John Blend to serve as President of
Together Georgia
John Blend served as Vice President along side Together Georgia
President, Hugo Mullins during one of the most eventful years
in the Association's history. February 2013 marked the
official retirement of the Association's first full time executive
director, Normer Adams. In June 2013, the search
committee, led by John Blend, identified
Ron Scroggy as their choice
for executive director. Beginning in August, Ron, Hugo, and John
worked closely with the Board to lead the Association through a
re-branding effort that resulted in renewed growth and increased
vitality.
Deep gratitude is extended to Hugo Mullins for his dedication to
the members and work of the Association.
His leadership created the momentum for the "Alliance of Inspired Service
Providers" of Together Georgia. John carries forward this momentum
sharing, " We welcome the wisdom of our longstanding members, and
are encouraged by the enthusiasm and fresh thinking of those
now joining us."
We enjoyed in May one of our
best
Executive Retreats,
which was graciously hosted by WinShape Homes.
At this meeting the 2014 slate of officers was presented and
unanimously approved by Together Georgia members.
The 2014
Board have officially begun their term effective June 1.
"With the nature and pace of
change facing Georgia's Child Welfare world," notes John, " the
premium on clear and helpful communication and voice to and
for our stakeholders and policy makers has never been higher."
John has captured this most important vision - "Together Georgia
has become a vital voice, and now choir, for the young men and
women we serve and for those who serve and influence."
We are honored to present our new
president, John Blend.
John
W. Blend, III Biography
John W. Blend, III
serves as Chairman and Chief Executive of Goshen Valley Foundation.
Goshen Valley Foundation is parent to Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, as
well as Goshen Community Care. In 1982, John and his wife Connie
bought the historic Collins Homestead, located on 150 acres in the
Salacoa Valley of Cherokee County, a northwest suburb of Atlanta.
Begun as a family farm, the Blends dedicated Goshen Valley to God’s
purpose in 1991, working with their church congregation at Atlanta’s
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.
With the support of
child advocates, the judicial community, and lawmakers, John and his
team established the Goshen Valley Foundation. In 1999, the
Foundation chartered the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch. The first
residence opened for six boys in the fall of 2000. Growing
steadily, today Goshen Valley Boys Ranch provides residential care
for 40 young men in 6 faith based family settings, and up to 18
young men and women in the off campus Goshen Community Care/New
Beginnings Independent Living Program in Canton, GA. The work of
Goshen Valley has been recognized by various national and state
associations and agencies as a leader in relevant foster care
outcomes. Goshen Valley received the Casey Family Foundation
Permanency Excellence Award in 2011, along with earning
accreditation status from the Council on Accreditation ( COA ).
John has recently
been elected President and Chair of Together Georgia, a state wide
association of over 100 leading national and local Child Welfare
providers. While serving a wide array of Child Welfare providers’
needs, Together Georgia serves as a public policy advocate on Child
Welfare reformation matters. John previously served as Vice
President and Treasurer of the Georgia Association of Homes and
Services for Children. John also serves on the Cherokee County YMCA
Board of Directors. John founded and hosts the Cherokee Child Abuse
Awareness Forum each year, bringing over 300 child abuse prevention
advocates together from across Georgia..
In the past four
decades, John has served a variety of roles in capital formation and
entrepreneurial activities. John began his career at IBM, then moved
on to building technology companies, while serving on numerous
public and private Boards of Directors. John is a recognized thought
leader in capital formation in regulated markets, and has spoken on
behalf of Goldman Sachs, The Edison Institute, and the Stanford
Business School.
John graduated from
Muhlenberg College, with an AB in Social Sciences. John is a past
Trustee at Muhlenberg. John serves as a Lifetime Council member at
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. John and Connie have been married
for 37 years, and have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.
TOGETHER GEORGIA is the new name of
our state’s most venerable organization for child and family
services providers: the Georgia Association of Homes and Services
for Children (GAHSC). Since its inception 50 years ago, GAHSC has
been a tireless champion of children all across the Peach State.
While we’re proud of what GAHSC has accomplished over its long
history, we’ve redesigned the organization from the ground up to add
even more value to the hard-working providers serving Georgia’s
children and families. Find out more by being our guest at a
meeting, talking with our friendly members and leadership team, and
by visiting our website at
www.gahsc.org.
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Editor
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