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The Hampton Inn Hotel at Atlanta Airport is located adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and just southwest of lively downtown Atlanta. Perfect for business at nearby Delta, NASCAR, and Tyler Perry Studios; a much needed vacation or a weekend away, you’ll stay in the center of it all.

Hampton Inn – Atlanta Airport is the 177th of all Hampton Inns worldwide and was recently renovated in November of 2011. Their newly renovated facilities provides the comfort of fall with a twist of Atlanta spice. With 127 guest rooms & 1,000 square feet of meeting space, Hampton Inn’s goal is to assist you in making every event a success!

In this episode of Inside the Winners’ Circle, Joyce is joined by Valarie White, Director of Sales at Hampton Inn – Atlanta Airport and talk about the many wonderful things they have in store for their guests!

Tim Trefzer, sustainability coordinator at the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, believes that passion & people skills will take you a long way. Be extremely passionate about what you do & have the versatility in working with colleagues in all levels of your organization.

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Comprised of the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome, and Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority has committed to reducing the environmental impact of the events and operations on its campus in downtown Atlanta while maintaining economic sustainability.

Today on Inside the Winners’ Circle, we are joined by Tim Trefzer, the Sustainability Coordinator for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. In this position, he assesses critical needs for improving, measuring and tracking the efficiencies of a variety of operational practices, including waste diversion, energy and water management, procurement, as well as working with clients to make their events “greener”. As a LEED AP, he has evaluated the costs and identified the hurdles of achieving LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance certification for both the Georgia World Congress Center and Georgia Dome. Prior to starting with the GWCCA in December 2010, Tim was a LEED Project Manager, managing the LEED certification efforts of a variety of different building types and LEED rating systems. Tim is a member of the USGBC – Georgia and the Green Meetings Industry Council – Atlanta branch. He is a graduate of Florida State University.

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Charlie Kelly, Group Sales Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, encourages you be the Voice of Reason. Learn how to bring good ideas to the table but also be open to the ideas of others. Open dialogue is key.

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Situated in the heart of Atlanta’s Midtown district, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta’s 244 ultra-spacious luxury hotel rooms and suites boast commanding views of the city skyline, creating a distinctive choice in the South’s dynamic, history-rich capital. Its a place where you can enjoy award-winning new American cuisine and relaxing spa treatments, all with unrivaled southern hospitality.

Charlie Kelly is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and currently serving as the Group Sales Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. He is also presently a member of the Board of Directors for Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC). Charlie is a veteran in the hotel planning & sales industry, with nine years of experience under his belt. Prior to joining Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, he previously spent 20 years in national account sales for Fortune 500 consumer companies.

In this episode of Inside the Winners’ Circle, Joyce & Charlie talks about Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta as a leader in sustainability, its commitment to going green and the different environmental initiatives they are advocating!

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The Northeast Georgia Regional Solid Waste Management Authority (NGRSWMA), in cooperation with the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission (NEGRC), is hosting the Northeast Georgia Solid Waste Summit on Friday, January 27, 2012 at the Classic Center in downtown Athens. In this informational fair involving 10 different counties in Northeast GA, organizations, agencies and private companies involved in solid waste education, reduction, recycling, disposal, collection and land issues will be on hand to answer questions and distribute informational material.

In this episode of Inside the Winners’ Circle, Joyce is joined by 3 magnificent women deeply involved in the Solid Waste Management programs of their respective counties.

Suki Janssen is the Waste Reduction Administrator for Athens-Clarke County, Georgia.  Her duties include the contract management of the public/private recycling facility in Athens-Clarke County, a variety of waste reduction events, local green school program,  and more.  Prior to her position in Athens-Clarke County, she was a Program Coordinator for the Keep Georgia Beautiful program within the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.  She was responsible for the coordination of Winning Water:  Children’s Water Festival, Waste in Place teacher workshops and a variety of education initiatives for the KGB program.  She is a certified middle grades teacher, Georgia Recycling Coalition President for 2008-09, and Northeast Georgia Regional Solid Waste Management Authority board member.  She is married to Chris Janssen, a middle school math teacher in Oconee County, and lives with two dogs, two chinchillas and six snakes.

