GE, Truist Financial Corporation and UPS Honored by Junior Achievement with a U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award

Volunteers provided students with critical mentoring and positive role models

Atlanta, GA – Junior Achievement USA® (JA) today announced that it will honor GE, Truist Financial Corporation and UPS as 2019-2020 U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award recipients in appreciation of their valued partnership and support despite the limitations on volunteerism due to the pandemic. Truist Financial Corporation will receive a Gold award, and GE and UPS will receive Bronze awards. The U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award will be presented to 50 organizations at a virtual awards ceremony and celebration presented by American Express on February 3rd at 2 pm ET.

In 2003, President George W. Bush established the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers make in communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor individuals who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. In 2006, Junior Achievement became an official certifying organization for this award, which recognizes corporations with a U.S. presence that provide volunteers to teach JA programs anywhere in the world.

"Junior Achievement volunteers are important mentors for young people, bringing our programs to life. Our volunteers share their experiences and skills with students while at our JA Discovery Centers and with our 3DE students, providing an example of what their future success could look like. Our partnerships with GE, Truist Financial Corporation and UPS are integral to our organization’s success and are a vital part of our mission," said John Hancock, President and CEO, JA of Georgia.

“Junior Achievement volunteers help build communities by empowering the next generation’s success,” said Allison Dukes, Chair, JA of Georgia Board of Directors, and CFO & Senior Managing Director, Invesco Ltd. "JA could not exist without the dedication of its volunteers. We are grateful for this opportunity to recognize their invaluable support."

Junior Achievement’s kindergarten through high school programs are delivered across the country by a network of nearly 152,000 volunteers, including 14,000 in Georgia. JA programs provide innovative, hands-on work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy education to more than 170,000 students in the state each year.

The complete list of recipients can be found here.

Retired Chick-fil-A, Inc. Chief Council Lynn Chastain Honored for Impact and Commitment

Chastain to receive Junior Achievement Gold Leadership Award for more than a decade of service to Junior Achievement of Georgia

ATLANTA– Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia announced today that Lynn Chastain, retired Chief Council, Chick-fil-A, Inc., has received the JA Gold Leadership Award. Chastain currently serves on the JA of Georgia Executive Committee and formerly served as Chair of the Board of Directors.

 “Lynn is so deserving of this award, and we are incredibly proud and honored that she is one of this year’s recipients,’ said John Hancock, President and CEO, JA of Georgia. “Lynn’s dedication to our mission has resulted in an incredible impact on the students of our state, and we are so fortunate to have her insight and passion.”

This award is the highest recognition bestowed by Junior Achievement USA and is presented to JA volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to deliver JA programs in their communities, and may also dedicate their valuable time to serving on local JA boards. This year’s eight recipients from across the nation contribute a variety of ideals including creativity, effectiveness and drive, but most importantly, a deep a commitment the future of our next generation.

Chastain’s involvement with JA of Georgia began in 2002 as the lead for Chick-fil-A volunteer efforts, and she has served on the Board of Directors since 2008, spearheading the group as Board Chair from 2017-2019. She has been one of the organization’s most prominent and important thought leaders over the past decade, a time in which the organization saw tremendous change and growth. Student numbers, contact hours, board size, staff size and budget all increased tremendously during the time of Lynn’s active service.

More importantly, the organization’s change initiatives refocused the mission and brand during that time. Lynn has overseen the creation of four capstone centers and the launch of 3DE Schools by Junior Achievement, and along the way has been a tireless advocate for this work. She has also been a steady voice for excellence in these new operational models and insisted on building long-term plans to ensure sustainability.

Chastain is deeply committed to people; their education, their advancement and their dignity. This is seen in the way she led the Legal Team at Chick-fil-A and certainly in the way she led at JA. From interactions with fellow directors, to members of the staff to the students served, Chastain led with humility and integrity. She works from a servant mindset and is all about promoting growth and opportunity for all.

Chastain will be recognized for this achievement on March 25 at the annual JA USA Volunteer Summit.

Laureates for 32nd annual JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame named

Dr. Mark P. Becker and Mr. Ernest Greer will join the prestigious group of individuals previously inducted into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame

ATLANTA– Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia and Atlanta Business Chronicle are pleased to announce that

Dr. Mark P. Becker, President, Georgia State University, and Mr. Ernest Greer, Co-President, Greenberg Traurig, will be inducted into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 15, 2021. They will join the group of 97 influential Atlantans recognized for their significant contributions to Atlanta’s economic and civic vibrancy.

Celebrating its 32nd year, the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, a black-tie gala to benefit JA of Georgia, is held to honor dynamic business and civic leaders who have shaped Atlanta into the robust city it is today.

 Since starting his tenure as Georgia State’s seventh president in January 2009, Dr. Becker has pursued an ambitious vision for the future of the university and has led it into an unparalleled period of growth and advancement. Under his leadership, the graduation rate has increased 22 percentage points and enrollment has grown to more than 50,000, making it the largest university in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. The university has become widely recognized as the national leader in the introduction of innovative programs and initiatives to foster student success and has experienced tremendous growth in the areas of research, global engagement, athletics and the physical development of its Atlanta campus. Dr. Becker’s academic career in biostatistics and public health has included appointments at multiple universities across the U.S., with his transition into academic leadership beginning in 2001 at the University of Minnesota, and continuing at the University of South Carolina, where he was the provost. He serves on the boards of the American Council on Education, the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Research Alliance, and the Atlanta Committee for Progress. He also serves on the executive committees of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlanta Progress, and the Coalition of Urban-Serving Universities.

 Ernest Greer serves as Co-President of Greenberg Traurig and plays a key role in the strategic direction of the firm and firmwide day-to-day operations. He is dedicated to continuing to shape the firm’s brand as a collaborative law firm providing high-quality legal work and excellent service to clients and the communities Greenberg Traurig serves. Greer uses his global position to reflect the firm’s commitment to dedicating time and talents through active involvement in communities in which they live and work. In doing so, Greer served as the Chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 2014, where he was the first lawyer to serve in this capacity in the Chamber’s more than 100-year history. At present, he serves on the boards for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Atlanta History Center, Achieve Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Atlanta Police Foundation, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Equal Justice Works. Greer also currently serves as the Director of Buckhead Coalition, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Guardsman, Inc. Past board memberships include the Center for Civil & Human Rights, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, and The Carter Center’s Board of Councilors, which he joined at former President Carter’s request.

 The JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner, and Laureate Induction Ceremony. The 2021 gala will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. Proceeds from the event will benefit JA of Georgia and its efforts to empower the next generation to build a better future for themselves and their community. To learn more click here.