Although the new State Farm Insurance Agency on Jonesboro Road has already established a successful business partnership with Morrow since opening earlier this year, it has not turned its attention to broadening that partnership to include Clayton County public schools and the community.

Head agent Jennifer L. Williams held a meet-and-greet with Morrow and Clayton County government officials Friday and announced the agency is not only in the final stages of becoming a business education partner with Sequoyah Middle School in Riverdale but is looking for an elementary school with which to also partner.

Gathering in its spacious new office adjacent to Morrow City Hall, Williams welcomed more than 50 guests. Among those attending were Clayton County Commissioner Michael Edmondson, District 78 state Rep. Glenn Baker, D-Jonesboro, Morrow Mayor JB Burke, Morrow Business & Tourism Executive Director Michael Twomey, Clayton State University President Thomas J. “Tim” Hynes, Jr., Ph.D., and Clayton County Public Schools Chief Operations Officer, Cephus Jackson, Ed.D. among others.

Williams said businesses within a community have a “civic duty” to partner with the local school system and their community to help citizens maintain a positive outlook, “and show how the business community can assist them in that effort.”

She also believes the business community can help students develop needed life skills as well as expose them to the business of insurance and the financial industry.

“Our agency wants to help mentor our students in the importance of insurance and helping them gain the knowledge to maintain financial stability throughout their lives,” Williams said.

She also feels these are key elements to helping students plan for their future as the information the agency can offer, as a business partner, is usually not in their everyday academic curriculum.

Williams added that her State Farm Agency is also looking at hiring students during the summer so they can get an even closer look at business and business careers.

Having worked for Georgia Power in the Savannah and Macon areas, Williams said she learned the importance of business partnerships with schools and communities.

“Georgia Power developed great partnerships in those areas and I want the same close community partnership to develop between our State Farm Agency, the city of Morrow and throughout Clayton County,” she said.