Introducing John Hancock, new President and CEO of JA of Georgia!

It’s been four months since I moved to Atlanta to lead Junior Achievement of Georgia. During that time, I’ve had nearly 300 meetings during which I had the pleasure to talk with many of the people involved with advancing our organization in significant ways. As such, one of my biggest takeaways so far is simple: it really is all about the people.

• The 175,000-plus students we will impact this school year.

• The thousands of partners, educators and volunteers that are instrumental in that impact.

• The JA staff and world-class Board of Directors that drive our strategy and operations, and

• The Atlanta business and civic community that seems so committed to enhancing the outlook and opportunities of our next generation.

It really is the combination of all these people that has energized me in my role as President and CEO. When I think about my goals for JA of Georgia, I begin with the foundation that has been established over the last ten years under the leadership of my longtime friend Jack Harris. The incredible organizational platform now in place here, combined with my 23 years within the JA network (the past 18 years as President of JA of Oregon based in Portland) gives me clear sight on the way JA fits in to our communities, and the larger educational landscape. As we look towards the next five years our vision is aimed at:

• Building additional JA Discovery Centers toward a long-term goal of reaching 90% of middle school students across the state annually with our JA BizTown and JA Finance Park programs.

• Expanding our 3DE Schools from the current six to 26.  

• Continued innovation and impact in our high school programs aimed at fostering financial capability and increasing economic mobility.

The collective passion and engagement of our people provides inspiration to keep driving our mission to empower our students with the confidence, skills and motivation to thrive; to build a better future for themselves and this region. My time in the Peach State is off to a great start and I look forward to the opportunities ahead for us to bring this vision to life, together!

-John Hancock

Local leaders and exciting expansion

We recently had the pleasure of inducting Dr. Annette Brock, Dale Critz Jr., and Charles Morris into the JA Savannah Business Hall of Fame. These three leaders have spent years building meaningful careers, and serving the Savannah community. It was a wonderful evening celebrating their accomplishments and honoring the work they’ve done to impact and empower the students of the Coastal Empire.

In addition to adding these three inductees to the prestigious list of local leaders, we also unveiled some exciting news – 3DE is coming to Savannah! Beginning in August 2019, Savannah High School will be the first 3DE School outside of Metro Atlanta. This expansion wouldn’t be possible without the overwhelming support and passion of this community, including Dr. Ann Levett, Superintendent, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, and local business partner SunTrust. We are thrilled to offer even more students access to education for every dimension of life, and look forward to transforming the high school experience hand-in-hand with this dedicated region.

To find out more about getting involved with 3DE in Savannah, contact Camille Russo at crusso@georgia.ja.org. For more information about 3DE Schools, visit our website.

Roz Brewer and John Brock to be honored at 30th annual JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame

Originally published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle by Maria Saporta

Two iconic Atlanta business leaders will be honored at the 2019 JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Feb. 23 at the InterContinental Buckhead.

They are Rosalind "Roz" Brewer, chief operating officer and group president of Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX); and John F. Brock, retired CEO of Coca-Cola European Partners (NYSE: CCE).

The JA Hall of Fame is one of the top recognitions highlighted in Atlanta each year. It honors people for their distinguished careers and philanthropic achievements in the Atlanta community.

The 2019 Hall of Fame will be the 30th annual for JA Georgia.

Before joining Starbucks, Brewer was president and CEO of Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT). She was the first woman and first African-American to fill the role of CEO at one of Walmart Stores.

Brewer is a native of Detroit who moved to Atlanta to attend Spelman College, graduating in 1984. She joined Spelman’s board of trustees in 2006, and she now serves as chair of its board. Brewer also chaired the search for Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, who joined the Historically Black College and University in 2015.

Brewer joined Walmart in 2006 as its regional vice president responsible of overseeing operations in Georgia.

Prior to joining Walmart, Brewer worked for 22 years at Kimberly-Clark Corp., where she eventually became president of the Global Nonwovens Sector in 2004. Brewer serves on the board of Lockheed Martin Corp. Fortune Magazine recently named her to its 2018 Most Powerful Women in Business list.

Before retiring as CEO of Coca-Cola European Partners in December 2016, Brock served as chairman and CEO of Coca-Enterprises from 2006 to May 2016 (when there was a merger of European bottlers).

Brock began his career with Procter & Gamble and later joined Cadbury Schweppes, serving in several executive roles, becoming its COO in 2000. From 2003 to 2006, Brock was CEO of InBev.

Currently, Brock serves on the board of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Brock also has served in multiple civic leadership roles in Atlanta, and he chairs the GT Foundation. Brock, who as a BS and MS in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech, also chaired the university’s recent capital campaign.

He also is chair of Horizons Atlanta, an organization focused on summer learning for under-served children. Brock and his son, John IV, are co-owners of Team Envy and the Dallas Fuel, which are eSports teams. His wife, Mary, also is a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream. They have three children and seven grandchildren.

To find out more about the event, click here.