An Oh So Sweet Celebration in Sweet Auburn

Another slice of Atlanta history will remain intact thanks to the success of a 30-year-long partnership between the Trust for Public Land and the National Park Service in their efforts to preserve the boyhood home and block of Martin Luther King Jr.
On October 28, TPL conveyed one of the last privately owned parcels in the MLK National Historic District to NPS. This transaction represents TPL's continued commitment to preserve the neighborhood's cultural heritage and to recapture the vitality and distinctiveness the Auburn Avenue area enjoyed during Dr. King's life.
To commemorate the ownership transfer of 530 Auburn Avenue, The Wyche Group joined TPL to plan and implement a 1930s-style neighborhood celebration.
A historic car was parked along the street, children played street games, and "John Wesley Dobbs" made an appearance for the special day. Guests enjoyed old fashioned cakes, popcorn, Coca-colas and lemonade. All in all, the block truly represented what life was like when Dr. King lived there.
We were thrilled it turned out to be a beautiful day. The rain the night before pressure washed the block, leaving the corridor on Auburn Avenue brilliantly gleaming for the ceremony.
Numerous special guests were in attendance and an impressive group of VIPs participated in the program, including TPL national president (in from San Francisco) and MLK Jr.'s sister, Christine King Ferris, and her son Isaac Ferris. Unexpected, special guests cam to the event - the great granddaughters of the original home owners.
We also had a terrific showing of media at the event. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Magazine, WABE-FM, WAGA-TV, 11Alive, and WSB-TV all joined the celebration.
The Wyche Group is proud to be a part of the efforts to ensure the character of Sweet Auburn and the neighborhood that nurtured Dr. King and his vision will be preserved forever.
Click on the links above to view broadcasts and articles surrounding the event.

Leading the Way: The Wyche Group Helps Launch Womenetics

Womenetics and its Web site, an innovative media platform designed to connect, inspire and empower women, was revealed at the climax of the VIP launch event, promising a new and exciting community for women from all walks of life.
Thank goodness the secret is out – we’ve been bursting for everyone else to see the incredible site and the opportunities it offers. We’re proud to have Womenetics as our newest client.
As a social networking site and event resource, Womenetics will provide substantive content, compelling events and an unmatched community that enables women to develop both professional and personal relationships.
On Thursday October 8, our team planned and executed the launch event during which Womenetics was revealed. The celebration was held at Mason Murer Gallery in Atlanta and was attended by an incredible group of VIP professional women.
The awe inspiring vocals, organized by musical conductor Jamie Shiell, harmonized with the brilliant décor and added to the buzz of excitement. The gallery was filled with friends, supporters and Womenetics community participants to witness the dramatic reveal of the Web site and to enjoy delicious hors d’oeurves by Avalon Catering, Wo-Mandarin Blushes courtesy of Absolut, the surrounding artwork, and scintillating conversation.
We encourage everyone to check out the new Web site, create a profile, and let us know what you think about Womenetics!

The Wyche Group is now WBENC Certified

The Wyche Group is proud to announce that we are now WBENC certified. Through a rigorous certification process, WBENC recognizes excellence and enhances opportunities for women’s business enterprises.

What is WBENC?

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), founded in 1997, is the nation's leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America's corporations. It also is the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States.

Dedicated to enhancing opportunities for women's business enterprises, WBENC works in partnership with women's business organizations located throughout the country to provide a national standard of certification for women-owned businesses. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on the WBENC certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs.

Learn more at www.wbenc.org

Luke's Latest Published Piece

Congratulations to team member Luke Boggs for his latest published article in Business to Business magazine: "Communicate Well At Every Turn"

Check it out here

Business to Business Magazine's Women of Excellence 2009

The ballroom of Atlanta History Center was brought to life by the star-studded cast of business professionals being recognized as Business to Business magazine’s Women of Excellence 2009 on July 23, 2009. The following 12 women were honored as distinguished leaders in the both their personal and professional lives:














• Joanne Bauer, President, Kimberly-Clark Health Care
• Susan Booth, Artistic Director, Alliance Theatre
• Ann-Marie Campbell, President, Southern Division, The Home Depot
• Helene Gayle, President and CEO, CARE USA
• Dianne Harnell Cohen, Commissioner, City of Atlanta Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
• Carol Hunstein, Chief Justice, Georgia Supreme Court
• Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, President, Agnes Scott College
• Cynthia McCague, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, The Coca-Cola Company
• Michelle Molden, President and CEO, Piedmont Heart Institute
• Melanie Platt, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications, AGL Resources, President AGL Foundation
• Leslie Sibert, Vice President Transmission, Georgia Power
• Loretta Walker, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Turner Broadcasting System, Inc

It was an honor for The Wyche Group to get to know and interact with these women on a personal level – what an incredible group!












