---
date: 2025-07-15
title: Youth Council Advisory Committee Agenda Packet
source: 2025-07/2025-07-15_Youth Council Advisory Committee_Agenda Packet.pdf
pages: 1
---

STOCKBRIDGE Youth Council Advisory
YOUTH COUNCIL Committee
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Meeting Agenda
Dr. Alfreda Renee Gourdine, Chair
July 15, 2025 6:30 PM
Ayesha Gambles, Vice-Chair
Joc’Quelyn Carter, Treasurer
Sharika Zellars, Student Liaison
Dr. Samuel Valme, Secretary
Valerie Richmond-Reese, Parliamentarian

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Tykera Goins
Dr. Elyssa Green
Candis Jones
Paige Jones III
Georgia McIntyre
Dr. Thomas Smith
STOCKBRIDGE CITY HALL

4640 NORTH HENRY BLVD.
STAFF LIAISON
Cassandra Lester STOCKBRIDGE, GA 30281

Website: www.stockbridgega.org

Phone: 770-389-7900

Fax: 770-389-7912
AGENDA
YOUTH COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025 6:30 PM

I. Call to Order
1. Invocation Followed by Pledge
2. Roll Call
3. Approve Agenda
4. Approve May Minutes
5. Budget
II. Old Business
6. Votes recorded for Back-to-School Donations to support the City's Back-
to-School Kick-Off
7. Upcoming SYC Interviews
8. Closet Inventory and Maintenance
9. Area Beautification -Dates and Attendance
10. Discuss Expo & Senior Survey Results
III. New Business
11. Calendar FY26
12. Meeting SPD Protection for SYC/AC Meetings and Events
13. AC Leadership Position
IV. Adjourn

The Youth Advisory Council Committee is to make recommendations to Council based on the following Terms
of Reference.
1. To identify and advise on youth issues in the City of Stockbridge.
2. To advise Council on the development of policies that are responsive to the needs of youth.
3. To consult with local youth and feedback results of consultations to Council.
4. To assist in the ongoing development and delivery of youth-targeted projects and programs.
5. To create opportunities for youth leadership development by acting as a resource for youth activities.

Note: This Committee meets monthly on selected dates.
Stockbridge Youth Council Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
May 20, 2025

I. Call to Order
a) Quorum was met, and the meeting was called to order at 18:52

1. Invocation led by Dr. Thomas Smith

• Pledge of Allegiance: recited in unison

2. Roll Call

Roll Call Members Absent:
Dr. Renee Gourdine Ayesha Gambles Joc’Quelyn Carter
Dr. Samuel Valme Paige Jones III
Valerie Richmond-Reese Sharika Zellars
Dr. Thomas Smith
Tykera Goins
Georgia McIntyre

3. Approve Agenda
a) Motion: Tykera Goins
b) Second: Dr. Thomas Smith
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried

4. Approve 4/7/2025 SYCAC Special Call Meeting Minutes
a) Motion: Valerie Richmond-Reese
b) Second: Georgia McIntyre
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried

II. Old Business

Past Quarters Events

The Chair:
This report reflects our activities from the previous quarter, January, February, and March. We
participated in the MLK Day clean-up alongside Councilman Alexander. Unfortunately, we did
not take part in the Black History Month program this year, as we were not contacted for
participation.

We successfully hosted the Senior Leadership Retreat on March 8th. Dr. Renee Gourdine and
Valerie Richmond-Reese attended the GMA Leadership Symposium in February.

Looking ahead to next year, I want us to be more active, not just busy, but strategically involved
so that the Stockbridge Youth Council (SYC) becomes more visible to the community. We are not
engaging with the community to the extent that we should. It cannot be just our core students
showing up, we need broader outreach.

Over the break, I ask everyone to start brainstorming ways to better connect with youth in the
community. Please jot down your ideas and be prepared to share them at our next meeting. I am
also asking our students to do the same. We need to strengthen our presence and influence.

Dr. Thomas Smith:
Will we be doing anything for the upcoming Memorial Day Parade?

The Chair:
Those are the types of events we need to start incorporating into our annual calendar, so we have
time to make the necessary arrangements. We used to participate in such events, but we’re not
receiving timely invitations or communications. Additionally, we’d like to purchase a SYC
banner to carry when we participate in parades and community events.

Dr. Samuel Valme:
When you say we need to strengthen our presence our community presence, are you referring
specifically to Stockbridge or to Henry County as a whole?

The Chair:
Our primary focus should be the youth in the Stockbridge community. However, we can consider
opportunities at the county level as appropriate.

III. New Business

5. Upcoming Quarter Events

The Chair:
We are currently in the third quarter. There are no scheduled activities in June, as this is our
designated break. However, in the next quarter, July, August, and September, we have a few
important events coming up.
First is the Fill the Bus event, where we collect school supplies from the community. This usually
takes place during Tasty Tuesdays, typically on the second or third Tuesday in July.

Following that is the City’s Back-to-School Giveaway, where we help distribute the collected
supplies. This event usually occurs around July 26, 2025, though I will confirm the exact date.

