Corinne Hodges recently left her position as the head of public relations at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia. Hodges was also  a familiar face in Troup County School System and at THINC College & Career Academy where she served as the board chair of THINC. Last month, she accepted the position of CEO for the Association of Women’s Business Centers in Washington D.C.

Hodges did an email interview with the Troup County School System, detailing her hopes for the future of both the school system as a whole and THINC Academy.

Q; What was your biggest accomplishment as THINC Board Chair?

A: My goal as board chair was to expand the leadership team responsible for THINC’s success. We were successful doing that by adding several ex-officio board members, gaining greater collaboration from the Troup County School Board and positioning several of THINC’s more junior board members in more active leadership roles with the board. To be sure, THINC has benefited from deep and wide community support from the beginning; but during my tenure I hope that we advanced and matured for the betterment of THINC and the community going forward.

Q: What do you hope to see for the future of THINC?

A: I hope to continue to see the kinds of successes for students that THINC has enjoyed so far. I am profoundly proud of THINC’s students and all that they manage to achieve each year, with the support of their parents, business and industry partners and maybe most of all, THINC’s instructors. They are the unsung heroes behind so many of THINC’s achievements.

I am also eager to see developments with the new superintendent of the Troup County School System. Leadership of the superintendent will make a huge impact on THINC and the system as a whole.

Q: What are you looking forward to in your new role?

A: I am excited to start fresh with a new dynamite team that dares to take a different bite out of the economic development apple by growing women in business. I am eager to find ways for our association to help women business centers that serve new businesses and help women expand the capacity of their existing businesses. As I work on the advocacy piece, I am looking forward to building new relationships on Capitol Hill and within the executive branch as well as agencies like the SBA.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: I would just like to thank my friends in LaGrange, Troup County, and across Georgia that were always supportive of me in my role with Kia and have continued to support me throughout this transition. While I reside in Maryland now and commute to the office in D.C., I still feel like a Georgian — and I will continue to remember you all as I do this work in D.C. on your behalf. I hope that I have the chance to visit LaGrange and that you will look me up when you come to Washington.