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Congressman Johnson honors local businessman

May 3, 2017

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Rep. Hank Johnson with constituents

In honor of National Small Business Week, Congressman Hank Johnson invited Lithonia resident Jerry Myers to the nation's capital on May 2 as his "Small Business of the Year" recipient for the 4th Congressional District.

National Small Business Week pays homage to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the nation who work every day to promote industry in their communities and create new jobs.

"Entrepreneurs have always been a cornerstone of our economy and the small businesses they oversee are vital for American prosperity," said Congressman Johnson. "It gives me great pleasure to recognize Jerry for all the hard work he does to contribute to the community."

Myers' In the Door career development and workforce training facility provides a wide-range of services to job seekers of all ages. Myers has a passion for training people all over the state of Georgia and as of late has done work with the City of Atlanta, the DeKalb County School District and the AARP.

He was nominated by the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce. The competition was open to organizations that do business in the 4th Congressional District, including: the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Lithonia Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Business League, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Business League, Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Jamaica Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Hispanic Chamber, Atlanta Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, and UGA SBDC.

"Talking to the Congressman in his office about my start and why I do what I do was a real highlight for me. He was very interested in the career training workshops and some of our other services we provide," said Myers. "It really feels good to know that congress wants to hear from us to see how we can be helped during the year. I am thankful to be a part of this process and honored to be selected."

Before starting his own business in 2014, Myers was the Employer Committee President for the Georgia Department of Labor, for DeKalb and Rockdale counties. He is also a husband, father, author and a professor of Marketing and Public Administration.

Myers said he started his small business to bridge the gap for people who needed career development advice and training,and also to help the unemployed and underemployed who needed to sharpen their skills to take advantage ofnew opportunities.

Along with receiving the recognition from Congressman Johnson in his D.C. office, Myers participated in the Small Business Committee Democrats' Small Business Week Constituent Roundtable.

"The Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce recognizes the value that Mr. Myers' service brings to the community and that is why he received this recognition," said Congressman Johnson. "This was a great thing to do this week—to honor our small businesses and reaffirm our support for their success."

Photo caption: L-R: Valerie and Jerry Myers join Congressman Hank Johnson for a discussion about small businesses.