Joel Wernick named to Georgia Trends Magazine’s 100 Most Influential list

ALBANY — Georgia Trend Magazine has released its list of 2015 Most Influential Georgians and just one Southwest Georgian made the list.

Phoebe Putney Health Systems President and CEO Joel Wernick was the sole Albanian among the 100 while U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, was listed among more than 80 notable Georgians.

Wernick said he appreciated the recognition, but pointed there were others in the area also worthy of acknowledgment.

“While I am honored for this recognition from Georgia Trend, it is more of a reflection on the entire Phoebe family and its perpetual success in fulfilling its 100 plus year old mission to serve all in need,” he said. “I also believe Southwest Georgia is blessed with hundreds of very capable and dynamic servant leaders who are equally worthy of recognition. One that comes to mind is former county commission chairman Jeff “Bodine” Sinyard.”

In Wernick’s profile in the article, Georgia Trend’s Elizabeth Schwartz wrote:

“Wernick has led Phoebe Putney, an organization with a $1.2 billion annual economic impact on the Southwest Georgia region that sustains more than 9,400 jobs, for more than 25 years. During his tenure, he has seen incredible physical growth of the medical center’s campus amid challenges including an increasing number of uninsured patients and continued cuts in Medicare and Medicaid payments.”

Bishop, first elected to the House in 1992, was recently reelected to his 12th term in Congress.

Since 2003, Bishop has served on the House Committee on Appropriations. At the start of the 113th Congress, he was elected by his colleagues to serve as the top Democrat on the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee and the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee.