New Winder group taking shape

Citizen Helen Person sent out invitations and reminders last week to at least 50 community members for the group to meet at Two Doors East, 37 E. Athens Street, for an hour and a half.

Person and Winder-residents Mace Strickland and Gwen Hill organized the June 3 meeting and at least 12 other citizens joined in attendance.

The goal of the meeting was to address the city's growth, identify the group, establish its mission and vision, and discuss funding, membership and board development.

The new group decided on Partnership Winder as its name. Meeting organizers brought a draft copy of the new group's by-laws and vision. Under the tentative by-laws, the new group would be formed as a 501(c)(3) dedicated to the economic revitalization of Winder.
One of the group's focus is to resurrect the Winder Main Street network, which was dissolved in February 2010 due to budget constraints.

Friday's attendees included Barrow County Chamber of Commerce president Tommy Jennings, City of Winder city manager Donald Toms and a handful of local entrepreneurs.

Winder-native Todd Saxton, president of leadership training organization Core Excellence, led the group in a series of exercises where participants partnered up and engaged in exercises that sought to explain differences between facilitative and non-helping partnerships.

The next meeting of Partnership Winder will be Thursday, June 16, at 8 a.m. at Constance Manor in Winder.