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Past Speakers for January-December 2026

JAN 07 Open Mic 

Testimonies by luncheon attendees

JAN 14 Open Mic 

Testimonies by luncheon attendees

JAN 21 Gary Pernice,

Executive Manager of Commercial Funding, Platinum Business Group, Ltd.
 

Platinum Business Group, Ltd. has funded more than $127 million in mortgages, capital stewardship, and generosity funding since 2004. Gary has four decades of business, mortgage funding, legal, and real estate experience. Having participated in over 200 real estate closings and hundreds of commercial and residential mortgage transactions, Gary brings a wide range of skills and personal relationships to Platinum. Gary served as National Counsel to the National Charity Awards, a nonprofit organization during the George H. W. Bush Administration with the White House in Washington, D.C. Gary currently serves as advisor and senior legal research director to a general practice and litigation firm in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. He is Event Chairman for the CBMC annual Governors’ Prayer Breakfast each September, and was Chairman of the CBMC Atlanta Metro Area Leadership Team from March 2010 to March 2014, representing the Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) to businessmen and women of Georgia.

JAN 28 Heinz Wegener (Intro),

President, Cross Technologies, Inc.
 

, and former Chairman and Executive Vice President of Wegener Corporation, once a publicly traded company and 177th on the Inc. 500. Both companies manufacture satellite communications equipment. Heinz has also held engineering positions at Scientific-Atlanta, Georgia Tech, General Electric, and Magnavox. Heinz and his family immigrated from Germany in 1951, and he has been married to his wife Nan for over 58 years. In 1978, he founded Wegener Communications which began in his laundry room and grew to become an international supplier of satellite communications equipment. But even founding a successful company did not bring fulfillment until he invited Jesus Christ into his life as his Lord and Savior. Heinz spun off Cross Technologies, Inc. from Wegener in 1994 to have a private company that could witness boldly for Christ in the marketplace. He has co-hosted the Norcross Fellowship Luncheon with Larry Shrader from 1985 to 2022, now with Jeff Meyer as co-host. Heinz and Nan have two grown children and five grandchildren.

FEB 04 Heinz Wegener,

President, Cross Technologies, Inc.
 

, and former Chairman and Executive Vice President of Wegener Corporation, once a publicly traded company and 177th on the Inc. 500. Both companies manufacture satellite communications equipment. Heinz has also held engineering positions at Scientific-Atlanta, Georgia Tech, General Electric, and Magnavox. Heinz and his family immigrated from Germany in 1951, and he has been married to his wife Nan for over 58 years. In 1978, he founded Wegener Communications which began in his laundry room and grew to become an international supplier of satellite communications equipment. But even founding a successful company did not bring fulfillment until he invited Jesus Christ into his life as his Lord and Savior. Heinz spun off Cross Technologies, Inc. from Wegener in 1994 to have a private company that could witness boldly for Christ in the marketplace. He has co-hosted the Norcross Fellowship Luncheon with Larry Shrader from 1985 to 2022, now with Jeff Meyer as co-host. Heinz and Nan have two grown children and five grandchildren.

FEB 11 Larry Shrader,

President, Five Star Properties
 

Five Star Properties is a company which owns and operates income investment real estate in the Atlanta metropolitan and north Georgia areas since 1991. Larry has been in the real estate business for more than 30 years. He currently has his real estate license with United Country Premier Real Estate and is a member of the 400 N Realtor Association. Larry co-hosted the Norcross Fellowship Luncheon with Heinz Wegener from 1985 through 2022. During the past pandemic, he was encouraged to begin a Zoom Virtual Fellowship Gathering in place of the Real Estate Fellowship Breakfast he hosted at Virtual Properties Realty office monthly. VFG is a weekly Zoom connection which is now renamed the Faith Fellowship Connection. His business background includes ten years in management with JCPenney where he worked part time while in college before going on their Management Training program in his hometown, Chattanooga, Tennessee. He accepted a company transfer to Atlanta where he met his wife, Deborah. Larry and Deborah have four grown children and ten grandchildren.

FEB 18 Norm Johnson,

VP Sales & Marketing, Cross Technologies, Inc.
 

Norm is responsible for the Sales and Marketing activities at Cross. Norm has worked in Marketing and Sales organizations at Honeywell in the past, as well as in Customer Service. Norm has an MSEE and most recently served as a Senior Product Manager of SATCOM Terminals at Honeywell. Norm came to Cross in April 2021 and his responsibilities include: Sales, Quotations and Order In-Take; Marketing, Company Presence for Product Promotions; and Customer Liason for Custom Products.

