“In 2008, while I was living in Auburn, AL, a recruiter called to ask if I wanted to interview with a company in Dalton, GA. I had never heard of Dalton or Mohawk Industries; but I had the interview, got hired, and moved to Dalton. I was skeptical about moving here because it was just me and no family or friends. Shortly after arriving, I got involved in the community and started meeting people and developing friendships. It took a while, but eventually I began to feel like this could be my home; and now I do call Dalton home. It took a couple of years to find my place here and it wasn’t always easy. But, early on, I met some amazing people who helped me on this journey to make Dalton my home.
One of the things I like most about Dalton is it’s a safe town. When you move somewhere and don’t know anyone, it can be daunting and scary, but I felt safe here. I’ve never felt afraid to go anywhere, even at night. I also love the diversity that’s here. I went to Auburn University (War Eagle!) and I had friends from all over the world. I like that I get to see that here in Dalton with people from different countries and cultures, and I can learn how they live and how they’ve grown up.
I love the entrepreneurial spirit that’s here. After working here 11 years for a major flooring company, I got bit by the entrepreneurial bug and decided to venture out and start my own company. Earlier this year, K & M Technologies was born. I have worked in research and development my entire career, and I love exploring new things and what might be coming to revolutionize how we live, work, eat, and care for ourselves. My company is like “E-Harmony” for businesses. We connect established companies who want to innovate their product or service offering with a start-up or entrepreneur who is doing something similar. This significantly reduces the development time and cost for the larger company. And it helps the entrepreneurs and start-up businesses realize their dreams and watch them come to fruition. We also help organizations stretch their imagination and think way outside the box in terms of product, process and service innovation. In COVID-19, I’ve helped a company figure out how they could retool their equipment to make face shields. I was able to pull everyone out of their box and find a way to keep people working and keep machines running.
I also love the philanthropic spirit that is here. I get intrinsic joy from helping someone who can’t give me anything in return. Greater Dalton offers so many opportunities for that passion to be fulfilled and I’ve been able to do that through Friendship House child-care center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and many other organizations. Helping children find their voices and build their confidence is my passion, so the organizations with which I get involved tend to run in that vein. I have served on several boards and volunteered with many such organizations in town. The count and their names are not important. What’s important is the impact these opportunities have given me to help a child understand their power, find their voice, and encourage them not to lose it.
I love the hometown feeling of everyone knowing each other, that sense of belonging, of family and friendship in Greater Dalton. I only have one blood relative here, but I have lots of friends that I call my family. I love that feeling of home and acceptance that I have here in Dalton.