So, to summarize, our upcoming events include:

• Fill the Bus (school supply collection at Tasty Tuesdays)
• City Back-to-School Giveaway (distribution of supplies)

6. Recruitment

The Chair:
Recruitment is a major priority. Students should have already distributed flyers at their schools. If
you know any youth in your community who would be a great fit for the Youth Council, please
direct them to our webpage where the application is available.

Please note that we are not accepting 12th graders this year. We currently have five seniors, and
adding more would create an imbalance. Additionally, new 12th-grade members would only be
able to participate for about eight months, which limits their engagement and impact.

7. SYC Interviews – New Members – Onboarding

The Chair:
Interviews are typically conducted in the City Hall conference room—either the one we are
currently in or the adjacent room. We ask that Advisory Council members assist with conducting
the interviews. Additionally, we request that the Student Chair and Vice-Chair be present to
provide their feedback on the student nominees. However, the final decision on which students
are accepted rests with the board members. These interviews usually take place in July.

8. SYC Closet Maintenance

The Chair:
This will need to be a collaborative effort. If you have any suggestions for how we can handle
closet maintenance this summer, please share them. A major part of this process will be
conducting an inventory to determine what supplies we already have, so we don’t end up
purchasing duplicates. Do you think June or July would be better for this? We will need to ensure
the inventory is documented.

Valerie Richmond-Reese:
I recommend proposing three or four potential dates, perhaps a couple in June and a couple in
July, then letting the members vote to decide which works best.

The Chair:
Madam Parliamentarian, please compile a few dates so we can share them in the GroupMe chat
for a vote.

9. Financial Report

The Chair:
As discussed earlier, our major recent expenditures were for the Police Dinner and the Senior
Banquet. We will provide the final expense reports for both events. Vice Chair Ayesha Gambles,
is working with Joc’Quelyn Carter, to ensure our budget figures are as accurate as possible on our
end.

The last reported balance shows approximately $13,000 remaining; however, several outstanding
expenses still need to be deducted. Paige Jones, Sharika Zellars, and I have some receipts to
submit, which may total between $75 and $100.

Once all summer expenses are reconciled, Ayesha Gambles will share the final budget figures
with the board.

IV. Adjourn
a) Motion: Valerie Richmond-Reese
b) Second: Dr. Thomas Smith
c) In Favor: All present
d) Oppose: None
e) Abstain: None
f) Motion carried
g) Adjourned at 19:13

Stockbridge Youth Council
Advisory Committee
Area Beautification Schedule
Meeting Location
Smith Barnes Elementary School
147 Tye Street
Stockbridge, Georgia 30281
Time: 1045am – 12pm
ND
2 Saturday of the Month

August 9, 2025 January10, 2026
September 13, 2025 February 14, 2026
October 11, 2025 March 14, 2026
November 8, 2025 April 11, 2026
December 13, 2025 May 9, 2026

1. Area Beautification is the 2nd Saturday of each month. Report time and start times are annotated
above. Reminders will be sent via the SYC/Advisory Committee groupme.
2. Area beautification may be canceled or postpone due to inclement weather. Cancellation will be at
the discretion of the Chair and if the chair is unavailable, the Vice Chair, if deemed appropriate for
current or projected weather conditions.
3. All members will report to the above location and a determination will be made at that time, unless it
is otherwise stated in one of the designated communication channels (Groupme, text message,
email).
4. Attire: SYC T-shirt/Hoodie, comfortable pants (jeans – No Holes, sweats etc.), sneakers. No
crocks/flip-flops due to safety reasons. Attire for the day will depend on the weather.
5. The highlighted dates above may be rescheduled to an alternate day. February 14, 2026 (Valentines
Day); May 9, 2026 (Mother’s Day Weekend).
Note: There may be opportunities for students to attend Friday area beautifications. The Student Liaison
will provide this information to the advisory committee for those students who will be excused from
Saturday area cleanup and would like to attend on Friday. Please be mindful that Friday area
beautification is solely intended for SYC members to fulfill their obligations. This may only require 1 or
2 advisory members, preferably 2. Its intended purpose is not to conciliate the schedules of advisory
members. Advisory presence is needed on Saturday to ensure we have enough supervision for the
students present.

Dr. A. Renee Gourdine
SYC, Advisory Committee Chair
Stockbridge Youth Council Advisory Committee 2nd
Annual Entrepreneur Expo Survey Analysis

Overview
On Saturday, March 29, 2025, the Stockbridge Youth Council and Advisory Committee hosted
their 2nd annual Entrepreneur Expo, an event designed to empower young entrepreneurs in the
Stockbridge community by providing them with a platform to showcase their businesses and sell
their products or services.

In preparation for the event, members of the Advisory Committee convened to assess the
previous year’s attendance and identify opportunities for improvement. Committee member
Tykera Goins took on the role of data collector and analyst, gathering valuable insights for the
group’s review. To evaluate the success of the Expo, Tykera distributed two Google Forms
surveys—one for attendees and another for participating vendors—to collect quantitative
feedback.

