As a near lifetime resident of Henry County, I was pleasantly surprised by the scope of knowledge and variety of activities available to the Leadership Henry class during County Day. Despite our tour taking place on the roads I learned to drive on and near all my favorite high school haunts, church outing spots, geocaching niches, and family stomping grounds, our tour guide provided a rich history of the county as a new backdrop to the places where my some of my favorite memories were born. Sprinkled throughout the historical facts and stories were jokes and silly anecdotes that made the first half of the day fly by with personality and humor. I must give a heartful thank you to County Historian Gene Morris for such an engaging tour of Henry County.

During our next stop we explored Jail House Brewery. I have visited Jail House several times, but none recently. The updates and additions Owner Glenn Golden has made over the last few years are nothing less than impressive. Jail House is a testament to the growth and improvements hardworking small business owners have been making in Henry County. I’m grateful to live in a place that values and rewards their contributions to our culture and economy. As always, Glenn was incredibly gracious and welcoming.

The most surprising part of the day was our tour of the Federal Aviation Administration in Hampton. I had no idea our county hosted such a massive and integral piece of the travel industry. The volume of flight traffic they manage is staggering, bordering incomprehensible. Seeing the work these men and women do daily made me appreciative of all the safe flights I have been on. It is amazing how many planes are in the air at one time and how close together they are. Watching the air traffic controllers work was eye opening and the most educational part of the day.

We ended our day at the Atlanta Motor Speedway where they had crews setting up for the Imagine Music Festival. It was a special treat to see the festival coming to life from Club One (and Club One itself was remarkable). I also did not realize the variety of events besides racing that the Atlanta Motor Speedway offered.

County Day was impactful and informative in ways that I was not expecting based on my prior knowledge and length of stay in the county. I appreciate Leadership Henry organizing such a well-planned day and giving me even more reasons to love Henry County.

This update was provided by Lauren Keefer, Director of Volunteer Services for Sacred Journey Hospice and one of the Class of 2020 participants in Leadership Henry. A near lifetime resident of Henry County, Keefer is excited to learn more about the county and make connections with the community through the experience.