Schumaker elected to Community Council

Zoe Schumaker of Hiawassee was elected to the Community Council of the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center, class of 2009, at the Council's April meeting. The announcement was made by Cathy Jarrett, Chairman of its Nominating Committee. "We are very pleased that Zoe has joined us on the Community Council. She is already a key friend and serves with distinction as a member of our Preservation Committee", said Jarrett. Jennifer Cordier, Chairman of the Preservation Committee, added, "Zoe is great advocate for preservation. She is working with Towns County groups interested in preserving our mountain heritage. Zoe also served in the "Partners in Service" Campaign in Towns County to help fund our work in the county and the region".

Schumaker has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Oregon. Her twenty-five year career in information technology included leading the information systems function for several international manufacturing companies, including Blount Industries, Ingersoll Rand and Great Lakes Chemical Corporation. She has also done extensive consulting in her field. Schumaker is pursuing a second career as an artist, painting mostly in pastel. She is a member of the Pastel Society of the Southeast, the Mountain Arts Association, and the Mountain Regional Arts and Crafts Guild. She volunteers at the Guild's Artworks Artisan Center in Hiawassee.

"I believe in the work of the Community Council and am pleased to do what I can to advance its goals. I was attracted to Towns County because of its beauty and quality of life. We are blessed to live in this magnificent mountain region, and we share an important responsibility to preserve the area's unique treasures for future generations", said Schumaker.

The Community Council has the three emphases of educational enrichment experiences for students in the region; monthly outreach programs for adults, and preservation. In less than three years of operation, it has served over 8,000 students and adults in Fannin, Towns, Union and Clay Counties through its programs and activities. The Council is composed of members from the four counties. Last year more than 200 volunteers assisted the Council in its work.