Breakfast Honors School Business Partners and Superintendent DeCotis

Nearly 200 business partners and school system administrators gathered for the 2010 Partners in Education (PIE) Recognition Breakfast held at New Hope Baptist Church, North Campus. The PIE program is a cooperative effort between the Fayette County Public School System and the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce.

The purpose of the breakfast was to honor local businesses for their work with and support of Fayette County Public Schools. This year the breakfast had a secondary purpose, to honor retiring School Superintendent Dr. John DeCotis, not only for his support of the PIE program, but also for his leadership of the school system.

State School Superintendent Kathy Cox was the guest speaker. She recalled her early days of working with Dr. DeCotis when she was a teacher, first as a colleague and then after he became her boss. She said he has always been a humble person with integrity, love for the community, and a deep commitment to Fayette County Public Schools.

“It is hard to find a man like John DeCotis. He has won many awards and accolades but he never focuses on that. He is a servant leader. He is a real friend, someone who I know I can talk to and he will tell me the truth. I know our next superintendent will be different, but I hope the person is made from the same mold,” Cox said during her address.

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce also recognized Dr. DeCotis for his work and support of the PIE program throughout the years. It was noted that he had never missed a recognition breakfast during his tenure as superintendent.

The highlight of the morning was the naming of the business partners of the year. Schools across Fayette submitted nominations for their partners to be considered for the award. Partners support their schools by giving monetary donations, sponsoring events, volunteering their skills and talents, and donating supplies for classroom or school-wide projects. This year’s winners were the Peachtree City Rotary Club and Fellowship of Love Church in Fayetteville.

For the first time this year, the tables were turned and the business partners were asked to nominate a partner school of the year. Schools honor their partners by keeping the community informed about donations they make and events they sponsor. Peeples Elementary was the recipient of the inaugural award.

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