Cover art for A⃞  s⃞ - S⃞  e⃞  e⃞  n⃞ - O⃞ n⃞ - N⃞ G⃞℠ by Helen Blocker-Adams | @HBAforMayor

A⃞  s⃞ - S⃞  e⃞  e⃞  n⃞ - O⃞ n⃞ - N⃞ G⃞℠

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Apr. 7, 20141 viewer

A⃞  s⃞ - S⃞  e⃞  e⃞  n⃞ - O⃞ n⃞ - N⃞ G⃞℠ Lyrics

Meet Helen

Helen Blocker-Adams grew up a military brat and has lived all over the world including Germany, Italy, and Japan. She was born in Hampton, Va to parents, James E. and Rebecca Blocker who were born and raised in Hephzibah, Ga. She is the first of four siblings and has two brothers, James K. Blocker and Darrell M. Blocker and one sister, Pamela Renee Brown. But when its all said and done, Helen’s roots are in Augusta and she considers it home. She always had an adventurous independent spirit so it was not a surprise when she decided to start her own business. And for the past twenty two years she has been making an impact on people and her community.

Helen started her entrepreneurial quest in May 1991 as HBA Public Relations and Marketing and later changed it to The HBA Group, Intl, a twenty- two year old firm that provides Marketing, Consulting and Cause-related Business Events Planning Services for the public and private sector. She has committed much of her life to working with people and transforming communities- one person at a time. Her natural Civic Entrepreneurial and Servant-Leadership style is the catalyst to her success as a leader and visionary. Helen has a collaborative leadership approach to life and business that engages and energizes people to ‘want’ to roll up their sleeves and become part of the solution to social, political and economic challenges. Having lived in Japan, Germany and Italy during the first sixteen years of her life and extensive travel to East Africa and Europe as an adult have given Helen an extraordinary ability to work with and bring diverse groups of people together.

She is Executive Director/Founder of The Southeast Enterprise Institute (SEI), Inc., a 501 ©3) non-profit human advocacy and youth leadership development organization. SEI improves human quality of life and well-being and promotes and teaches leadership skills to help people succeed in a Global marketplace. One of SEIs programs is Unlikely Allies Emerging Leaders Conference which provides monthly all day leadership conferences that include a health and fitness session. Another youth program, now in it’s third year, is the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Youth Community Recognition Reception held on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Birthday. Hope IS Possible, is a self-help talk therapy support group for women, especially single mothers and is designed to help restore fragmented families. The program was inspired after the death of two children at the hands of their mother in November 2007.

Helen is a community and political activist, professional speaker and published author. She is also a Columnist for the Augusta Medical Examiner, The Jail Report, The BlackMentalHealthnet.com, and The Augusta Chronicle. She is the former Executive Director/Host for local talk radio show on two Augusta radio stations for six years (2006 – 2013).

Helen has always been an avid reader and it was her senior English teacher at Glenn Hills High School who encouraged her to pursue a Journalism degree and write. She has written numerous articles on community economic development, networking, diversity, small business and entrepreneurship; conducted hundreds of entrepreneurial development training sessions throughout the southeast region; spoken to thousands of people on business related topics; served on numerous panel discussions on community economic development and small business development; and has mentored hundreds of individuals on small business related matters.

She has self-published two inspirational books entitled “Enthusiasm, It’s Contagious’ and “Escape the Comfort Trap’ which were highly interactive books that contained spiritual and economic principles, exercises and pearls of wisdom. Helen’s latest published work released in late 2010 is called ‘Unlikely Allies: 8 Steps to Bridging Divides that Impact Leadership.’ She is currently working on two e-books slated for release in 2014.

Some of Helen’s Current and past community, business and leadership involvement/awards include:

CURRENT BOARDS/COUNCILS:

Board Member, American Red Cross of Augusta; Board Member, Symphony Orchestra Augusta and Board Member, Georgia Association of Broadcasters; Member, Committee for Good Government; Member, International Paperboard Community Advisory Council; Advisory Board Member for the Ga. Department of Education Government and Public Administration Career Cluster; GaShapeSetter for Governor Deal’s Georgia SHAPE campaign; PreventyObesity Leader and member of First Lady Michelle Obama Let’s Move campaign.

AWARDS/RECOGNITION/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Recipient of the Leadership and Visionary Award from the The League of Visionaries (2013); Selected as the 2012 CSRA Mental Health Advocate of the Year by the Augusta Coalition for Mental Health Advocacy; Nominated for Shero Award (2011); Nominated for “Female Entrepreneur of the Year” by the CSRA Business League, Inc. (2012); Selected at NBC Channel 26 ’26 Women to Watch’ 2010; Selected as the 2010 ‘Citizen of the Year’ by the National Association of Social Workers (Augusta Unit); Selected as one of Ten people who helped shaped the 2000s locally (Augusta, Ga.) by The Augusta Chronicle. (The Faces of the Decade). Specifically, helped shape the course of local politics in the latter half of the decade (December 2010); Voted 2010 Black Talkers “Talented 10” – Top Ten Black Talk Radio Hosts in America; Chosen as one of Windsor Jewelers ‘Diamonds Among Us’ 2011 Spring/Summer TV Ad campaign; Founder/Facilitator for South Augusta Business @ Breakfast (2002 – 2012); Recipient of the Leadership Award from the Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce Leadership Augusta (2009); Chair, Government Day, Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce (2009/2010); Nominated for the Augusta Renaissance Sister CEO Kudzu Award (2009); Recipient of the Neighborhood Improvement Project, Inc. Community Champion Award for Economic Development (2008); Participated in the first MCG Augusta in Scrubbs (2008); Former Georgia House of Representatives District 120 Candidate (2006); Former Mayoral Candidate for Augusta-Richmond County (2005); Protégé Graduate of the Governor’s Mentor/Protégé 2005-2006 program; Recipient of a scholarship from the Governor’s Mentor/Protégé program to attend the four-day 39th Annual Economic Development Basic Course at Georgia Tech (2006); Chair, Media and Government, Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce Leadership Augusta 2007/2008, 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 Class; Chair, Economic Development Day for Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce Leadership Augusta Class 2006/2007; 35th Signal Brigade Honorary Lieutenant in the U.S. Army; and 1994 Recipient, Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards, Cindy Pleasants Award for Community Service Journalism for ‘Bridging the Gap’ Community affairs television show on WRDW-TV.

