Macon-Bibb County Commissioners Virgil Watkins and Al Tillman will host a Community Intervention Workshop at Government Center (700 Poplar Street) on Saturday, January 31, 2015, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The focus for the day will be gang reduction, youth development, and improving the community through collaborative involvement.
“We want to help people make the connection with Macon-Bibb County and other community organizations as a way to help them find needed services, become a part of current solutions to issues, and help us identify other ways of overcoming the challenges we face,” says Commissioner Watkins.
During the day, there will be several panels of speakers to discuss services offered to people, initiatives by a wide range of organizations, and support systems for people in need. A moderator will facilitate the conversations to help better provide information and answer questions from the public. Moderators and panelists include, among others: Dr. James Bumpus with the Office of Small Business Affairs, Sheknita Davis with Workforce Development, Nia Brown with Georgia Appleseed, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis, Stone Academy Director Tony Lowden, and representatives from other departments and agencies.
| Panel Focus Areas | |
| Economics | Panelists will discuss Macon-Bibb’s economic status and future projections on job creation, business development, and economic growth. |
| Education | Panelist will discuss the current state and future structure of education. The goal of education should be to cut off the school to prison pipeline and graduate youth prepared to become productive and prosperous professionals. |
| Public Safety | Panelists will discuss current and possible ways to create, support, and strengthen public-private collaborations that will help create safe and healthy communities. |
| Civic & Civil Engagement | Panelists will discuss advocacy, action, justice, and reconciliation as ways to improve neighborhoods and communities. |
| Faith & Community | Panelists will discuss how people can move from prayer to empowerment and action, as well as the role of the faith community in economic development, education, and public safety. |