Cobb
Hospital association president to retire
Long-time Georgia Hospital Association president and CEO Joseph Parker will retire June 30, 2013. He will have served the Marietta-based association for 35 years — 27 of those as president. Parker, 66, helped create the Georgia Indigent Care Trust Fund -- a program that reimburses hospitals that treat uninsured patients and preserves access to care for hundreds of thousands of Georgians. Misty Williams
Fulton
Fulton to pay less for personnel study
Fulton will pay $144,000 less for a workforce study, the county's first job classification and compensation study since 1997. The commission nixed the deal with winning bidder Buck Consultants because negotiations broke down over a contract provision involving the county's liability.
Instead, Fulton will hire the next-top ranked bidder, The Archer Company, from Conyers, for $392,860. The study will look at salaries, job descriptions and performance evaluations, and recommend changes. Johnny Edwards
Rent school facility at online site
Fulton County recently announced the creation of a Facilities Rental webpage, which will allow you to go online and rent a school. Visit www.fultonschools.org, click Quick Links, and then click Facilities Rental. Edward Mitchell
GWINNETT
Humane Society to hold wine tasting
The Gwinnett Humane Society will hold its third annual Surf & Tails Wine Tasting 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 19 at Purple Rain Restaurant, 3550 Mall Blvd. N.W., Duluth. The event, hosted by Sweetwater Package Store, will feature a variety of wine, appetizers, door prizes, silent auction and a book signing by Julie Chapman, author of "Titan's Tales." Admission is $20 with a reservation and $25 at the door. Registration: www.firstgiving.com/gwinnetthumane. Information: 770-798-7711, ext. 7. Mea Watkins
Frank Berry named DBHDD Commissioner
Frank W. Berry III, has been named Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities by Gov. Nathan Deal. Berry's tenure will begin August 11.
Since 2009, Berry has served as CEO of View Point Health in Lawrenceville (formerly the Gwinnett Rockdale Newton Community Service Board). DBHDD is the state agency responsible for programs and policies for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders. Information: www.dbhdd.ga.gov.
Kenneth Musisi
HENRY
Public meeting set to discuss Fairview trail
Henry County officials have scheduled a public information meeting for 6:30 p.m. July 19 at the Fairview Recreation Center to discuss the one-mile PATH Foundation multi-use trail set for construction in the Fairview area. The trail will connect Austin Road Middle School to Panola Mountain State Park and tie into a network of about 20 miles of trails known as the Arabia Mountain Heritage Trails.
Henry County was awarded $700,000 in Transportation Enhancement Funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation in November 2011 for construction of the trail. This will cover most of the $875,000 cost of the project.
Monroe Roark for the AJC
