UWG Stories
Jeanine Chambers Biron
“West Georgia is a community with people who care and look out for others,” Chambers Biron said. “I felt like I mattered to my professors ..."
Thanks in part to the University of West Georgia, there are angels flying the skies above Georgia and beyond.
“West Georgia is a community with people who care and look out for others,” UWG alum Jeanine Chambers Biron said. “I felt like I mattered to my professors, and they gave a lot to their students. I realized I could do the same by helping this organization and group of pilots who would then help other people in the community.”
Many families will attest to the giving nature of Chambers Biron, executive director of Angel Flight of Georgia (AFGA). The organization provides free air transportation for people who travel for medical services. After accepting her position in 1999, AFGA coordinated 235 medical flights. Under her leadership, missions have soared to a peak of 1,786 in 2005.
Prior to 9/11, AFGA focused solely on medical transportation. However, in response to closed air travel and mounting emergency needs, the organization offered transportation for the Red Cross.
“We flew our first mission that evening,” Chambers Biron recalled.
The relief efforts continued when nature released the fury of Hurricane Katrina. Over four weeks, AFGA made 450 flights filled with supplies, medical personnel and emergency workers. From providing basic necessities to reuniting families, AFGA was a miracle for many survivors. Most recently, it was awarded the 2006 Outstanding Achievement in Advancement of Public Benefit Flying from the National Aeronautics Association and Air Care Alliance for Katrina relief efforts.
As for Chambers Biron, she received another recognition by being asked to join the Richards College of Business’s Board of Visitors, business community representatives who serve as advisors to the college.
“What an honor to be asked back to counsel a school that taught you what you know,” Chambers Biron reflected. “I can’t think of a greater distinction.”
