Published: March 07, 2008 11:52 am            

Awards presented to Georgia Parks and Historic Sites

ATLANTA -- Each year, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognizes outstanding state parks and historic sites for their customer service, programming, maintenance and other achievements. Most of this year’s awards were presented during the January Managers Conference and the February Rangers Conference, both held at Unicoi State Park in Helen. Employees were recognized for accomplishments as serious as fighting wildfires and as unusual as hosting bug-eating programs.



The 22 winners included:



OUTSTANDING PARK OPERATION

-- Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville

Manager Bill Tanner and his staff operate the most visited state park in Georgia, offering excellent customer service while running a mountaintop lodge with limited staffing. Ranger programs involving owls, hawks and snakes are always popular with visitors.



OUTSTANDING HISTORIC SITE OPERATION

- Fort King George Historic Site, Darien

Manager Steve Smith and his staff have developed an outstanding volunteer program, offering exceptional programs and a well maintained site.



MANAGER OF THE YEAR

- Brian Ensley, Fort Mountain State Park, Chatsworth

Brian Ensley is a distinguished leader who is always willing to try new approaches for improving his park. He is a Wilderness First Responder who was instrumental in working with local officials to improve safety on nearby roads.



RANGER OF THE YEAR

-- Sid Strickland, Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park, Blakely

Sid Strickland’s “can-do” attitude was instrumental in lowering the park’s lake so that a fish fence could be installed, and while controlling plant growth on the historic Indian temple mound.



CUSTOMER SERVICE (MANAGER)

- Jerry Brown, Lodge Manager, Unicoi State Park, Helen

While managing a 100-room hotel within a popular state park, Jerry Brown maintains one of the most upbeat attitudes within the park system. His customer service skills are outstanding and infectious.



CUSTOMER SERVICE (RANGER)

-- Robin Glass, Interpretive Ranger, Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site, Dahlonega

Last year, nearly every comment card received at Dahlonega Gold Museum included Robin Glass’ name in a complimentary manner. He is exceptionally skilled at making history come alive for visitors of all ages.



BEST YEAR-ROUND PARK PROGRAMMING

- Fort Yargo State Park, Winder

Variety, volume, partnerships and commitment are characteristics of this year’s winner. Manager Eric Bentley and his staff work with recreational groups to host numerous bike races, triathlons and other events. They offer programs to school groups, scouts and civic clubs.



BEST YEAR-ROUND HISTORIC SITE PROGRAMMING

- Fort McAllister Historic Park, Richmond Hill

Programming is key to the success of any historic attraction. During 2007, Fort McAllister showed young visitors what it was like to join the Army and live in a fort during the 1800s, held candle lantern tours at night, offered cannon firings and many other exciting programs.



MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRAM AT A STATE PARK

- Crooked River State Park, St. Marys

Cricket jambalaya and cockroach kabobs were just some of the menu items served during this park’s unusual Bug Cooking Program. Visiting “Bug Chef” Ryan joined Ranger Emily Hewitt and Assistant Manager Jessica Aldridge to teach visitors about the unknown insects we all eat each day.



MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRAM AT A HISTORIC SITE

-- Robert Toombs House State Historic Site, Washington

Staff and volunteers turned each floor of this historic house into a stage where they performed scenes from “A Christmas Carol.” More than 200 visitors toured the stately 1860s home in one day.



RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT

- Crooked River State Park, St. Marys

Located on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail, this park attracts birders from across the globe. Manager Joe Bradford and his staff built a bird blind that can accommodate 20 people and has seating and shelves for scopes and cameras. They are also fighting the spread of Congon Grass, one of the world’s most invasive plants.



MOST OUTSTANDING MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

- Indian Springs State Park, Flovilla

Indian Springs is one of the oldest public parks in the nation, opening as a state forest park in 1927. The campground’s comfort station was renovated with such success that visitors thought it was a new facility. Other improvements were made to cleaning processes and landscaping.



