ACCG Welcomes New Spring Interns



Pictured from left to right: April McDonald, Allen Hamilton and Monique Stevenson

ACCG welcomes spring semester interns April McDonald, Allen Hamilton and Monique Stevenson. Each semester, the association hires interns to assist the policy and communications staff with various projects.  Over the course of their internship, through May, each intern will be given the opportunity to attend legislative meetings, track legislation and learn about county government issues.

April McDonald is completing her final year as a communication studies major at the University of Georgia. She is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, an honor society of The National Communications Association and was nominated to Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges.  During the 2011 legislative session, she served as a legislative aide to Senator Bill Cowsert and interned for WSB-TV as the local programming and news intern. Upon graduation April would like to pursue a career in public affairs.  During her tenure with ACCG, April will assist in conference planning activities, write articles for and edit the Georgia County Government magazine, work with the ACCG Project Team on updating the association’s marketing materials and assist the Communications Director as needed.

Allen Hamilton is a graduate student at Kennesaw State University, and is currently in the final semester of his Masters program in Public Administration. Originally from Kentucky, Allen grew up in Alpharetta and attended college at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina.  Upon graduation, he hopes to work as a lobbyist or political advisor.  During his tenure with ACCG, Allen will attend legislative committee meetings, track local legislation, provide research assistance on tax and revenue issues, and support the policy staff as needed.

Monique Stevenson is a graduate student at the University of West Georgia pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Administration. Monique is an Honorary Dean’s list recipient and has recently qualified as a semi-finalist for the Presidential Management Fellowship program.  In 2010, she received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Georgia, where she was selected to study abroad at Oxford University. Upon graduation in August, she plans to work for a nonprofit or public organization that works with young adults. Over the course of her internship with ACCG, Monique will track local legislation, attend legislative committee meetings, compile data and statistics on various county issues, and provide assistance to the policy staff as needed.

FREE Webinar on the FCC narrowbanding mandate in Georgia
Thursday, March 1 from 2-4p.m.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) with support from the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is hosting a webinar for the January 1, 2013 FCC VHF and UHF narrowbanding mandate deadline to provide information and resources to understand the depth of the upcoming mandate that affects more than 90 percent of radio systems within the state of Georgia.

The FCC mandate requires all VHF and UHF radio system users in the nation to reprogram, reconfigure or in some instances replace existing equipment to make it more efficient to today's technology standards. This mandate is referred to as "narrowbanding," which many of your public safety first responders may be familiar with through various workshops and exercises we've conducted over the past 3 years.

This webinar is provided at no cost and is scheduled for Thursday, March 1, from 2-4 p.m.

Who Should Attend?
Radio system users of VHF and UHF frequencies (150-512 MHz):

• Public utilities (power, water, sewer system voice dispatch and data monitoring systems)
• Public safety (Law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, 911 dispatch centers, incarceration facilities, etc)
• Hospital and Medical facilities using the 155.340 (Hospital Emergency Ambulance Radio-HEAR and UHF MED channels)
• Boards of Education (school radio communications, pupil (bus) transportation, etc.)

Users of 700 and 800 MHz radio systems may also be affected by this federal mandate if they operate any VHF and UHF frequencies as secondary or back up radio systems.  It is recommended that agencies inquire on the types of FCC licenses held and frequencies operated by their agency in order to determine the impact of this mandate.

Registration for this webinar is required and can be completed at the following Weblink:  CLICK HERE

Once you submit your registration, you will be added to the attendee list.  A confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail account used for your registration and it will contain the webinar access information.  That e-mail should be sent to you no later than noon on Tuesday, February 28.

ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation Agency Highlight:
The Georgia Afterschool Investment Council

In an effort to inform counties about the many non-profit organizations in the state of Georgia and the programs they have to offer, the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation will periodically highlight agencies that could provide counties with tools and resources to develop active and engaged citizens. 

The Georgia Afterschool Investment Council (GAIC) is dedicated to ensuring Georgia's youth have access to high-quality, affordable afterschool and summer learning programs. More than 1 million kids, at least half of Georgia’s school-age children, may spend time away from their parents between the hours of 3-6 p.m. and in the summer. Oftentimes, youth do not have access to the quality out-of-school time experiences that can help them develop into educated, engaged citizens. The Georgia Afterschool Investment Council  is committed to responding to such challenges.

GAIC carries out its mission in several ways. Some initiatives raise awareness levels of the public and policymakers such as Lights On! activities, Afterschool for All in Georgia, regional forums and advocacy events. Others provide staff working in afterschool programs with the necessary tools and strategies they need to keep kids engaged and succeeding. 
 
Finally, another key initiative, the Georgia Afterschool Business Partnership, provides opportunities to strengthen ties to the business community so that afterschool programs grow to be even more responsive to workforce development needs.

To learn more about the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council and how the Council could support your needs visit www.afterschoolga.org or contact Jill Riemer at info@afterschoolga.org. 

For more information about the Civic Affairs Foundation and questions about agencies and non-profit organizations that could benefit your community please contact Shelli Siebert, Director ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation at ssiebert@accg.org.