A Welcome Message from your Program Chairs:
LG Class of 2008, ready for Progress in Motion!

We hope this program will be fun, casual, exciting, and a learning experience for you. You will arrive at the Courtyard Marriott on September 18. After you check in, we will travel to the City Hall for a welcome reception. You will have the opportunity to meet several Dalton leaders, including Dalton mayor David Pennington (LGA ’90) . Early evening, we will enjoy an elegant dinner at The Farm, this will present an opportunity to catch up with classmates, and enjoy dinner and dancing. Robert Shaw, former president and chief executive officer of Shaw Industries Inc. will address the class. His company is the largest manufacturer of tufted carpet and the largest producer of polypropylene yarn in the world. Mr. Shaw will share his ideas of leadership as they relate to progress. We will be entertained by Livin’ Large.

Friday is packed with new experiences dealing with industry and progress. We will visit the Shaw Industries carpet museum to learn the history of the carpet industry in the area. Following we will tour four different industries in the area: J&J Invision, Universal Textiles, Shiroki, and Shaw's Plant 23. It will be important that you wear closed-toe shoes with traction. Next, we will visit Dalton Utilities where Don Cope, president, will talk with us about the infrastructure needed for progress. After lunch, we will tour Dalton Utilities’ waste and water facilities. We will return to the Marriott for some free time, and to get ready for the evening activities.

Later, we will head over to the Designer Dream House of Carpets of Dalton. Followed by the beautiful Cross Creek Farm & Creekside Stables for a wild game dinner party under the stars. You will have the opportunity to tour the Stable, see buffaloes and wild horses, play horse shoe, archery, skeet shooting and try Salsa and Merengue dancing. After a delicious dinner we will have the opportunity to enjoy music and dancing and a special award announcement. The attire is country club casual (stiletto type heels, not recommended for the ladies as they will sink in the grass).

Saturday morning you will have an opportunity to visit Dalton State College and be greeted by high university system officials and hear from several speakers address diversity in the workforce and implications for progress in Georgia.

We ask that you help us support and give back to the local community. Our gifts will benefit the Little Bloomers program (you will meet them Thursday) and a new Parent Resource Center that while it is focused on Migrant and ESOL students, it will be available to others. We are asking each class member to bring children’s books (pre-school reading level) or as an alternative to books, the children could use supplies such as those listed on the right (see side bar).

We hope that your weekend is enjoyable, fun, and memorable!

Jorge and Julia Atiles (LG '07)
LG 2008 Dalton Program Chairs

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