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Stay Connected | September 26, 2025

Congratulations to the 2025 Spirit of Alliance Award Honorees

We extend our warmest congratulations to the outstanding individuals and organizations recognized at the 2025 Spirit of Alliance Awards and 50th Anniversary Celebration. These honorees exemplify excellence, innovation, advocacy and leadership in advancing small business inclusion and growth across Georgia.

Award honorees included:

Blue Legend Award

• Rodney K. Strong, Griffin & Strong

Legacy Award

• AFLAC
• B&S Electric
• IPCOMM

Rising Star Award

• Atlanta Public Schools
• Georgia Department of Administrative Services

Impact Award

• Clorox
• FS360
• Grady Health System
• Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
• Norfolk Southern
• Southern Company

Trailblazer Award

• The Gathering Spot
• HJ Russell and Company
• Softpath System
• VDart

Advocate of the Year

• Doretha Smith, Norfolk Southern
• Raj Verma, GoProcure

Eagle Award

• ATL Search Group
• WEBMyers Construction

Supplier of the Year

• Class I: Quantifi VMS
• Class II: GSAT Restoration
• Class III: IBEX IT Business Experts
• Class IV: Innova Solutions

President’s Award

• Nedra Dickson, Interim President & CEO, WBENC
• Venessa Harrison, Senior Advisor to AT&T and former President of AT&T Southeast Coastal States

We applaud the honorees for their extraordinary contributions and thank all of our corporate partners, MBEs, and community leaders who joined us to make this celebration a success.

Relive the evening through the official photo gallery: View the Spirit of Alliance Awards Photos

We are excited to welcome Beth Lowry, President and CEO of Holder Construction Company, as our featured guest for the Executive Breakfast Series on Wednesday, October 15, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at The Commerce Club in Atlanta. Beth began her career at Holder as an intern and rose to lead one of the nation’s top construction services firms, a company with $8 billion in annual volume and a 60+ year history in Atlanta. Beyond her leadership at Holder, she is a committed community leader, serving on numerous boards and championing workforce development and economic mobility.

The Executive Breakfast Series brings together Atlanta’s business and civic leaders for meaningful conversations on leadership, growth, and impact. These intimate gatherings provide a unique opportunity to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and learn from executives who are shaping the future of business in our region.

Join us for this Executive Breakfast to gain insights from Beth’s leadership journey, connect with Atlanta’s top professionals, and be part of a conversation that inspires growth and collaboration.

For more information and/or to register, click here.

Founded by Lisa Guadalupe Clarke, Founder & CEO, ATL Search Group is a certified minority- and women-owned staffing firm based in Atlanta and serving clients nationwide. With over 28 years of HR and staffing expertise, Lisa has built an award-winning organization that connects businesses with the right talent while empowering bilingual and underrepresented professionals.

ATL Search Group specializes in direct hire, temporary staffing, executive search, customized workforce solutions, and career coaching. With proven success across industries including healthcare, logistics, finance, legal, and warehouse, the firm is known for its people-first philosophy and long-term partnerships.

Recognized with honors such as Best of Gwinnett Employment Agency, Georgia Biz Journal Best Regional Employment Agency, and GMSDC’s Supplier of the Year, Class II and Eagle Award 2025, ATL Search Group is a trusted leader in workforce solutions.

Beyond business, Lisa founded Latinas Rise, a nonprofit that supports Latina entrepreneurs, and has been recognized among the 500 Most Influential Leaders in Georgia and 75 Latinas to Watch in the U.S.

Learn more at: www.atlsearchgroup.com

www.gmsdc.org | 404-589-4929 | info@gmsdc.org