PAST BOARDS

Former Board Member, Safe Homes of Augusta, Inc; Co-Chairperson – 2010 Community Campaign, The Salvation Army Ray Kroc Community Center; Former Member, Augusta-Richmond County Citizens Business Advisory Council; Former Steering Committee Member, Pride ‘n Progress of Augusta-Richmond County; Former Member, Statewide Small Business Development Advisory Council; Former Member, Kiwanis Club, Former Co-chair of Economic Development Committee for the Human Relations Blue Ribbon Committee; Former Board Member, Augusta South Rotary; Former Advisory Member, Junior Achievement; Former Member, Augusta-Richmond County AHEDD Economic Development Loan Fund Committee; Former Advisory Board Member, U.S. Small Business Administration, Georgia District; Former Member, Augusta Mayor Bob Young Business Action Team (MBAT); Former Strategy Committee Member, CSRA Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS); Former Board Member, Augusta Savannah Regional Performing Arts Theater; and former Board Member Augusta Mini Theater.
Helen is a proud graduate Glenn Hills High in Augusta. She has a BA degree in Journalism, with emphasis in Broadcast Media and a Minor in Political Science from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga.
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Helen’s Platform

Helen Blocker-Adams for Mayor of Augusta
2014
Compassionate – Committed – Courageous
“Uniting Augusta Together”

Vision: To become the City known all over the world for its Compassion

Mission: To energize, champion and nurture the growth of compassion

The Centerpiece of my Platform is Compassionate


I. Economic Opportunity + Entrepreneurship = Jobs Creation

Economic Development can be seen throughout most areas of Augusta. Long awaited road widening and draining infrastructure projects are currently taken place; expansion plans for Georgia Regents University will transform an area of Augusta desperately needing a face lift; urban redevelopment is transforming the urban core; Ft. Gordon continues to grow and impact our region and South Augusta has plans for new retail development. With all of this economic growth, unfortunately, economic opportunities are not reaching all areas of the city and it’s people.

We will engage and connect diverse groups of people and organizations together; develop mutually beneficial partnerships so more opportunities can be realized; and explore non-traditional economic development initiatives like Urban Food Deserts, commonly known as blighted areas that lack healthy grocery stores. Attract the film/theater/cultural industry capitalizing on the diverse talent we have in this region. We will strengthen our community by streamlining the process to start and support small business and entrepreneurship. Work closely with area and state economic development professionals and find more ways to attract new jobs in some of Georgia’s emerging industries.

Although the population in Richmond County increased only 1% in the past couple of years, that tells me there is still a glimmer of hope that people in Augusta WANT to live, work and play here.

II. Education

Education goes far beyond the classroom. The importance and relevance of obtaining an education must resonate from the community and through a heart of people who genuinely care about our children. We will create and nurture a Children Friendly City and re-energize the notion that getting an education is a cool thing to do. My proven years of experience in empowering young people and being an advocate for youth embraces the fact that next generation leadership requires a connection to the next generation.

Although the Richmond County Board of Education works as a separate entity from Augusta-Richmond County government, we will work as a team because the common bond is our children. I will commit to work with the RCBOE Trustees and it’s leadership team to help “educate students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens’.
III. Public Health

Some of the countries worse social ills plague this County disproportionately more than many counties in Georgia. And that is a problem. A Health ranking, based on a study released in 2013 by the Population Health Institute, says Richmond County is ranked 135 out of 159 counties. Unless we address and deal with these public health concerns frankly, with compassion, the problems will not go away. Poverty is 23.7%; Augusta’s homelessness population is the third largest in Georgia; HIV/AIDs is impacting African-American women more than other groups; Richmond County teenage pregnancy in 2009 was 87.2 per 1,000 teens age 15 – 19. Over 30% of our children are obese or overweight. As Mayor, I will have a platform to help address these public health concerns, in collaboration with the fine organizations that provide services to meet these needs. I believe a healthy community is a prosperous community.

IV. Crime

I recognize that crime and an environment conducive for crime are problems in our community. Unfortunately, they are reflective of the moral decline in our society. But these issues can be minimized. We will partner with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department and embrace their initiatives. One of them is a Gang Task Force, which I have recently been asked to serve on. We will involve the community, meet with the City’s code enforcement staff and identify ways to strengthen that department, enforce existing code violations, clean up the city and keep it clean 365 days a year. I believe we can reduce crime and re-establish a sense of pride and make it safe for the elderly and community at-large.

In order to effectively carry out my vision and mission we will establish several Offices:

The Mayor’s Film and Creative Enterprises Office
The Mayor’s Office of Fitness, Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles
The Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth
The Mayor’s Office of Internship Opportunities
The Mayor’s Media Relations Council

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