FEB 25 Phillip Saxton,

President, Small Business Samaritans
 

The SBS vision is to impact communities through entrepreneurship in the creation of wealth and jobs using Godly principles, and its mission is to work with businesses including personal and business assessments, development of goals/ objectives and problem solving. Their motto is "We Come Along Side" and "We Walk Along Side" through various SBS programs. Phillip is also founder of Newness of Life Ministries, an organization dedicated to the discipleship of Christians. Phillip formerly was VP at Unisys Corporation, Regional Director at Digital and held various management positions at IBM, and attended Fisk University and Haverford College majoring in Physics.

MAR 04 Open Mic 

Testimonies by luncheon attendees

MAR 11 Terrence Sicilia,

Licensed Real Estate Broker in Georgia and Florida
 

Terrence is a licensed Certified General Contractor in the state of Florida, which includes Land Development, instituting creative financing, Real Estate Investing, as well as other Cash Flow producing opportunities. Terrence was saved at the age of 9 and then later baptized at the age of 36 in the month of January in the Atlantic Ocean. But even that was not enough to get him on the right track with the Lord. Later in life, he truly rededicated his life to Christ and learned how to follow Him.

MAR 18 Open Mic 

Testimonies by luncheon attendees

MAR 25 Gary Pernice,

Executive Manager of Commercial Funding, Platinum Business Group, Ltd.
 

Platinum Business Group, Ltd. has funded more than $127 million in mortgages, capital stewardship, and generosity funding since 2004. Gary has four decades of business, mortgage funding, legal, and real estate experience. Having participated in over 200 real estate closings and hundreds of commercial and residential mortgage transactions, Gary brings a wide range of skills and personal relationships to Platinum. Gary served as National Counsel to the National Charity Awards, a nonprofit organization during the George H. W. Bush Administration with the White House in Washington, D.C. Gary currently serves as advisor and senior legal research director to a general practice and litigation firm in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. He is Event Chairman for the CBMC annual Governors’ Prayer Breakfast each September, and was Chairman of the CBMC Atlanta Metro Area Leadership Team from March 2010 to March 2014, representing the Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) to businessmen and women of Georgia.

APR 01 Open Mic 

Testimonies by luncheon attendees

APR 08 Hal Snipes, Sr.,

Retired President/CEO/Owner, Delta Services Corp.
 

Hal attended Briarlake Elementary, and graduated from Henderson High School in 1975, Georgia Perimeter College in 1977 with an Associates in Business, and Georgia State University in 1983 with a Business degree. Hal worked at C&S National Bank, and in 1984 was hired at Sterling Associates, Inc. as Collection Agency Manager. On December 24, 1989, he married Cynthia. Hal has two miracle children, Holly Snipes, born December 23, 1995, and Hal Snipes II, born April 1, 1997.

APR 15 Jeff Meyer,

Regional Manager, Provino's Italian Restaurants
 

Jeff has overseen numerous locations in the Atlanta area and has been with Provino's for well over 40 years. He is currently enjoying a well earned retirement but still fills in when help is needed. After graduating from high school in 1974, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served with the 82nd Airborne in their Military Police unit. Subsequent to his service in the Army, Jeff spent time searching for direction doing odd jobs which included restaurant work, bartending, and managing a disco. He began his career with Provino's in 1980 as a bartender, working his way up to store manager, then area/regional manager. Since accepting Jesus in 2003, Jeff's focus and purpose has been to serve the Lord and share the Gospel at every opportunity, which has included numerous mission trips to Kenya, being a board member of the Hungry4Him Ministries, and serving on Tres Dias and Walk to Emmaus retreat ministry weekends. Jeff has been married to his wife Connie for 44 years and has a son, Derian, daughter in law, Sara, and 2 amazing miracle gifts from God in Grandaughters Mara (nearly 2 yrs old) and Thea (3 month old). Praise God! Jeff is unsure of what may lay ahead for Him but he is confident that God knows... and will continue to use him until Jesus returns or calls him home.

APR 22 Alan Metcalf,

Handler with Federal Express
 

Alan worked at Federal Express at the Atlanta airport for over ten years working on the flight ramp and the truck deck. He was the lock captain on airplanes, ensuring that all packages were firmly secured prior to takeoff and was doing MSDS, where he was responsible for making sure that packages were scanned correctly. Prior to this, Alan served as a Collector for Trust Company (SunTrust) for eight and a half years. He is past President of the Gwinnett County Chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International and is a graduate of Oglethorpe University where he received a B.A. degree in Liberal Arts.