PAL Mission Statement and Summary
The Alpharetta Police Athletic/Activities League (AlphaPAL) is a 501c3 nonprofit community based outreach organization created to provide a variety of services to North Fulton youth while establishing a bond of mutual respect, understanding and trust with the Alpharetta Police and community leaders.
Our mission is to provide an environment of LEADERS BUILDING LEADERS using a 3 prong system of having kids teaching/mentoring kids under the supervision and in partnership with the Alpharetta Police Department and community leaders. The program builds on relationships as a means to achieve individual growth.
Counselors and tutors/mentors are recruited from the local high school via organizations such as the National Honor Society and BETA Club and from recommendations from the school administration and are given the opportunity to gain experience, fine tune established skills and acquire new/untapped talents.
Those enrolled in the programs benefit in much the same way, gaining focus, knowledge and nurturing interpersonal skills.
Members of the Alpharetta Police and community leaders act as a conduit to promote the success of all programs while “closing the gap” between today’s youth and law enforcement.
Alpharetta PAL is affiliated with the National Police Athletic/Activities League and our goals are consistent with their overall objective of youth crime prevention.
We have several programs, both year round and seasonal, which emphasize sports, recreation and education with enrollees ages 8-18 participating in the various programs.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY:
Alpharetta PAL, which was established in 1996, offers area youth a unique opportunity to develop skill sets which are commensurate with real world professional and personal growth.
We focus on the very same values necessary to distinguish oneself in the business and social community. At the forefront is leadership. Emphasis is on judgment, respect, diversity, teamwork, compromise, maturity, empowerment, fairness, participation and humility. All are key attributes to the making of a leader.
Alpharetta PAL uniquely serves the needs of today’s youth in our continually expanding community. We address real needs and real concerns of both our local residents and businesses in a cost effective manner providing our children with experiences and tools needed to succeed in school in preparation for higher education aspirations, in the local job market and to build on in social settings. We influence their future not just occupy their present.
PAL FAQ
Q: What is The Police Athletic / Activities League (PAL)?
A: Alpharetta PAL is a non-profit, community-based, outreach program for the youth of North Fulton County. The mission of PAL is to provide an environment of LEADERS BUILDING LEADERS, allowing youth to mentor/teach other youth under the supervision and partnership of the Alpharetta Police Department. The program builds on relationships as a means to help the community’s youth achieve individual growth.
Q: When and where did PAL originate?
A: Originally, PAL was created in 1917 by New York City Police Lt. Ed Flynn who recognized that the youth hanging out on the street corners were craving structure and guidance. And, he realized, it would be much better coming from the local beat cop than from the rapidly forming neighborhood gangs. The original New York City PAL relied on recreational and athletic activities to build and develop positive and lasting relationships with the city’s youth.
Q: What is Alpharetta PAL and how does this same philosophy fit in a suburban setting in the twenty-first century?
A: In 1996, the National Police Athletic League awarded Alpharetta’s Police Department $5,000 as start-up money for the newly created Alpharetta PAL. Two young men, ages 12 and 13, excitedly walked into our first facility – a bay in the city’s Public Works Department garage. From that small garage housing nothing more than a boxing ring, Alpharetta PAL gradually grew, as did community awareness and the number of participants. Today, PAL is home to 175 youth who spend their time at the Eagle Village Youth Complex. This complex is conveniently located adjacent to Alpharetta City Hall and includes a boxing gym (complete with regulation ring), basketball court, TV viewing room, and office space.
Because many of the families in our community rely on the income from two working parents, many youth are left alone after school. With mentoring, tutoring, music, and recreational programs available at a minimal cost through PAL, the youth of Alpharetta have access each afternoon to a safe, active alternative to an empty house.
Q: Is Alpharetta PAL just for “at-risk kids”?
A: Alpharetta PAL, open Monday through Thursday from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m., and Friday until 6:30pm, is for any kid that wants or needs a place to go after school. However, all youth with nothing to occupy their empty hours have the potential to be “at-risk”.
Q: What makes PAL different than Alpharetta Recreation and Parks or Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs of America?
A: PAL is more than the traditional recreational program. PAL programs promote greater trust and understanding between youth and police officers. If a youngster responds to a police officer in a positive way in the gym or the classroom, he or she will very likely come to respect the laws that the police officer enforces.
