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Fort Valley State hosts family and consumer sciences conference
Posted on May 06, 2025
Kena Torbert (right), incoming president of the Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (GAFCS), presents outgoing president Dr. Tracy Brigman (left) with a gavel.
Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Program hosted the 2025 Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (GAFCS) Conference.
The event, held at FVSU’s Family Development and Child Life Center, drew more than 50 faculty, staff, students and other personnel associated with family and consumer sciences from across the state of Georgia.
Kena Torbert, interim program leader and family life specialist for FVSU’s FACS Program serves as the president-elect for the GAFCS. She also serves on the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Council for Certification.
Torbert said one of her duties is to take a leading role in organizing the annual event. She said FVSU serving as the host site was ideal because of her role in the organization and the university’s location in middle Georgia.
Furthermore, Torbert said the event served as a training exercise for all participants.
“FACS professionals discussed a variety of subjects impacting the profession. This includes the application of technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and FACS education in the state of Georgia from high school to college,” Torbert said.
Dr. Francine Hollis, chair of FVSU FACS Department, said it was fantastic that the GAFCS selected FVSU as the site for the 2025 conference. “This is a very significant undertaking that means a lot to us,” she said.
Hollis added that with the GAFCS being the state affiliate of the AAFCS, hosting the conference improves FVSU’s status within the organization on a state and national scale.
“FVSU’s FACS program is making a significant impact on the community and so we are always willing to help and support the GAFCS,” she said. “Our students have worked with the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplement Nutrition Program in Peach County,” Hollis said.
The FVSU instructor also added that FACS students gain additional hands-on experience by providing instructional support to various elementary schools and childcare development centers in the county such as Hunt Elementary and the Achieve Academy.
FACS students also attended the event. Jaequon Henderson, an FVSU graduating senior majoring in food and nutrition, said the conference enlightened him on the vast opportunities available with a FACS degree.
“The biggest takeaway I got from the conference was that FACS is universal. There are so many competencies you can learn in the profession. You can go into the culinary arts, work in the kitchen, become an educator or an administrator in a state office,” he said.
Additionally, Henderson, a native of Orlando, Florida, said he plans to attend graduate school at the University of North Florida and major in nutrition. He is seeking a career as a registered clinical dietician working in pediatrics.
Dr. Tracy Brigman, the outgoing president of the GAFCS, is a clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia (UGA). She elaborated on the importance of the conference.
“This conference is great for networking. The Georgia Association for Family and Consumer Sciences encompasses a wide variety of knowledge for health and wellness in the community. It brings everybody together from different areas including finance, childcare, nutrition and textiles. We can network and share that information to enhance our communities when we return to our homes,” Brigman said.
In addition to conducting breakout and business sessions, GAFCS also installed officers for the 2025-26 term. Torbert accepted the gavel as president and Hollis will serve as vice president for professional development.
AAFCS is a professional organization dedicated to professionals and students in FACS. It also provides them a platform to share knowledge, research and promote a high quality of life to families and communities with experts in the FACS field. The GAFCS is the Georgia affiliate of the AAFCS.
Fort Valley State’s FACS program offers one major with two concentrations. They include food and nutrition along with infant and child development. Currently there are more than 20 students enrolled in the program.
For more information about FVSU’s FACS program, visit ag.fvsu.edu/newsroom.
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