UNG professor to attend Champions of Change at White House

DAHLONEGA - The White House has invited Charlie Auvermann, adjunct instructor of management for the Mike Cottrell College of Business at the University of North Georgia, to its Champions of Change event July 23.

Auvermann is one of only three Georgians to be recognized.

Champions of Change will honor leaders who participated in the National Day of Civic Hacking, a June event that brought together citizens seeking to solve challenges in their local communities, states, and country. The event sought to combine entrepreneurs and software developers to invent solutions for societal improvements using publicly-released data, code and technology.

"I was deeply honored to even be considered to attend," Auvermann said. "The events and the amazing things that are being done using technology, innovation and entrepreneurship across our nation are astounding. My contributions have been quite small when compared to so many other Georgians, and other Americans."

Auvermann, who is also executive director of the Development Authority of Dawson County, assisted in writing an online article for organizers of the National Day of Civic Hacking that was used for many events across the nation. He also works to educate about and promote 3D printing, and is a proponent of advancing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in Dawson County and at UNG.

"Our region has benefitted greatly from the efforts of many people who are committed to making north Georgia economically competitive-not just with the rest of Georgia but with the entire United States," Auvermann said. "We are seeing positive results and that is not due to the efforts of just one person. It is the result of a community that is dedicated to education, the use of innovation and our strong belief in the future of our region."

Following Champions of Change, Auvermann will participate in a round-table discussion centered on engaging citizens and communities in open government and civic participation in innovation. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will host the sessions.

Auvermann is an advocate for the use of technology and innovation across rural north Georgia, has written about the benefits introduced to the region through technological advancements, and has supplied data and input for many innovation initiatives throughout the region.