By Matt Flumerfelt
VALDOSTA — Karla Heath-Sands, anchor for WALB-TV’s Today in Georgia morning news program, was the featured speaker at the 2009 World Class Recognition Breakfast hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce Thursday at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center.
Heath-Sands talked about how she became the anchor for Today in Georgia, despite the fact that, in her own words, she is “definitely not a morning person.” Among her other achievements, Heath-Sands is a recipient of the GABBY award for best on-air personality. She also sings with the band “Bob Cummings & Reflections” and has done so for over 20 years.
Local businesses nominated their top employees for inclusion in the 2009 World Class Employee Recognition program. Judge James Tunison of the Southern Judicial Circuit Superior Court, swore in the 12 judges for the award, who were chosen from among top business and community leaders.
Twenty-eight employees were nominated for the award in the large and small business class and five employers. The event honored employees for their superior work ethic and dedication to their jobs.
World Class Employer nominees were required to have an established employee recognition program, to be a member of the Drugs Don’t Work program, to provide health care benefits to employees, and to provide opportunities for employee advancement within their companies.
The four winners of the 2009 World Class Employee Award received a check in the amount of $1,500, courtesy of First State Bank & Trust, who sponsored the event through the Chamber’s IMPACT 2012 initiative.
The winners of the employee award are:
• Small Business Employee — Amanda Garland, administrative assistant, Commercial Banking Company.
• Small Business Supervisor — Margo Smith, supervisor, Ole Times Country Buffet.
• Large Business Employee — Leroy Godfrey, group leader, SAFT America Inc.
• Large Business Supervisor — Ron Lowery, technical supervisor, Langdale Forest Products Co.
The winners of the employer award are:
• Small Business Employer — 1st America Drugs.
• Large Business Employer — South Georgia Medical Center.
“The contributions the nominees make to their organizations and our community is truly inspiring,” said Sherry Zipperer, marketing and sales officer for First State Bank & Trust Company.
Award winners posed with their larger-than-life-size checks for group photos in front of Lake Louie, the lake directly in front of the Conference Center, which was named for the late Louie Peeples White, a long-time community activist and advocate who passed away this week.