Our vendors added their expertise to make this a truly distinguished event. Guests dined on fabulous, fresh and local summer fare from Avalon Catering www.avaloncatering.com and were pleasantly surprised by a fun visual twist courtesy of Live Event Solutions http://www.liveeventsolutions.net/.

The Wyche Group advancing yet another outstanding cause: Cox Conserves Heroes

At The Wyche Group “PR with a purpose” is not just our slogan, it’s our mantra. Working with companies and causes aiming to make the world a better place, we are constantly humbled by the incredible and selfless people surrounding us.

So it is with this in mind that we are proud that The Wyche Group is advancing yet another outstanding cause, the Cox Conserves Heroes program hosted by WSB-TV Channel 2 and The Trust for Public Land.

This program is seeking out and honoring individuals in our community who are dedicated to the conservation of the Atlanta area. Needed are nominations of those who are helping to create, preserve or enhance places for everyone to enjoy - parks, greenways, gardens, waterways, plazas, streets and public squares. By improving our shared environment, these conservation heroes make Atlanta a better place for everyone to live.

You may know someone who might qualify as a Cox Conserves Hero and we encourage you to pass this call for nominations along to others involved in special interest groups, environmental clubs, civic organizations and the like. Nominations will be taken from May 26 until June 19 at http://www.wsbtv.com/community/index.html.

“The Trust for Public Land’s mission is to conserve land for people to use and enjoy forever, so we are thrilled to partner with Cox to identify and honor people who are making a personal difference in Atlanta,” said TPL’s Executive Director, Helen Tapp. “We’re fortunate to have engaged citizens who want to be actively involved in creating more green spaces, promoting environmental best practices and enhancing the quality of life in the metro area.”

Following the nomination stage, finalists will be selected by the Cox Conserves Judging Circle, a group of local civic leaders. Their stories can be accessed through www.wsbtv.com/community, so the public can learn more about the finalists before voting. By showcasing these unsung heroes, WSB-TV and TPL hope to inspire more people to take an active role in neighborhood conservation activities.

The finalist receiving the most online votes will be named the Cox Conserves Hero and will receive a $5,000 donation to give to the environmental nonprofit of his or her choice. The winner will be announced in September.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created in 2007 through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of WSB-TV. The partnership stems from Cox Enterprises’ national Cox Conserves program designed to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2017, and promote eco-friendly behavior among its employees, communities and other corporations. The Cox Conserves Heroes program is active in Seattle and San Diego and will launch in San Francisco and New Orleans this year.

Here at The Wyche Group we are excited to be working with the Trust for Public Land once again. The coming weeks of nominations will be an exciting time for everyone involved and we hope that you will participate in Cox Conserves Heroes.

Go back to school with Business to Business Magazine’s 2009 Education Panel Discussion

The Wyche Group is once again partnering with Business to Business magazine to offer the Atlanta business community a chance to go back to school. Business to Business magazine is hosting its annual education panel discussion on Tuesday, June 23 from 7:30 – 10:00 a.m. in the Georgia-Pacific Auditorium. The breakfast event will expand on topics discussed in previous years, focusing this year on three key areas of needed improvement in Georgia’s educational system:

Early Learning
Recruitment & retention of Quality Teachers
Effective School Board Governance

Moderator Steve Dolinger, President, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, will lead an expert panel at the breakfast. Attendees will hear from:

• Donna Buchanan: COO of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta
• Ann Cramer: Director, IBM Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs
• Kelly Henson: Executive secretary, Georgia Professional Standards Commission
• Gary Price: Market managing partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Don’t miss an opportunity to hear about Georgia’s education system. Register online today at www.btobmagazine.com