ABOVE AND BEYOND (MANAGER)

- Kathy Odom, Manager, SAM Shortline Excursion Train, Cordele

Many people have contributed to the success of south Georgia’s tourist train, but Kathy Odom has lead the charge since inception six years ago. Her efforts brought Thomas the Tank Engine to Georgia for the first time, allowing more than 21,000 people to ride the “real” Thomas in just six days.



ABOVE AND BEYOND (RANGER)

-- Sam Williams, Assistant Manager, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Fargo

During the historic wildfires of 2007, Sam Williams helped fight fires in Waycross, Nahunta, Waynesville and Douglas. He kept a positive attitude while working under an extremely stressful situation and in a dangerous environment for a long period of time.



GOLF OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR

- Terry Phillips, The Creek, Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge

Terry Phillips served as tournament director for the newly created Georgia Junior Golf Tour that started at Meadow Links with 32 golfers and ended at Arrowhead Pointe with 76 golfers. He is expected to receive the Best New Junior Program award from the Georgia Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America.



GOLF SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR

-- Reggie Ricks, Brazell’s Creek at Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park, Reidsville

Superintendent Reggie Ricks battled drought conditions and daily winds from 10 to 20 miles per hour while expanding the golf course from nine holes to eighteen. His leadership will enable the course to reopen this summer.



Danny Creel Award

-- Willetta McGowen, Region 2 Program Assistant, Brunswick

Willetta McGowen makes a difference in many peoples lives. She is certified in prison ministry and works with women inmates at Hawkinsville State Prison. She helps run a soup kitchen in Glynn County and leads her office’s Second Harvest food drive each year.





Each year, millions of visitors enjoy museums, picnic shelters, cottages and other facilities at state parks and historic sites. The employees who build and maintain these amenities received awards from the DNR’s Engineering & Construction Division. The 2007 Project of the Year Award went to the Hard Labor Creek Shop and Blackburn Shop for construction of the Historic Sites Region Office in Stockbridge. Safety awards were presented to the Georgia Veterans Shop, Hard Labor Creek Shop and South Georgia Utilities Crew for no time lost due to accidents.



The Georgia Department of Natural Resources operates 63 state parks and historic sites, seven golf courses and a tourist train. To learn more, visit www.GeorgiaStateParks.org or call 1-800-864-7275.





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NOTE TO MEDIA:

Below are summaries that were presented during the awards banquets. Photography is available upon request.



Media Contact:

Kim Hatcher, Public Affairs Coordinator

404-657-9855

[email protected]







OUTSTANDING PARK OPERATION - Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville



Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge had an excellent year under the leadership of Manager Bill Tanner. This park continues to be the most visited park in the system, and it takes a team of special people to frequently handle issues that go along with a large park, including large-scale maintenance issues, very heavy visitation, covering operations at times with critical vacancies, and most of all, delivering the quality service our visitors have come to expect. The fact that revenue generated at Amicalola rose by more than $100,000 over the previous year is a sign that guests are happy with their experiences. Over this year, the quality of customer service that the staff provides was rated highly both by customer comments and mystery shopper reports. This is the sign of a team that works together and believes in each other.



Bill Tanner has developed his team of dedicated departmental managers and has nurtured leaders in departments where managers have not been hired yet. The park started the year without a restaurant manager, and in winter, an air conditioner chiller unit ruptured and caused significant damage to multiple lodge rooms on several floors. In spite of these challenges, the appearance of the park was outstanding and Amicalola was one of the first parks to begin installing new traffic and directional signs.



Amicalola Falls continues to be one of the most diverse interpretive programming operations in the state. The visitor center and interpretive programs at the park are both highly rated and heavily used. A typical day will find programming staff holding birds of prey programs and a ropes course event, all in the same day.







OUTSTANDING HISTORIC SITE OPERATION - Fort King George Historic Site, Darien



The Outstanding Historic Site Operation is an award that includes all facets of a site’s operation. Manager Steve Smith and his staff perform at a high level in the area of historic site operations. Programming, administration, maintenance -- all are excellent. This site has a professional, well-trained staff that can handle all aspects of the operation and if they are short-handed in any area, everyone is willing to step up to get the job done. The staff at Fort King George is a true team.



