Please join us to listen to Jenifer Wright, Volunteer & Community Engagement Manager at Athens Area Humane Society, and Dr. Cheryl McCormick, CEO of Athens Area Humane Society.

Jenifer is excited to be AAHS' Volunteer & Community Engagement Manager. She has a passion for working with people and pets, and enjoys seeing the special bonds we have with our pets blossom. Jenifer has two cats of her own, Stella and Allie, who are best friends.

Dr. McCormick is the CEO of the Athens Humane Society and Founder of Ascend Nonprofit Consulting & Executive Coaching, providing fundraising services, strategic planning, and board training to small and mid-sized nonprofits. She has served as Executive Director of several California-based NGOs, including AIM Youth Mental Health (Carmel), Lindsay Wildlife Experience (Walnut Creek), YWCA Monterey County (Salinas), and the American Cetacean Society (Los Angeles). She also served as Director of Conservation at the Santa Lucia Conservancy (Carmel).

Dr. McCormick received a BA in Environmental Science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, MA in Geography (GIS & Remote Sensing) from the University of Georgia, and Ph.D. in Ecology from the Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia. In 2018, she received an appointment as Visiting Research Scientist at the Center for Geospatial Research at the University of Georgia, directing graduate research investigating anthropogenic impacts in the Loreto region of the Peruvian Amazon.

Dr. McCormick is a co-author of Identification and Biology of Nonnative Plants on Florida’s Natural Areas (2nd Edition), and has published numerous literature reviews, statewide invasive species management plans and research articles. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards, most recently the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Monterey Bay Chapter and BlueVoice.org.

In her personal time, Dr. McCormick enjoys long distance trail running and creating unforgettable artisanal buffalo milk gelato.

Mary Charles will speak about The Georgia Hi-Lo Trail Story: After four years of being frustrated with a lack of safe cycling and economic opportunities in her home town, Mary Charles Howard decided to take matters into her own hands. In 2019, she launched the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail initiative. After seeing the success of Athens’ own Firefly Trail, she decided to build on the great work of that trail by extending Firefly Trail’s original 39-mile trail south another 200 miles with the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail – through Sandersville and beyond – and ending in Savannah, GA. Upon completion, the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail will be the longest paved trail in all of America.

After earning a bachelor’s in landscape architecture with concentrations in Historic Preservation and Environmental Ethics from the University of Georgia, Mary Charles quickly put her talents to work and found her stride as a local entrepreneur. She combined her love of community and small business with a passion for food and culture to launch Athens Food Tours. Many full stomachs and happy customers later, she sold the company and focused on Economic Development with Athens-based W&A Engineering. Mary Charles then moved on to become the Executive Director of the nonprofit Athens made, launched to help create resources for local companies to build their brands and attract talent to the community.

Her next entrepreneurial move came after four years of being frustrated with a lack of safe cycling and economic opportunities in her hometown of Sandersville and Mary Charles Howard decided to take matters into her own hands. In 2019, she launched the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail initiative. After seeing the success of Athens’ Firefly Trail, she decided to build on the great work of that trail by extending Firefly Trail’s original 39-mile trail south another 200 miles with the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail – through Sandersville and beyond – going through Savannah and ending in Tybee Island. Upon completion, the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail will be the longest paved trail in all of America.

Immediately after launching the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail, she started the Kids Bike League, a program of the Hi-Lo Trail that gets kids ages 2nd-8th grade on a bike in rural communities in middle, east, and coastal Georgia. Kids Bike League currently operates monthly rides, summer camp, and winter camp in four rural Georgia towns.

The Hi-Lo Trail has been receiving a lot of press lately. Mary Charles was interviewed for an Atlanta magazine, she’s been traveling to speak to different groups around the state, there have been two front-page articles in the AJC in the past year, one titled “A Georgia Woman’s Audacious Plan” and she had a radio interview on FM 95.5 and the interviewer ended by saying “I wouldn’t bet against Mary Charles.”

Please join us in hearing Michael Burnett address the role and impact of Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital in the surrounding communities.

Michael and his wife, Amy were introduced to Athens while they were both in college at the University of Georgia. Fast forwarding a few years, they had the opportunity to return to the Classic City when Michael was named CEO of Piedmont Athens Regional in May 2019.

Michael previously served in a number of roles across the Piedmont Healthcare system including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Clinical Services at Piedmont Fayette Hospital, in his hometown of Fayetteville.

During his tenure as CEO at Piedmont Athens Regional, the hospital continued on its progress of a major renovation with the construction of the PAR Tower and enabling projects such as the addition of the 4th floor of Prince Tower 2. His wife, Amy, has also been a valuable member of the team volunteering in numerous roles across the hospital and serving on the PAR Foundation’s Honoring Philanthropy planning committee.

The Burnetts have three children: Michael, Grace, and Henry, with whom they are sharing an appreciation for Athens, the University of Georgia, and Piedmont Healthcare.

The Burnett’s generous contributions to the Main Tower campaign are recognized with the naming of the Burnett Family Visitor Lounge located on the 5th floor of Piedmont Athens Regional Main Tower.

For November 11th, the Classic City Rotary Club of Athens will be visiting the new Classic City Arena for a behind the scenes tour. Our members will receive a hard hat required view of the new Adkins Ford Arena with lunch being provided.