Nash Shares 'Big Picture' in State of County Speech

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Submitted by Gwinnett County government

Gwinnett Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash delivered her fifth annual State of the County speech on Thursday at Gwinnett Center in Duluth. Accompanied by stunning aerial videos flying over Gwinnett landmarks, she focused on the “big picture” as “a reminder of just how big and complex this community is—and how much opportunity we’re blessed to have.”

She pointed out Gwinnett’s many strategic advantages with outstanding schools and colleges, housing options, 3,500 miles of roads and national award-winning parks and libraries. She went on to say that some advantages aren’t visible, even from a bird’s-eye view, such as excellent credit ratings, nationally accredited public safety agencies and a state-of-the-art water system with enough underground pipes to reach New Zealand.

Gwinnett’s healthcare systems, arts community and professional sports teams also drew praise, along with voter-approved SPLOST programs, ethnic and cultural diversity, and economic development efforts led by the Partnership Gwinnett initiative at the Chamber of Commerce.

Nash applauded the growth of the film industry at Eagle Rock Studios and the planned Atlanta Media Campus, and Comcast’s recent decision to expand its regional headquarters in Gwinnett. She also congratulated Rock-Tenn on its combination with MeadWestVaco to form a $16 billion global giant.

“Going forward, you can expect to see our efforts broaden and deepen as we emphasize even more support of existing businesses while continuing to cast a global net for new ones,” she said. “We may not win every time, but you can bet we will be in the game.”

Construction will start soon on about $50 million in transportation improvements like bridge replacements, school safety projects and road widening. The County’s long-range transportation plan will be updated this year, and new fire stations will be built to serve Georgia Gwinnett College and the Mall of Georgia.

Her vision of the future included, “thriving and interesting gateways to Gwinnett… areas that say ‘you just entered Gwinnett and we’re glad you’re here.’”

Video of the entire speech will be available on demand at www.tvgwinnett.com and will air frequently on the county’s government access cable channel beginning at 8 p.m. Friday. A text version of the speech and a handout highlighting the previous year’s accomplishments also may be found at www.gwinnettcounty.com.