Elaine Oakes is originally from Thomasville, GA, but has resided in Monroe since 1974.  She learned about environmental stewardship at an early age from her father, who always stressed the importance of using our natural resources wisely.   She became a volunteer for Walton Clean and Beautiful in 1987 and was hired as a part-time director in 1989. The program is the Walton County  affiliate to keep America Beautiful, Inc whose mission is” to engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments”. Since that time, Elaine’s position has expanded to include managing the Walton County Recycling Center as well as the Keep Walton Beautiful (as it is now called) volunteer network.   The focus has expanded from litter prevention and recycling to also include beautification and education on non-point source pollution

Sandra Webb is the Executive Director of Keep Madison County Beautiful & Recycling Center. Her duties include educational classes in the schools and helping plan environmental programs for Madison County.

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Claudia Aguas, Director of Catering & Convention Services at W Atlanta Downtown hotel, encourages you to know your industry & understand what you can do. Establish a forum where committees can be created & ideas can be shared.

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Amid the excitement of downtown Atlanta nightlife and the wonder of spots like the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Dome, you’ll find the W Atlanta Downtown hotel. More than a boutique downtown Atlanta hotel, the W is a lush hideaway infused throughout with natural elements that beckons you to come revitalize, refresh and rejuvenate.

W Atlanta – Downtown is an urban sanctuary for tie-loosening and kicking back after you’ve hustled and bustled your way through the extremities of everyday endeavors. With a luxuriously hip spa to rejuvenate those chakras, a trendy lounge for some unwind action, global gastronomy brimming with Southern hospitality and nightlife to put the cherry on top of your day, W Atlanta Downtown puts the upscale in downtown.

Claudia Aguas is the Director of Catering & Convention Services at W Atlanta Downtown hotel. She opened the hotel in January 2009. Claudia has worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts since 2005 with 12 years of hospitality experience. She is also the Sustainability Champion for W Atlanta Downtown.

In this Inside the Winners’ Circle episode, Claudia talks about the sustainability concept in W Atlanta Downtown, the green initiatives in terms of client events, conferences & meetings  at the hotel & its overall impact on the community.

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George McKerrow, co-founder of Ted’s Montana Grill, believes that honesty and integrity and building real trust in all of your relationships goes a long way. In business, you have to stand up and be heard and it’s time for businesses in America to make their voices heard so we can find a way out of these tough times.  You can’t be on the sidelines.  Changing behavior, finding success, and driving our country back to prosperity isn’t a spectator sport. You have to participate every day.  So, be 100 percent honest and trustworthy in everything you do. Get involved and be heard.

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George McKerrow Jr. is a 40-year veteran of the restaurant business with a history of success in both fine dining and casual concepts.  Nation’s Restaurant News has called him a “dinner-house legend” and credits him with giving “birth to an entire casual-dining segment” more than 20 years ago when he founded LongHorn Steakhouse Inc.

McKerrow entered the restaurant business as a teenager.  After graduating from Ohio State University with a B.S. in political science, he bought the Log Cabin Supper Club in West Virginia.  He joined the Victoria’s Station restaurant chain in 1974 and was a Southeast regional manager when he left the company in 1980.

He opened the first LongHorn Steakhouse as a neighborhood restaurant in 1981, a time when Atlanta had few choices in casual dining.  He successfully evolved that single location into RARE Hospitality International, which owns LongHorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille and was sold to Darden Restaurants in October 2007.  McKerrow retired from RARE Hospitality in 2000.  He co-founded We’re Cookin’ Inc. in 1996 with Atlanta chef Gerry Klaskala and Ron San Martin, the former CFO of LongHorn.  The restaurant group now has two award-winning, fine dining restaurants in Atlanta:  Aria and Canoe.  In addition to serving on the board of directors for the National Restaurant Association (1997-2003) and the Culinary Institute of America (1996-2002) McKerrow received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Restaurant Association in 2007 for his years of service to Georgia’s restaurant industry.  In October 2008, he was inducted into The Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Along with his partner, media entrepreneur, philanthropist and environmentalist Ted Turner, McKerrow founded Ted’s Montana Grill (www.tedsmontanagrill.com) in January 2002, and serves as chief executive officer of the restaurant company.  Based in Atlanta, Ted’s Montana Grill is a classic American grill serving made-from-scratch dishes in an eco-friendly environment.  The company currently has 46 locations in 16 states.

In this episode of Inside the Winners’ Circle, George talks about Ted’s Montana Grill and the company’s commitment to Mother Earth.