Overall, responses indicated that the Expo was a well-received community event. Suggestions
for improvement focused on enhancing marketing strategies and optimizing vendor table
arrangements. However, it is important to note that not all attendees completed the Attendee
Survey or had access to a phone, and not all registered vendors participated in the event or
submitted feedback.

The following analysis presents key insights drawn from the 19 responses received from
attendees and the seven responses from vendors.
Attendee Survey
On the day of the Expo, the attendees’ survey was displayed as a QR code on the check-in
table, and Tykera walked around the event to increase the number of responses for the
survey. The survey consisted of six questions, with the responses depicted and analyzed
below.

Question 1

Question 2
Question 3

Question 4
Question 5

Attendees’ Survey Analysis
From the responses, 18 people attended the event for the first time, with over 50% of
attendees who completed the survey being 20 years old. The 12 children attending the
event were between five and thirteen years old. Those who attended the event enjoyed and
participated in fun activities such as an egg hunt, a basket and gift card raffle, a DJ, a food
truck, and products and services from the vendors. The survey respondents looked
forward to everything offered at the Expo, including the vendors. The overall feedback from
the respondents in the sixth question, if there were any comments, consisted of positive
comments expressing appreciation for the event and the Expo being a great support for the
community. The only suggested improvement received was to add more food vendors to
the Expo.
Vendor Survey
A few days after the Entrepreneur Expo, Advisory Committee member, Ayesha Gambles,
emailed the vendor survey to the vendors who attended the event. The survey consisted of
six questions, with the responses depicted and analyzed below.

Question 1

Question 2
Question 3

Question 4
Vendors’ Survey Analysis
Of the seven responses from the survey, a little over 50% of the vendors participated in the
Entrepreneur Expo last year, and there were three first-time vendors this year. Although no
one selected ‘No’ to being a vendor again, one selected ‘Maybe’, raising the question of
what can be done to ensure vendors want to return. Improvements to be made are not
related to the check-in process, as vendors selected a five on the likert scale of the
question, signifying the check-in process was very organized. Another part of the Expo that
does not need to be at the top of the improvement list is the Council’s communication with
the vendors. The vendors’ comments for the Council’s communication are not captured
above, but it was expressed that vendors felt the communication was great. Based on the
responses from question 4, the vendors’ table arrangement is what could be improved for
next year. In addition to the table arrangements, the sixth question left space for vendors to
leave comments or suggestions, and better marketing was requested to attract a large
crowd. Bringing the tables closer together to increase foot traffic for vendors that were
spread out was also listed. Overall, the Expo was a good event for the vendors with room
for improvement.
SYC/AC Calendar FY26
Event Date Chair/Co-Chair
SYC Monthly Meetings 1st Monday of the Month
August – May Mayor/Mayor Pro Tem
Levi Meeting Room
AC Monthly Meetings 3rd Tuesday of the Month
July – May Chair/Vice Chair
Levi Meeting Room
Area Beautification 2nd Saturday of the Month
August – May Chair/Vice Chair
Tye Street – Smith Barnes
Elementary School
SYC New Member Interviews July 22, 2025 6PM – Levi Chair/Vice Chair/Student
Meeting Room Liaison
SYC Retreat August/September Chair/Vice Chair/Student
Location: TBD Liaison
Fall Festival October 25, 2025
Councilmember Gantt TBD
Clark Park Location: Clark Park
December 2025
SYC Holiday Festival – Tinsel and Fun Location TBD
“Hosted by SYC” TBD
-OR-
City of Stockbridge Holiday Fest Location: Amphitheater
City of Stockbridge Volunteer
Appreciation Gala December 2025 TBD
Location: Merle Manders
MLK Jr. Cleanup – January 2026
Councilman Elton Alexander Location: TBD TBD
February 2026
GMA Youth Symposium Location: Americas Hotel 2 Chaperones Needed (TBD)
Atlanta GMA and GMA Building
Black History Month Program February 2026 TBD
Councilman Alphonso Thomas Location: Merle Manders TBD
SYC Leadership Retreat February/March 2026 Student Liaison/Chair/Vice
Location: TBD Chair
Woman History Month March 2026 TBD TBD
Councilman Elton Alexander Location: Merle Manders

3rd Annual Youth Entrepreneur Expo March 2026 TBD
“Hosted by SYC Event” Location: Clark Park/Merle TBD
Manders

Mother’s Day Appreciation Tea April/May 2026 TBD TBD
Councilwoman Yolanda Barber Location: Merle Manders
Stockbridge Police Department April 2026 TBD TBD
Appreciation Dinner Location: SPD Station

SYC Senior Banquet May 2026 TBD TBD
Location: TBD

Father’s Day Appreciation June 2026 TBD TBD
Councilwoman Yolanda Barber Location: Merle Manders

July 2026 (Tasty Tuesday
Fill The Bus before City of Stockbridge TBD
Back to School Drive).
Location: Clark Park

City of Stockbridge Back to School Kick- July 2026 TBD
Off Location: Amphitheater
GMA Youth Symposium November 2026 TBD 2 Chaperones (TBD)
City Youth Council Location: Determined at
GMA
