Clinton Hinely graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2013 and has been putting his degree in journalism to work ever since. After a decade in local television news, Hinely is now the employee relations planning assistant manager at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) where he tells the stories of his coworkers and builds relationships across departments. With such a large workforce spread out across a massive site, building connections among employees is a challenging but important goal.
“You may never see some people who are in a different department from you,” said Hinely. “We build camaraderie and introduce all these people to each other. You feel more of a community as you see different people who work here and all of the different jobs they have.”
Hinely never expected that his degree in journalism would lead him to a career in auto manufacturing. He says it’s just one of the many ways various specialties come together to make the massive facility run smoothly.
“I assumed if you weren’t building cars, you didn’t have a spot here and that’s just not the case,” said Hinely. “There is so much on the business side and there is a lot of opportunity here for people with a whole variety of degrees and backgrounds to make an impact.”
Raised in nearby Effingham County, Hinely loves that he was able to earn his bachelor’s and find a great job close to home. His wife also graduated from Georgia Southern and now works as a nurse educator for a health care system in coastal Georgia. Finding a great education and rewarding careers in the place they love has meant a lot to the Hinely family.
“Being able to get a top education in our community was definitely significant,” said Hinely. “Being able to stay local for myself and my wife was really important and we were blessed to have that opportunity.”
Hinely sees a bright future for the region with both Georgia Southern and HMGMA leading the way.
“Understanding the growth of the University and the growth of HMGMA as a significant investment in the state, you can see the impact on the community,” said Hinely. “The chance for people to graduate and find jobs in so many fields is really amazing.”