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How
You Know Her: Valerie is one of the faces behind JWS Promotions, the company
behind the Hobgood Park Concert series, Musical Flavors of Hobgood
Park. She is one of the managing partners and can be seen at each
concert making sure the performers are happy as well as the audience.
Our Familiar Face for July is Valerie James.
Valerie
the Visionary: Valerie used to walk through Hobgood Park and never
paid much attention to the amphitheater. "It was simply a shell of something,
but that was it," she recalled. No one thought of Hobgood as a first class
venue, except Valerie. She envisioned it as it should be - a music venue
attracting top performers in a comfortable, safe atmosphere. What she
didn't envision was all the additional things it needed to become what
it is today. The vision took two years to become a reality, and while
she's pleased with how far it's come, she and JWS Promotions will continue
to work on upgrading the venue.
Before
JWS Promotions: Valerie is a Southern girl, born and raised in Augusta,
home of the Masters Tournament. Valerie and her family regularly worked
at the Masters, but now she enjoys attending the event. She went to school
at Howard University and later transferred to Tuskegee University in Alabama.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She
has lived in Cherokee County since 1992 and in Towne Lake since 1999.
Gardening
and Other Soul Food: Outside of work, Valerie has two passions: gardening
and cooking. "I love to grow and garden flowers and vegetables. Working
the earth and being close to it reminds me of my grandparents, who I spent
a lot of time with when I was younger. It helps remind me what's really
important," she said. Gardening feeds her soul, but her cooking feeds
the appetite of her friends and family. "I love to cook, and I love to
create meals based on my guests' preferences," she stated. I can cook
all the way from down home favorites to gourmet dishes.
Future
Plans: Valerie and JWS Promotions will continue to bring top performers
to Hobgood Park with the next concert featuring Yolanda Adams on July
3. She also mentors young ladies and hopes to take that to a higher level.
According to Valerie, the most important thing to her is her relationship
with God. She stated, "It's all about what He wants me to do. He guides
and leads me in all aspects of my life. His purpose is my purpose."
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Kim
Williamson with two senior rescues, Abigail and Lola.
Kim Williamson
Kim Williamson has
four children and several foster children. They are not your typical children.
Some are brown and yellow, but her favorite is a black one named Murphy.
They have four legs and love to swim - her children are Labrador Retrievers
and her love for them inspired her to start the only local Labrador Rescue
group, Georgia Lab Rescue. Felicia McAleer, Co-founder of People4Pets,
nominated Kim for July's Pathfinder of the Month and said, "I have been
impressed with Kim and her efforts as the founder of Georgia Lab Rescue.
Her organization rescues and promotes one of the largest groups of orphaned
pets, Labrador Retrievers."
Kim started Georgia Lab Rescue in 1998 after
working with the Cherokee County Humane Society's (CCHS) off site adoptions.
Growing up with Irish Setters, Kim always had an affinity for larger dogs
and would often transport them in her own vehicle to the adoption sites
because there wasn't room for them in the van. Through this experience,
Kim saw the need for a larger dog rescue, particularly for Labradors,
and with a little coaxing from the Lab Rescue headquarters in Texas, she
started the Georgia Lab Rescue. Since 1998, Kim and her volunteers have
rescued more than 700 Labs. She receives calls from all over the Southeast,
and she currently has 12 foster families throughout the State.
While Kim does have a legion of dedicated
volunteers and foster families, she does the majority of the work herself.
She holds fundraisers and received a grant from the CCHS in 2003. She
works with Man's Best Friend, who gives her a discount on boarding and
will train, for free, any Labs adopted through Georgia Lab Rescue. Even
with this support, however, Kim outlays thousands of her own dollars for
boarding costs (for dogs who cannot be placed in foster homes) and veterinary
care. Why does she do it? Because she absolutely loves Labradors. Her
motto is, "One Lab at a Time." She knows that it's a never-ending cycle.
Once a Lab finds a family, there's always more waiting in the wings. Labradors
are the number one family dog, which is a double edged sword because they
are also the number one dog in shelters. Ottis Moore, President of the
CCHS, stated that Kim faces a daunting task daily in trying to help many
Labs in a variety of situations and locations. "I know Kim to be compassionate
and effective in her efforts to help this wonderful, popular breed. I
wish she had more volunteers and financial assistance," he said.
Georgia Lab Rescue could easily be a full-time
job, but Kim already has that. She is an Executive Assistant to the Vice
President of Sales at Solvay Pharmaceuticals. Her spare time is spent
with her "babies" - walking all eight of them, bathing them and playing
with them. "Having Georgia Lab Rescue has been a real up and down experience,"
stated Kim. "There are so many out there that need help, and it's very
hard to say 'no', but there's only so much you can do." One of the "ups"
occurred recently at a fundraising event at Piedmont Park. Sixty of her
rescued and adopted dogs showed up for a reunion - all happy and healthy.
That's what keeps Kim going.
Thank you, Kim, for all you do to make our
community a better place to live!
For more information on Georgia Lab Rescue,
please visit www.galabrescue.com.
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