By Monroe Roark
Times Correspondent
One of Henry County’s largest
charities has a new leader, and it
is a familiar face to much of the
community.
Officials at Atlanta Motor
Speedway announced last week
that Elizabeth “BJ” Mathis is the
new executive of Speedway
Children’s Charities’ Atlanta
chapter, which has given more
than $4 million to Atlanta-area
children since it was established
in 1994.
Mathis was elected in 2004 to
the Henry County Board of
Commissioners as its District II
commissioner and then in 2008
as its countywide chairman.
After she lost her re-election bid
in 2012, she spent a year as eco-
nomic development director for
the city of Stockbridge. She also
has considerable experience with
nonprofit and faith-based groups
over the past two decades, and
she holds a bachelor’s degree in
organizational leadership from
Mercer University.
“I look forward to this amazing
opportunity to lead Speedway
Children’s Charities and to work
with its exceptional board mem-
bers,” said Mathis. “Above all, I
am excited about making a dif-
ference in the lives of the many
children the charity helps each
year.”
Speedway Children’s Charities
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organiza-
tion founded in 1982 by
Speedway Motorsports, Inc.
chairman Bruton Smith. With
chapters based at each of the
eight race tracks within the
Speedway Motorsports family,
SCC is committed to raising
funds to be awarded to qualified
children’s charitable organiza-
tions nationwide.
Each year, the charity hosts
fundraising events in and around
metro Atlanta, oftentimes part-
nering with local celebrities and
organizations for the benefit of
kids in Georgia. The annual
Governor’s lunch and the SCC
Classic Golf Tournament high-
light the calendar each year,
while NASCAR Weekend auc-
tions, the Red Bucket Brigade
and a weekly 50/50 raffle at the
track’s summertime Friday Night
Drags series play major roles at
the Speedway’s racing events.
To learn more about Speedway
Children’s Charities or to get
involved, visit
charities.org/atlanta or contact
scc@atlantamotorspeedway
.com.
The Henry County Times
Page 3
May 11, 2016
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vetting it to see if it serves its
intended purpose effectively in
light of the increased activity
from the entertainment industry
across Georgia and in Henry
County.
“We are getting requests
almost daily, from road closures
to building usage,” said Bonner,
adding that they are being
reviewed case by case and as
carefully as possible, with many
of them coming on short notice.
Bonner said an updated version
of the county policy will hope-
fully be ready for review by the
board at its next meeting.
According to a memo Bonner
sent to the board in advance of
the meeting, citing statistics
from the Georgia Department of
Economic Development, the
film industry in Georgia gener-
ated an economic impact of $6
billion through feature films and
television productions.
“Henry County wants to be a
part of this multi-billion dollar
industry. Film and television
production generates hefty rev-
enue in the areas in which they
choose to do business,” Bonner
stated. “They buy products
locally, sleep in hotels, eat in
local restaurants and bring and
generate heightened tourism.
With beautiful town squares and
quaint downtowns, Henry
County, along with its four
cities, has much to offer. A vast
and diverse talent pool, great
locations and friendly residents
and businesses offer the televi-
sion and film industry every-
thing they need for a successful
production. From rolling pas-
tures to bustling retail establish-
ments and gorgeous parks with
a variety of amenities, Henry
County can set a perfect stage
for nearly any moviescape.”
Bonner said he wants the coun-
ty policy to facilitate this contin-
ued use while acting in the best
interests of citizens and not
overtaxing county services or
property.
Several elements are in place,
including the licensure and
indemnification
regulations
which Bonner said will legally
protect the county and its prop-
erty. Staff procedures for han-
dling requests have been
streamlined, and a fee schedule
is being studied.
County,
from front
