Chamber offers webinar for working with governments
The Gordon County Chamber of Commerce will present a Vendor Information Webinar from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, for members interested in establishing a business relationship with Calhoun City Schools, Gordon County Schools, City of Calhoun or Gordon County.
Each organization will have at least one representative in place to offer a 10-minute presentation outlining necessary qualifying procedures for potential vendors. A digital invitation containing a link to the webinar will be emailed to chamber members by Wednesday, July 22, and registration will be required for the free event.
“As the chamber continues bringing its members valuable resources, I am proud to represent the Executive Panel and Board of Directors as we layer more virtual events into our program of work,” said Kathy Johnson, president and CEO of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce. “The health and safety of the business community and the public at large is a paramount concern, but finding a way to conduct business safely, efficiently, and profitably also is tremendously important. The chamber’s mission always has been to connect members and the community to promote economic growth, and we’re still focused on that same goal. We’re just approaching it from different angles.”
Johnson will open the webinar, then yield the presentation to local professionals representing both school systems as well as the city and county governments. Dee Wrisley will represent Calhoun City Schools as its chief financial officer; Mendy Goble will represent Gordon County Schools as its executive director of finance; Derrall Culberson will represent the City of Calhoun as one of its senior accountants; and Jim Ledbetter will represent Gordon County as its administrator, accompanying Regan Bramblett, who recently was hired as its purchasing director.
Wrisley joined the school system in March 2015 as chief financial officer, which includes supervising the school nutrition director, the facilities director, the technology director, the payroll/benefits specialist and accounting specialist. Her responsibilities include accounts payable, payroll, benefits, grants, budgets, fixed assets, financial statements, SPLOST renewals, and monthly reports to the board. Wrisley works closely
with human resources to establish policies and procedures in addition to creating salary schedules. In 2016, she was president of the Georgia Accounting Information Network Support organization. In September 2019, she received recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association and was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
Goble, executive director of finance for Gordon
County Schools, will represent the county school system at the Vendor Information Webinar. A native of Gordon County and a certified public accountant, she has been employed by Gordon County Schools since 2008. She was promoted to her current position in December 2019. Goble serves on the board of the Georgia Association of School Business Officials, is chief financial officer of the Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Community and is treasurer of the Harold Hughes Scholarship Fund. Michelle Steward, purchasing agent for Gordon County Schools, will attend with Goble.
Goble oversees payroll, budget, accounting and finance, purchasing, investments and facilitating internal and external audits. This includes preparation and management of the system’s revenue and expense budgets, preparation and maintenance of payroll for all board employees, assisting the schools with purchasing and acquisition of supplies and materials, and all required state and federal reporting.
Culberson is a senior accountant with the City of Calhoun Finance Department, which is managed by Executive Director Andrea
K. Bramlett, and has been in her current position since 2007. Culberson is responsible for executing a variety of financial procedures for the City’s general fund division. These procedures relate to accounts payable and receivables, bank reconciliations, general ledger reviews, budgeting and preparing documentation for the director of finance and the assistant finance director, as well as the external auditors.
She analyzes and reviews work submitted by financial clerks and other departments of the general fund and purchasing to ensure that the end products provided to the city administrator, mayor and council, and the citizens of the City of Calhoun are accurate and reliable.
Ledbetter and Bramblett will represent Gordon County at the event. The county administrator is appointed by and directly responsible to the Board of Commissioners. This position supervises the daily operations of 13 departments and coordinates the activities among those departments, elected officials, and outside agencies. The county administrator implements board policy, serves as the hiring authority of all department directors under the board’s jurisdiction, prepares the annual budget and bi-monthly commission agendas, and oversees grant applications and grant administration.
Bramblett reports to Ledbetter and will support him in the presentation.
Each speaker will provide an overview of their responsibilities and office procedures, explain what processes and documents are required to become an approved vendor with their agency, and then respond to questions from the registrants. The intention is to create opportunities for new business relationships in Calhoun-Gordon County.