Northwest Georgia's Top of Georgia Employer Committee wins state Spirit Award

Media release: State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said today that the Top
of Georgia Employer Committee has won the Georgia Employer Committee's
Spirit Award for 2012. Commissioner Butler presented the award on behalf of
the state committee at its annual conference held this week in Savannah.

"The spirit of an organization can be put to the test when facing difficult
challenges," said Commissioner Butler. "Whether working to ensure that
people in an area with one of Georgia's hardest hit economies get
much-needed assistance, or successfully navigating re-organization, this
committee has shown why it deserves this recognition."

The employer committee, which serves Chattooga, Dade, Catoosa, and Walker
counties, won the award for its "steadfast determination in keeping the
spirit in spite of unforeseen challenges and extraordinary circumstances."
When the GDOL's LaFayette and Northwest Georgia career centers merged, the
members of the employer committees merged, too. They worked tirelessly to
develop a plan to best utilize a $10,000 grant from the Governor's Workready
Program to pay for General Education Diploma (GED) testing for qualified
students, GED study guides for public libraries, and GED software for
Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

The Top of Georgia Employer Committee was one of six area employer
committees to receive awards at the state employer conference. Employer
committees are groups of business representatives who maintain a working
relationship between employers and the GDOL. The committees provide input
and guidance to the commissioner and department in the development of policy
and legislation, as it impacts employers and employees. The employer
committees throughout the state work closely with their local GDOL career
centers to promote the department's services among employers and to identify
and recommend ways to meet local and state employment-related needs.