie Mauldin, founder of The Mauldin Group. “Family Business Radio” is broadcast from the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Valencia and Ozzie Giles, Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

Valencia and Ozzie Giles own Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music, a top award-winning music school in Gwinnett County where instructors teach instrument lessons to over 650 students, ages 3 to adult, from the U.S. and abroad. Lessons include voice, piano, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, violin, viola, drums, clarinet, flute, greek instruments and more. More than 40 instructors teach classes in Early Childhood Music Development, Special Needs, Music Theory, and Art, all under one roof.

Valencia’s love of music took root when her father gave her a piano at age 7. The music school director graduated from Alabama A&M University with a double major in flute and piano. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association.

Ozzie, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Needs Education, and a Master’s in Counseling and Ministry, works with students with special needs.

The couple highlights how Lawerenceville-Suwanee School of Music provides loving structure and support to help students not only succeed in music, but in life down the road.

For more information visit the Lawerenceville-Suwanee School of Music website. Valencia Giles can be reached by email, or call 678-376-9800.

Melissa Gunderson, Morsels by Melissa

Melissa Gunderson is chef and owner of Morsels by Melissa where she provides full range menu items to clients including specialty cakes and sweets. Melissa’s expertise includes the planning and implementation of corporate and private parties and events, as well as wedding receptions and intimate dinners.

At a young age Melissa loved to cook and sing. She turned down culinary school to pursue a career in opera. As a “Full Lyric Soprano” she sang professionally for 10 years. While singing full time, she honed her cooking skills in New York City with some of the top caterers there. In the end, Melissa decided cooking was her true joy in life and decided to jump into the culinary world full time.

Melissa started her culinary career in New York City. In 1996, she worked as a private chef for Four Star Chef Works and The Pavilion Agency while catering for private clients of her own. In 2000, Melissa decided to move back to Atlanta, her hometown.

Melissa started as an event chef for Bold American upon her arrival in Atlanta. She also worked with Proof of the Pudding as catering manager/party chef and The Epicurean as sous chef. While working with these premiere catering companies, she began to build her own clientele, eventually starting her own catering company, Morsels by Melissa.

For more information visit the Morsels by Melissa website. Melissa Gunderson can be reached by email, or call 678-357-2349.

Bonnie Mauldin, The Mauldin Group

Bonnie Mauldin is founder of The Mauldin Group. Her agency specializes in serving small businesses with professional web design, internet marketing and business development training. Services also include social media management, Search Engine Optimization, Linkedin profile makeover, Pay-Per-Click Management and more. Her mission is to help companies become more profitable and expand their brand to new heights.

The Mauldin Group is ranked as a Top 10 SEO and PPC Agency in Atlanta by Expertise.com.

Bonnie serves on the Marketing Council at Gwinnett Technical College and as a Diplomat with the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Bonnie was named Business Person of Excellence this year, and has won Business of the Year by the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce.

She is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs become more profitable and expand their brand to new heights.

For more information visit The Mauldin Group website. Bonnie Mauldin can be reached by email, or call 678-846-2306.

Anthony Chen, Host of “Family Business Radio”

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (RAA), member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of RAA. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd. Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090 ext 5075 or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance. Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

Tim & Chrystal Mansour with Mansour International and Valencia Giles with Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

November 29, 2018 by Mike

Gwinnett Business Radio

Tim & Chrystal Mansour with Mansour International and Valencia Giles with Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

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Valencia Giles, Tim Mansour, Chrystal Mansour

Tim & Chrystal Mansour/Mansour International

Building and operating over ten businesses within 30 years, all these businesses started from zero. Tim Mansour was fortunate to sell all of them over a period of time for a total of $10.8 million dollars.

Together, Tim and Chrystal have over 50 years of business experience in the Health & Fitness industry through education, coaching and living a healthy way of life. Key elements of this program are motivating people to pursue and achieve their dreams & goals in business, building/managing relationships, health & fitness, as well as helping others manage and overcoming obstacle while remaining focused, persistent and positive.

As a business entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Tim would like to share his business experiences, challenges and passion for success! Receive tips and strategies on “how to” build a business from zero, manage/overcoming obstacles, lessons he learned along the way, how to manage working with family and friends, the importance & power of positive thinking and much more.

Mansour International is Tim and Chrystal’s current business, which allows them to enjoy investing in real estate, flipping houses and living a healthy way of life!

Valencia Giles/Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music

With over 500 students enrolled from the U.S and abroad, the Lawrenceville-Suwanee School of Music has been offering quality, private music lessons since 2009 for voice, piano, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, violin, cello, drums, percussion, mandolin, clarinet, flute, and Greek instruments, early childhood music development classes, and art classes for young children through adult ages. Love is their model and great musicianship is their goal. LSSM provide lessons that inspire, motivate, educate, and instill confidence in students to help them perform at their highest level. They are Gwinnett’s most award-winning school. With a comprehensive music education and modern state of the art facility, everyone is a star.