Albany Area Chamber of Commerce holds annual Partners in Excellence breakfast

ALBANY — Nearly 300 business, community leaders and Dougherty County School System representatives crowded into the Hilton Garden Inn Conference Center Wednesday as the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and the local public school system recognized their Partners in Excellence at a Rise N Shine Breakfast.

The Partners in Excellence Program, celebrating its 28th year, is the school system’s premier school/business partnership program that pairs businesses, community organizations, and civic organizations with schools to promote excellence in education.

The primary goal of the Partners in Excellence Program is to strengthen and enrich the instructional programs in schools thereby ensuring that all students graduate with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for life-long learning and successful functioning as members of the workforce, community, and society.

At the gathering, the DCSS welcomed 12 new Partners into the fold.

“We are extremely proud of the relationship we have with the Dougherty County School System,” Vince Falcione, Proctor and Gamble Albany external relations manager said. “More than 65 percent of our plant’s employees are graduates of the DCSS and we’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of the teachers and administrators.”

Albany Area Chamber Education Division Chair Ron Wallace agreed.

“The fact is there is a link between education, work force development and economic development,” Wallace said. “We are proud of our efforts to visit ever school in the Dougherty County School system … it helps build relationships.”

DCSS Superintendent praised the system’s business partners.

“This day is not about the Dougherty County School System … it’s about our partners,” Mosely said. “Our Partners in Excellence are some of the most important people in our district. They are our cheerleaders in the community and the message they are sending is ‘we are behind those folks.’