Alpharetta PAL has three athletic programs (boxing, golf, and dirt bike safety), as well as an after school program, tutoring, mentoring, guitar lessons and recreational activities and a thriving summer camp. All Alpharetta PAL programs are offered at a minimal cost to the participating families.
Q: What percentage of donations is directly used to support youth programs?
A: Because we do not hire any outside fundraising firms that take any form of a commission, 100% of all donations are used to establish and maintain PAL programs. In addition, because we are a 501 c 3 non-profit corporation, all donations are tax deductible.
Q: How can I support Alpharetta PAL?
A: Because we are a non-profit organization, we rely exclusively on donations, grants, and sponsorships. Many levels of corporate and individual sponsorships are available.
Q: Who do I contact to make a donation or to volunteer my time?
A: There are many exciting opportunities available at Alpharetta PAL. Please check our “Support PAL” page, or call Officer Laurie Nicholson at the Alpharetta Police Department, (678) 297-6309 x. 1. If you prefer, e-mail her at lnicholson@alpharetta.ga.us
Q: What are the future plans for Alpharetta PAL?
A: In the North Fulton area, there are nearly 45,000 youth enrolled in our schools. At the very least, approximately 20% percent of these youth are considered “at-risk”, which is defined as having no contact with an authoritative figure on a regular basis. This equates to approximately 9,000 youth that may need a little extra attention, mentoring, a pat on the back, or simply a supervised, supportive environment in which to socialize. Alpharetta PAL is uniquely capable of filling that need.
FBI statistics show that on school days serious violent crimes by juveniles occur most frequently in the hours immediately following the close of school. Specifically, incidents of robbery and aggravated assault peak at 3:00 p.m. on school days; similarly, incidents of violent crime, both with and without injury, committed by juveniles peak at 3:00 p.m. on school days. With this uppermost in mind, we hope to expand the existing programs, as well as continue to add new ones.
PAL Staff
Officer Laurie Nicholson, CEO, has worked for the Alpharetta Police Department for eight years, working as an FTO (field training officer), traffic officer, and uniform patrol officer in those eight years. Officer Nicholson is a mother of three kids (sixteen, tweleve, and nine) and is currently attending Kennesaw State University for a Bacholers in Business Management.
Coach Brian Harris, Head Boxing Coach, has been heading up the boxing program since 2006. He has years of experience, both as an amateur boxer and as a coach. Coach Harris’ dedication goes beyond the teaching of the “Sweet Science”; as a father of four boys, Coach has plenty of experience molding boys into young men.
Mr. Owen Griffith, Music Director, has been playing guitar for over 23 years and has conducted guitar Master classes as well as held individual instruction. He is a 4th grade teacher at St. Catherine of Siena School and established the Guitar Instruction Program there. Mr. Griffith is also a newly welcomed member of the Alpharetta PAL family, having begun guitar instruction with the students in October 2007.
Tutors, The National Honor Society and Beta Club Members from Alpharetta High School work with Alpharetta PAL, provide tutoring on subjects ranging from 4th Grade Spelling to Advanced Placement Physics. Because the tutors are still part of the local school system, they can relate well to both the students and their teachers.
Summer Camp Counselors. Every summer Alpharetta PAL hires several high school graduates or college students to serve as camp counselors. Each goes through a comprehensive training session and is fully prepared to establish and run the program each year.
PAL Board of Directors
Mr. Jim Paine, Chairman and a former City of Alpharetta Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem, who was Council Liaison to the City’s Department of Public Safety. Mr. Paine is a former youth sports coach and administrator, has previously served as Board Chairman for Senior Services North Fulton, and was also the former Chairman of the City Recreation Commission. He has been an avid supporter and Board Member of Alpharetta PAL since 1996 and continues to be our voice to the City Council. Mr. Paine also was previously on the Board of Directors of the North Metro Miracle League and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Ed Isakson Alpharetta YMCA. A native of Atlanta, he has lived with his family in Alpharetta since 1971 and enjoys boating, amateur radio, and tennis.
