VisionFirst Advisors has created a fund that honors one of their founders, and will allow VSU students to engage in service-learning projects.
Release:
VisionFirst Advisors, a Tallahassee-based consulting firm focused on community and economic development, has made a gift to the Valdosta State University Foundation to create the Melissa R. Medley Economic Development and Community Engagement Fund.
Medley, one of the founders of VisionFirst Advisors, suffered a sudden health event while working with local leaders through the One Valdosta-Lowndes initiative to facilitate the creation of a holistic strategy aimed at uniting the community through engagement and economic opportunity. She died on Jan. 17, 2020.
“Melissa not only had a passion for building a business, but she also had a calling to make a difference in the places she worked,” said Chief Executive Officer and President of VisionFirst Advisors Gray Swoope. “Melissa was doing just that the day she was called home. The VisionFirst team is pleased about the establishment of the Melissa R. Medley Economic Development and Community Engagement Fund Valdosta State University to continue her legacy at the university and in the South Georgia community.”
The Melissa R. Medley Economic Development and Community Engagement Fund will allow VSU students to engage in service-learning projects that provide for the greater benefit of citizens throughout the university’s 41-county service area, with a special focus on Lowndes County. The hope is that these students will become inspired to continue participating in economic development activities in the places they choose to live after graduation. Promoting community engagement as a means to spark economic development was a motivation for Medley and is at the heart of the One Valdosta-Lowndes effort that she was facilitating at the time of her death.
“As the lead consultant for the One Valdosta-Lowndes community re-visioning effort, Melissa cared deeply about Valdosta and Lowndes County and became a dear friend to many,” said VSU President Richard A. Carvajal. “I miss my friend, but Valdosta State University is honored to carry on her legacy thanks to the launch of the Melissa R. Medley Economic Development and Community Engagement Fund. Thanks to this fund, VSU students will spend their summers putting their knowledge and talents to work to make this community an even better place to call home.”
Mayor Scott James Matheson said, “When you are dealing with diverse organizations including government and non-government alike, plus an equally diverse room full of individuals on a massive undertaking such as One Valdosta-Lowndes, you need a spirit guide. Melissa was that person. Melissa did a deep dive into our community and understood our true needs both spoken and unspoken.”
“From the time the Steering Committee hired Vision First and from our very first facilitated session, we all could tell that Melissa was going to have a vested interest in the Valdosta-Lowndes community,” said Georgia Power Community and Economic Development Manager Scott Purvis. “Her personal touch and attention to detail was critical in our strategic planning process. She truly saw the opportunities and the heights that our community can reach.”
Contributions can be made to the Melissa R. Medley Economic Development & Community Engagement Fund by visiting https://community.valdostastate.org/medleyfund.
Also on the Web:
https://onevaldostalowndes.com/