Comments received about the site are always complimentary. Fort King George is neat, clean and in good repair. Programming is top of the line, with great reports from individual visitors and groups alike. Behind the scenes work is also very active. Staff has done a wonderful job with the newsletter and recruiting volunteers. The site was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Georgia Humanities Council for an Educator’s Guide and the Scottish Heritage Day festivities. Hats off to this site for developing one of the strongest Friends groups in the state. Steve and his staff have worked very hard to spearhead a curriculum program that meets Department of Education standards. Steve is leading the group that will develop a curriculum program for the entire Historic Sites Region.







MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Brian Ensley, Manager, Ft Mountain State Park, Chatsworth



This young manager has served the department well in his career. From his former days as a Resource Manager with the Lodge Region, he has successfully promoted to Assistant Manager II, Park Manager I, and for the last 3 1/2 years, Park Manager III at one of Georgia’s busiest mountain parks. Brian Ensley has distinguished himself as a leader, as well as an innovator, always willing to try something new to make his park better. Fort Mountain has been recognized on both state and regional levels for outstanding operations in maintenance, interpretive programming, resource management, administration, law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and search management.



Brian is a University of Georgia Graduate, certified Law Enforcement Officer and certified Wilderness First Responder. He can often be found out working with his staff on his 3,000-acre park, usually on a trail or assisting with a maintenance project. His community respects Brian, as he is often the first to respond to auto accidents on the mountain because local responders have so far to travel to reach accident scenes. He was instrumental in working with state and local officials to have the speed limit reduced near his park to lower the number of these auto accidents.



Brian is also a family man who knows how and where to draw the line at work so that he can be effective as a dad and husband. He ensures that his staff is treated fairly with regard to work schedules and assignments, even if it means some degree of sacrifice on his behalf. Although a quiet man, Brian speaks volumes by his actions as an outdoor recreation professional. His guest services are always good and his staff is always motivated to take on the tough projects and do them well. Fort Mountain is immaculate, not just because Brian cares about the park, but because he knows how to lead others to excellence.







RANGER OF THE YEAR -- Sid Strickland, Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park, Blakely



Sid Strickland, Park Ranger at Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park, is one of those unsung heroes who does a consistently good job, day in and day out, that many times goes unnoticed. No matter what the challenge, Sid always has a “can do” attitude. Sid has been with State Parks for over 20 years and his wisdom and experience is essential to the park’s success.



This year he helped plan several capital outlay projects including group shelter renovations, walking path construction, fish fence construction on Lake Kolomoki, roofing, interpretive sign installations, and restroom renovations. He prepped the areas before crews started each project, made sure each job had what it needed, and checked on them daily to make sure everything was on track.



One of the hardest tasks assigned to Sid was lowering the lake so a fish fence could be installed. The lake had to be drained so concrete footers could be poured while keeping enough water flowing so no fish or wildlife would be lost. It was very time consuming with hard rains changing the flow and elevation of the water daily, but Sid never complained. Today the fence has been installed, there was no loss of fish or wildlife, and fishing is back to normal.



In Natural Resource Management, Sid worked with foresters that were marking timber for thinning, verifying the timber tracks and showing crews how to gain easy access to the areas. In Cultural Resource Management, Sid oversaw the implementation of a maintenance plan for the large temple mound to spray the broadleaf trees to control growth. While making sure all of the construction and resource management plans ran smoothly, Sid still did an outstanding job at regular park maintenance. He provided great customer service to guests and continues to be an invaluable asset to Kolomoki Mounds and the entire State Park System.





CUSTOMER SERVICE (MANAGER) - Jerry Brown, Lodge Manager, Unicoi State Park, Helen



Jerry Brown’s ability to interact with the internal and external customer is second nature to him. It comes natural and without hesitation. He has the ability to defuse any volatile situation, and Jerry’s employees can always look to him for answers and ways of improving their abilities.



