Leaders from the University of North Georgia (UNG) met with an array of local business representatives during the Nighthawk Impact Tour with the goal of deepening relationships with the companies and ensuring alignment of talent development with talent demand. The tour showcased the integral role UNG plays in workforce development, enabling faculty and staff to engage with students and alumni employed by these companies.

According to the latest University of System Georgia figures, UNG makes a $737 million annual economic impact on its region.

Held from June 24-26, the tour highlighted UNG’s commitment to three of President Michael P. Shannon's strategic big bets:

• Supercharge workforce development.

• Expand the STEM value proposition.

• Get in the national security game.

"We are grateful for these companies and their willingness to partner with UNG. It was insightful to hear what they are looking for in our graduates and the challenges they are facing," Shannon said. "We are committed to preparing our students to contribute meaningfully to the workforce both as interns and when they graduate."

Shannon and others from UNG met with leaders from the following entities:

• Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health: The company employs about 3,000 people in the United States, including roughly 600 based at the U.S. Animal Health headquarters in Duluth, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. Dedicated to the well-being of animals and people, the company produces medicines for pets, horses and livestock animals.

• DataPath and MaxDefense: DataPath's more than 25 years of experience in integrated communications and information technology has made it a market leader in trusted communications systems, services, and end-to-end solutions for mission-critical operations. MaxDefense is a subsidiary of DataPath focused on state and local government cybersecurity.

• Fox Factory: The company is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of premium products that deliver championship-level performance for specialty sports and on-and-off-road vehicles. It opened its Gainesville facility in 2020.

• Hopewell Farms: The business is a regenerative family farm specializing in grass-fed beef, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. The Bonelli family believes in being stewards of their land, animals and community. The business also includes programs that support corporate team building and leadership development.

• Jaemor Farms: The family-owned-and-operated business has been producing quality produce for more than 100 years. Beyond on-farm shopping, Jaemor also offers activities for all ages, including an annual six-acre corn maze, farm tours and field trips.

• Kubota Manufacturing of America: Headquartered in Gainesville, KMA is Hall County's third-largest employer with 3,578 employees across manufacturing, distribution and engineering operations at its Gainesville and Jefferson facilities.

• Mansfield Energy: Headquartered in Gainesville, Mansfield Energy is a fuel logistics company operating in every U.S. state and all 10 Canadian provinces. It serves corporations such as UPS and government agencies including schools and fire and police departments.

• Viasat: It is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat innovations have helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments, and militaries around the world communicate — even in the hardest-to-reach places.

• Wayne Sanderson Farms: Headquartered in Oakwood, the company is the nation's third largest poultry producer with more than 26,000 employees and over 2,000 family farmers dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable poultry products to customers around the world.

Brad Majeres, vice president of operations for DataPath, expressed gratitude for UNG's visit.

"The UNG tour was a valuable opportunity to engage with UNG to explain our business and to share specifically the skills that we need for interns and graduates to have to help us be successful in our business and for us to learn more about UNG's educational programs. As we discussed, DataPath employs interns and/or co-ops from various disciplines including hardware and software engineering, business, IT, and cybersecurity to support us each semester, and it's clear that UNG provides this type of talent," Majeres said. "Having the opportunity to discuss these topics with the UNG leadership and faculty was extremely meaningful and reassuring to us that both our company and students will benefit in the long term. We are pleased to be partnering with UNG."

Lindsey Brown, '23, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in marketing with a concentration in digital marketing. She works as a digital content producer for Mansfield Energy. Through help from UNG Career Services, she started at Mansfield as an intern while an undergraduate student. Now that she’s a full-time Mansfield employee, Brown is pursuing the Cottrell Master of Business Administration (MBA) online from UNG.

"My digital marketing degree laid the foundation for my future. UNG helped me learn the instruments of how a business operates and what would make me more competitive when applying for jobs," Brown, a third-generation alumnus, said. "Now, through the MBA program, UNG is continuing to pave the way for my future success."

Cristina Del Rio, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a B.B.A. in accounting, is a tax intern for Mansfield this summer. She first heard about Mansfield at a Beta Alpha Psi meeting.

"UNG prepared me for my internship because there are numerous helpful resources on campus and on the university website. I followed the online interview recommendations and successfully completed both interviews," Del Rio said. "Although gaining experience and learning about the real-world aspects of the accounting field was my top priority, my favorite part of the internship is the people."

Dr. Jeff Turk, dean of the Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis, said the tour was a valuable experience for everyone involved.

"We visited some incredible places and saw some of the many exciting things happening in industry and agriculture in our region," Turk said. "It also helped inform the group in ways that UNG can further support industry and the local economy while also providing employment opportunities for our students and graduates."

Dr. Juanfra DeVillena, senior vice president of quality assurance and food safety at Wayne Sanderson Farms, enjoyed speaking with the UNG leaders. He has two sons who attend UNG, one of whom plays on the soccer team.

"It's special to me because I have two Nighthawks there. It's a great school," DeVillena said. "To me, it's a chance to give back to where my kids are getting the foundation for a career."