Mr. Michael Hiffa, Vice-Chairman, is the Executive Vice President Human Resources for Jackson Healthcare. He brings with him over twenty plus years of Human Resources experience. He has served as a senior member of the executive team for two major financial corporations in the Property and Casualty industry, as well as in the Health Care industry, with overall HR responsibilities for 10,000 employees nationwide. Mr. Hiffa is a Strategic Human Resources professional with demonstrated accomplishments based on core competencies and leadership concepts in addition to creating employee retention programs and succession plans at all levels throughout his career. His areas of expertise include employee relations, change management, coaching, and mentoring. Mr. Hiffa is a graduate of Syracuse University and received his JD from John Marshall School of Law.
Ms. Jan Doetsch, Secretary, is a Fulton County Middle School counselor and has twenty years of experience in education. Ms. Doetsch has taught Special Education, Health, Physical Education and Adventure-based Counseling Ropes Courses. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Crossroads Foundation, Inc., a program for at-risk teens and rescued animals.
Ms. Lynne Riley, Treasurer, is the Fulton County Commissioner for District 3. This district is located in North Fulton and includes the cities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, and part of Roswell. Commissioner Riley currently serves on Fulton County Employees Retirement Board, Atlanta/Fulton County Water Resources Commission, and is Chair of the Fulton County Facilities Corporation. She serves on U. S. Congressman Tom Price’s Advisory Council. Commissioner Riley was appointed to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. She is Vice Chair of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia’s Transportation and Economic Development Committee. Riley is a member of the Class of 2005 of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute. She is Chair of the Georgia Public Defender Supervisory Council for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. She also holds the office of Treasurer for the Johns Creek Foundation, Inc., the Rotary Club of Alpharetta, and the Conservative Policy Leadership Institute, Inc. Riley is a professional accountant, and has operated Riley Accounting Services for over 25 years.
Ms. Janet Rodgers is the President and CEO of the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has been with the ACVB for 5 years. Before assuming this position, she was the Director of Special Events for the City of Alpharetta. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety Foundation; on the Board of Directors for the Alpharetta Historical Society, the Alpharetta Arboretum, the Atlanta Metro Travel Association, and the Tourism Development Alliance of GA. She and her husband, Morgan, live in Roswell where he serves as Assistant Director of the Recreation and Parks Department.
Ms. Stephanie Schuette is a School Social Worker with the Fulton County School System. She has worked in the North Fulton area for over ten years advocating for school children and families in need. As a liaison between the home, school, and community, she has been instrumental in helping youth in need of after-school supervision connect with the Alpharetta PAL program.
Officer Jim Little, a California native, retired from the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer in 1996. In 1997, after graduating from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and receiving his certification from the Police Officer’s Standards and Training Council (POST), Officer Little joined the Alpharetta Police Department, where he has served with the Uniformed Patrol Division, the Traffic Safety Unit, and the Bicycle Patrol Unit. In addition, Officer Little earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University. In July 2006, Officer Little was assigned responsibility for the Alpharetta Police Athletic League, a non-profit organization serving the at-risk youth of the community. In April 2009, Officer Little was reassigned to the Traffic Unit. He brings a thorough knowledge of the Alpharetta PAL organization to the Board of Directors.
Dr. Pamela Harroff, CPA, is the Associate Dean of the School of Business and Management with DeVry University Atlanta. Previously, Dr. Harroff served as the Campus President and Campus Dean of the DeVry University Alpharetta Campus as well as the Dean of the School of Business and Management for the DeVry University’s Georgia and North Carolina campuses and centers for three years. Dr. Harroff has also served with DeVry University as the Dean of Institutional Research, Associate Dean of Business, Associate Dean of First Year Initiative and the Associate Dean for Evening and Weekends. Dr. Harroff began her career with DeVry University in 1991 as an Assistant Accounting Professor. Prior to taking a fulltime position with DeVry University, Dr. Harroff had a private accounting practice in Atlanta. Dr. Harroff has also taught at as an adjunct professor at Dekalb Technical College, Dekalb Community College and Mercer University. Dr. Harroff is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA) and serves of the Board of the Alpharetta Police Auxiliary Board (PAL). Dr. Harroff holds a Doctorate of Education from the University of Georgia, a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mercer University. In addition, Dr. Harroff is Certified Public Accountant
