Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners has announced the appointment of Emily Heintz as its new executive director. Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment as Curiosity Lab accelerates its smart city deployments and prepares for the next chapter of its Innovation Campus expansion.
Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson and member of the Curiosity Lab Board of Directors, says: “Her mix of executive experience, strategic insight and ecosystem-building leadership positions us well for this next phase of growth. Emily understands how innovation actually scales in real-world environments. She will help strengthen our partnerships, expand our reach and elevate our role as a global leader in smart city technology.”
With more than 15 years of experience, Heintz has built a career at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and public-private collaboration. She will oversee strategic partnerships across public and private sectors, guide campus expansion initiatives, strengthen relationships with current members and collaborators, and advance Curiosity Lab’s global presence.
Heintz says: “Curiosity Lab is at a remarkable point in its evolution, and I am honored to join the team at such an energizing time. Peachtree Corners has created something rare, a real-world environment where technology companies can safely test and deploy innovations that make cities more mobile, resilient and secure.”
Heintz is a native of Michigan, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Michigan State University.
Heintz joins Curiosity Lab as the organization continues to expand its footprint and impact. Since 2019, the Lab has partnered with more than 180 companies ranging from early-stage startups to global corporations. Its deployments now span the community’s 500-acre Technology Park Innovation Campus, and the Peachtree Corners Town Center, enabling companies to test connected mobility, intelligent infrastructure, IoT and smart city technologies in a real municipal environment.
Peachtree Corners seeks comment on trail project
The City of Peachtree Corners will hold a Public Information Open House on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at Peachtree Corners City Hall, located at 310 Technology Parkway, to discuss the proposed Crooked Creek Trail Project. The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.
This project proposes the construction of a 1.3-mile shared use path along Crooked Creek, with an additional 0.6 miles of spurs and loops providing connections to surrounding neighborhoods and communities. The project corridor begins at Spalding Drive, approximately 350 feet southwest of River Exchange Drive (north terminus), and extends to Peachtree Corners Circle, between Elmside Village Lane and Klinect Court (southern terminus).
The purpose of this open house is to provide residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to view the project plans, ask questions, and submit comments regarding the proposed improvements. No formal presentation will be given. Written statements concerning this project will be accepted until Jan. 31, 2026.
County approves 4 percent pay raise
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has approved a 4 percent market pay raise for eligible county employees.
The Board’s action acknowledges that recruiting and retaining talented, highly qualified and dedicated employees is essential to the delivery of superior services within the community and acknowledges that these employees continue to be impacted by inflation. The adjustment is retroactive to October 25.
County Administrator Glenn Stephens says: “Our County’s strong financial position and responsible budget management made this adjustment possible. I’m grateful for the Board of Commissioners’ support for our employees and investment in their well-being with this market adjustment.”
The adjustment raises starting pay and increases the pay ranges in both the current salary structure and the public safety step-structured plans. With this market adjustment and some additional salary adjustments for certain employees, the salary of current active full-time employees will be raised to at least $40,000 per year, meeting a goal of the Board of Commissioners.
237,000 Jackson EMC members get refund checks
Approximately 237,000 current and former members of Jackson EMC will receive their share of a total of $16 million in member refund checks in December.
After this December’s refund, Jackson EMC will have refunded $236 million in member refunds to its member-owners since the cooperative was founded in 1938.
Rodney Chandler, chairman of the Jackson EMC Board of Directors, says: “Member refunds are one of the ways we fulfill our commitment to serve members with integrity and care. Every dollar returned helps reinforce that this cooperative belongs to you.”
Members are refunded for a combination of years, so former, long-term and newer members benefit from belonging to an electric cooperative, like Jackson EMC. This year, member refunds will go to those who received electric service from Jackson EMC in 1999, 2000, 2001 and/or 2024. Each member’s refund depends on how much they paid for electricity during those specific years. Checks are being mailed in December.
