Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Business partners honored

Fayette County Schools, along with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, honored the system’s more than 200 partners in education during a special recognition breakfast at the Wyndham Conference Center in Peachtree City.

All business partners were invited to attend the fifth annual breakfast in appreciation for their support of Fayette’s schools. Although all partners contribute a lot of time and resources to their schools annually, the highlight of the breakfast is the naming of a corporate and small business partner of the year.

For its generosity of time, donated equipment and grass roots programs for students and teachers, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America was named the 2004 corporate award winner.

The small business partner award went to Heritage Bank, which works with 18 of the county’s schools. The bank makes monetary donations to each one of its schools for the purchase of software and reading materials as well as conducts banking classes for students.

“Each one of you is important to the success of our school system. We couldn’t do what we do without your support,” Patrick Sennett, co-chair of the partners in education committee, told the partners.

This year’s breakfast was a special one for Sennett since he will be retiring. In honor of his work with the partners program, Vickie Turner, chamber board chair, presented him with a print of a painting she had done of the old Fayette County Courthouse. Ed Steil, director of the LaFayette Educational Center, will oversee the program next year.