Melissa Lu: Teamwork makes anything possible

Published 10:30 pm Friday, March 9, 2012

Last week, Georgia first lady Sandra Deal and state school Superintendent John Barge visited Dalton. During their jam-packed day, they visited our local school systems, the GreenHouse, our nationally recognized Regional Youth Detention Center and the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy for a lunch sponsored by the Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership.

The Dalton-Whitfield Archway Partnership is a University of Georgia community and economic development program. As the Archway Professional, I work under the direction of a local Archway Executive Committee to identify Dalton-Whitfield’s highest priority needs and bring University resources to help the community accomplish its goals.

This event came together through the determination and will of the community members and educators of our Archway Education Steering Committee. Despite a number of early setbacks, this group recognized the opportunity at hand and resolved to pull together the resources and volunteers necessary to make this ambitious event a reality, including countless hours of their own time.

In a week and a half, Archway volunteers from Dalton State College, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Whitfield County and Dalton Public schools, the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority, the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, Whitfield Family Connection, local businesses and industry put together an event that highlighted more than a year’s worth of work by roughly 200 citizens engaged in our Archway education issue work groups. They collaborated on a presentation, invited guests, lined up student panelists, handled registration for invitees, and made nametags. They worked over the weekend, after hours, and — for our educators — on winter break. They recruited family members and friends. At close of business on the evening before the event, many of them showed up — unsolicited — to fold programs and place cards.

On the morning of the event, I arrived at the Career Academy, where students and staff had already set up registration tables and the multipurpose room for the event. Whitfield County Emerging Leader students helped unload cars, direct traffic, move tables and greet guests. When I realized that I had forgotten to reserve parking for our guests, Career Academy faculty and staff volunteered to man the parking lot. Career Academy chef Anna Ray and her 20 student volunteers (all of whom had to make up class work on their own time) were hard at work in the kitchen preparing lunch for our 200 guests. Our participant list ballooned at the last minute, and Dalton High School assisted by loaning table cloths, chef coats and glassware.

As with all events, time flew. Guests were arriving and there were still salads to put on the tables, asparagus to plate and whipped cream that needed to go on desserts. Chamber Diplomats, who originally volunteered to greet guests at the door, joined students and other community and education leaders in the kitchen to help with last minute details. Our wonderful student panelists gave up their desserts (they eventually got replacements) to ensure that all of our guests had strawberry shortcake.

At 11:10, exactly on schedule, Mrs. Deal and Mr. Barge arrived. The presentation began. Our panelists spoke and answered questions. Everyone had plenty to eat. The press coverage was fantastic. Our guests left, and our volunteers unbuttoned their jackets and threw off their heels to help with the cleanup.

By all accounts, the luncheon was a success. However, in my mind, the real win of the day was not the event itself but the preparation leading up to it.

In an economic time when resources of all types are tight, it is easy to focus on what we don’t have and what we can’t do. The University of Georgia Archway Partnership doesn’t offer catering assistance and (in my case) didn’t hire an event expert for this outreach position. It would have been easy to say, “Sorry, this isn’t what we do.”

But your local leaders and educators understood that we sometimes have to ignore all the reasons that we can’t and find a way to seize the opportunities in front of us. Sometimes, the only real resource we possess is each other: our collective passions, dreams and desires for the greater good.

Last week, in spite of 100 “we can’ts,” we did. And, rest assured, we will again. Whether the goal is education transformation, economic development or improving quality of life, the solution is in the functionality of the team.

Make no mistake: we can use more traditional resources and strong leadership to accomplish our goals. However, well-intentioned money can be frittered away, and individual ambition and potential can be corrupted. What ensures our long-term success is the collective willpower and efforts of citizens, just like you, who are willing to plate chicken and make nametags to get the job done. At the end of the day, that is what community is all about.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your team.

Melissa Lu is the Archway Professional for Whitfield County.