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Family Readiness, Leadership Conference held
 Wheless, 224th JCCSS Take Top Family Support Awards

More than 400 family members representing family support groups of Army and Air Guard units across the state and their Army and Air Guard counterparts attended the Georgia National Guard’s annual Family Readiness Conference in mid-August at Atlanta’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.

From left: Lisa Martin, family readiness representative for Savannah's Battery B, 118th Field Artillery; Belinda Winters, family readiness representative for Winder's Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment; and Command Chief David Smith, senior NCO for Savannah's 165th Airlift Wing, get direction from Eddie Donald of Atlanta's Performance America in the art of better communications. Donald's class was one of several workshops held during the Georgia National Guard's annual Family Readiness Conference.

The Guard’s annual leadership conference, attended by more than 200 full-time Army and Air Guardsmen took place at the same time. Many of those participating in the Family Readiness Conference spent their time going between the two events taking part in leadership-related workshops.

"We’ve looked at people and at communication, during this conference and how we can better serve the families, soldiers and airmen who are our National Guard," said Elizabeth Poythress, wife of Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia’s Adjutant General. "It’s been about sharing, caring and love of country, and it’s about you the family support group volunteers who give up their time and their unselfish efforts to make family support in the Georgia National Guard the success that it is."

Mrs. Poythress also said there was no way she could acknowledge what everyone involved with the conference had done.

"I’m honored to be here, to be with you and sharing this time with you," she said. "Each of you are ‘very important people, to me, to your soldiers and airmen and the organization that they serve."

Among the awards given during the banquet was the Family Readiness Volunteer of the Year Award for 2003 that went to Nicole Wheless, family readiness chairman for Elberton’s Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery. Wheless is the wife of Staff Sgt. Trevor Wheless, the unit’s training NCO.

Accepting the Air Guard Family Readiness Volunteer of the Year Award (Group) for Brunswick’s 224th was JennyTaylor, president of the unit’s family readiness group. Taylor’s husband, Tech. Sgt. Lorin Taylor is a member of the 224th.

Jenny Taylor (center), president the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron's Family Readiness Group accepts the award for Group Volunteer of the Year during the Georgia National Guard Family Readiness Conference. Presenting the award from left are Lt. Col. Rene Khun; Elizabeth Poythress, wife of The Adjutant General; and Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General. Taylor also accepted the award on behalf of Mary Beach, the group's vice president, and Brenda Crooms, it's secretary-treasurer. Their husbands are all members of the 224th JCSS. Nicole Wheless (center) is presented the Army Family Readiness Volunteer of the Year Award 2003. From left Lt. Col. Rene Kuhn, director Family Readiness program; Elizabeth Poythress; and Maj. Gen. David B. Poythress, Georgia's Adjutant General.

Among family support volunteers who took home Outstanding Service awards or National Guard Family Support Program awards were Debbie Chumney; Joan Coribtt; Robyn Burgess; Milton Brooks; Belinda Smith; Kay Heard; Kimberly Gavant; Gina Grant; Doreen Worden; Gwendolyn Jackson; Ren White; Samantha Abrams; Susan Babot; Carla Caldwell; Nathaniel Brownlee; Tammy Champan; Brenda Green; Michelle Klumpp; Mary Long; Carissa Rosenberg; Yetive Simmons; Betty Smith; Shearnell Smith; Wendy Strickland; Leanne Varner; Pat Wimpy; Don Aiken; Deborah Castro; Monica Fortson; Sheila Greene; Annette Hodge; Flora Jennings; Deborah Lee, Cheryl Loftis; Russ Nobles; Chris Rudio, Freddie Smith; Dorothy Starin; and Becky Thomas.

Representatives of the Air Guard’s 202nd Engineer Installation Squadron in Macon and the Army Guard’s 221st Military Intelligence Battalion in Ellenwood took home awards for work done by those unit’s family support groups.

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