Suwanee has some big questions about its future, and it’s turning to the people who know the city best for answers: you!
As part of the yearlong strategic planning process, the City of Suwanee is partnering with Polco, a community engagement platform, to conduct The National Community Survey (NCS), a nationally recognized tool that helps cities better understand what matters most to their communities.
A random selection of 3,000 Suwanee households will receive a mailed invitation to participate. If your home is selected, the city wants you to take a few moments to follow the instructions and share your thoughts, as your voice plays an important role in shaping Suwanee’s future.
Suwanee has a proud history of using this survey to inform planning and policy, and your input makes a difference. In fact, based on the 2022 results, Suwanee was named the 2023 Voice of the People Award winner for Excellence in Safety and ranked among the top 10 nationally in several key areas:
- #2 for taking care of vulnerable residents;
- #3 for overall quality of parks and recreational opportunities;
- #4 for opportunities to attend special events and festivals;
- #4 for making all residents feel welcome;
- #4 for openness to people of diverse backgrounds;
- #6 for social opportunities and activities; and
- #9 for treating all residents fairly.
This marks the seventh time Suwanee has conducted the NCS to gather meaningful resident input on topics such as mobility, public safety, inclusivity, environmental stewardship, utilities, and other aspects. All responses are confidential and reported anonymously to the National Research Center at Polco.
Mailed invitations will begin arriving in mid-2026. Once collected, results will be benchmarked against more than 600 communities nationwide, giving Suwanee valuable insight into what is working and what could be improved. These results inform community planning, resource allocation, program improvements, goal-setting, and policy-making.
Library plans another New Start Incubator program
The Gwinnett County Public Library is now accepting applications for its next New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator Program (NSEI).
This program provides business education for formerly incarcerated individuals through in-person classes, online coursework, and a robust network of mentors and community partners. NSEI is specifically geared towards the re-entry population, which, in Georgia, is disproportionately minority populations and people of color. This six-month course is designed to help community members who have served time in jail or prison create and sustain their own businesses.
Charles Pace, executive director of the Gwinnett County Public Library, says: “Formerly incarcerated individuals are an overlooked population of aspiring entrepreneurs, often lacking the means, access, and support to launch a small business successfully.”
NSEI originated as a grant project in 2021, funded by Google in partnership with the American Library Association.
Coordinated by a team of five library staff members, NSEI includes cohorts of 10 to 15 students who attend monthly presentations by local business experts on topics such as finance, marketing, licensing, and writing a business plan. Following each meeting, participants complete assigned online coursework and receive one-on-one support from experienced small business mentors.
The library provides laptops and Wi-Fi service to students who need them. The program’s culmination occurs at Launchpad, where the aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to community business leaders. The Gwinnett County Public Library Foundation has awarded $15,000 through the Launchpad event. As of this year, the program has graduated 42 entrepreneurs in five cohorts.
New Sugarloaf CID sculpture dubbed “Ascension”
Sugarloaf Community Improvement District (CID) has installed one of the largest sculptures in Gwinnett County at the corner of Sugarloaf Parkway and the I-85 southbound exit ramp. At 37 feet tall, the stainless-steel spires, foundations and walls form the Sugarloaf Ascension Sculpture.
Each element is completely custom. The initial design concept is from Confluence Design Consulting. The vision for the project was to highlight the district as a center where business, entertainment, culture and the arts intersect.
The dynamic shapes of the two spires seem to both move upwards and around each other simultaneously, a physical representation of the way in which the CID’s work “elevates Gwinnett’s Downtown.” In addition to the CID, the main project team consisted of sculptor Gregory Johnson, Huie Design of Atlanta (construction administration consultant) and Integrated Sign and Graphic, Inc. of Lexington, Ky. (the foundation, walls and light fabrication company).
Johnson estimates that the two stainless-steel spires weigh about 20,000 pounds in total; this is his largest stainless-steel project to date.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson says: “This sculpture is more than a work of art. It’s a symbol of Gwinnett’s energy, growth and spirit of innovation. Just as the spires rise together, our community continues to reach new heights when business, culture and people come together.”
Sculptor Gregory Johnson views “…Life as a journey that comes full circle.” He describes his interpretation of this project as: “This sculpture focuses on two simple and elegant geometric shapes. It is inspiring to look at, but extremely difficult to build due to the compound curves. There is an energy that we cannot touch or quantify, like a crashing wave, reaching for the sun or subtly suggesting the energy and interaction between people and places.”
Sugarloaf CID Board Chairman, Brand Morgan, says: “The Sugarloaf Ascension Sculpture is the CID’s largest investment in public art to date. This bold, striking sculpture serves as a welcome to Gwinnett’s downtown, and a recognition that in addition to a thriving business community, we are a vibrant regional arts and entertainment center.”
From the Sugarloaf CID’s original sculpture concept to completion, this project represents over 5 years of hard work and coordination with stakeholders such as Georgia DOT, Gwinnett County and Georgia Power.
Wilson is new NAIA Hall of Fame member
Georgia Gwinnett College’s inaugural director of athletics, Dr. Darin S. Wilson, has been recognized as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ (NAIA) 2025 Hall of Fame class. He will be formally inducted on April 12, 2026, as part of the 2026 NAIA National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wilson currently serves GGC as Vice President for Advancement and Community Engagement. Wilson is one of two athletic directors to receive the NAIA National Athletics Director of the Year twice (2015-16 and 2010-11). He also collected the NAIA Under Armour AD of the Year award for the southeast region from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in 2018-19, 2014-15 and 2009-10.
GGC President Dr. Jann L. Joseph stated, “I have witnessed firsthand Dr. Wilson’s transformative leadership and the profound, positive impact he has made on our athletics program, students, institution, and broader community.”