Jerry's attributes are certainly very evident to all of us in the planning and hosting of the Managers and Rangers Conferences each year. He has the “can-do” attitude that any and all things can be done. He always displays the positive in any situation. When dealing with Jerry, his employees and customers alike know that he will go the positive route, because there is no other direction for Jerry.



Jerry's belief in true Customer Service has proven him to be a trustworthy leader. When conducting his own personal Customer Service Training for his staff, the training is something the employees believe in because Jerry shows them by example every day. Jerry’s favorite saying is "the customer may not always be right, but they are the customer, and need to be treated as such."







CUSTOMER SERVICE (RANGER) -- Robin Glass, Interpretive Ranger, Dahlonega Gold Museum, Dahlonega



Robin Glass, Interpretive Ranger at Dahlonega Gold Museum, is the epitome of Customer Service, both to the external and internal customer. This past year, Robin went above and beyond to improve the customer’s experience at the Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site. Almost every comment card received at the site included Robin’s name in a complimentary manner. A letter was recently received by the Director’s Office and the visitor’s kind words best describe Robin’s customer service skills. To quote: “The overall excellence of this site was surpassed by your Ranger Robin Glass. He was pleasant, courteous, erudite and generous with his time. He knows his job, its history and its environs. This fine gentleman is a credit to your museum.”



Robin has been involved with the development of several events, including a living-history program complete with period clothing. A new program this year, “A Day in a Miner’s Life,” was a daylong event with demonstrations and staff/volunteers in period clothing. Robin was charged the part of a 19th century assayer. He exceeded everyone’s expectations with the quality of the clothing, the 19c scales and all his gold. Robin deeply cares about the Dahlonega Gold Museum. He is passionate about interpreting the history and sharing it with anyone who is interested. Robin has a unique way of making history come alive for people of any age or interest level. That is a rare and unique talent. Attitudes are contagious and Robin’s is definitely worth catching, truly inspiring other staff to project a professional and positive attitude.







BEST YEAR-ROUND PARK PROGRAMMING - Fort Yargo State Park, Winder



Variety, volume, partnerships and commitment to programming are the characteristics of this year’s winner for the Best Year-round Park Programming Award. Fort Yargo State Park offered numerous events this year. Many are of regional, statewide and even national importance, including the Xterra Points Series Off Road Triathlon, NORBA Georgia Championship Series Mountain Bike Race, Dirty Spokes Mountain Bike Race, Tri-The-Parks Triathlon, Memorial Day Celebration, National Trails Day Work Party, Yellow River Bass Masters Youth Fishing Tournament, Siege Yargo Trailblazer Race, 4th of July Celebration, 2nd Annual Intertribal Powwow, and Autumn Nights at Yargo.



This team also offers a wide range of programs to schools, Scout troops, civic clubs, sportsmen groups and others. They maintain bulletin boards, which interpret themes such as outdoor skills, navigation, natural resource identification and management, and the Green and Clean Project. Fort Yargo staff work with the Barrow County School system in their implementation of a new Safe Kids Program and they teach Hunter Safety classes. Of special note, they have also conducted classes to college groups on park management and natural resource management.



As one can tell by the park’s name, history is a foundational principle for this site. The staff routinely conducts living-history events at the old fort, with costumed interpreters taking visitors on a trip back in time. To supplement this effort, the park staff has added other structures at the old fort, including a smoke house, cook shed and educational kiosk.



What is even more impressive is the fact that this site has no year-round position dedicated solely to programming efforts . . . only a seasonal naturalist. To compound the challenge, the Assistant Park Manager position has been vacant most of the year. Volunteers and partnerships are imperative to Fort Yargo’s programming efforts, and relationships have been developed with SORBA, Friends of Fort Yargo, Yargo Biking Association, the Master Gardener Program, various living history groups, the Georgia Forestry Commission and DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division.







BEST YEAR-ROUND HISTORIC SITE PROGRAMMING - Fort McAllister Historic Park, Richmond Hill



Programming is key to the success of a Historic Site or Historic Park. Programs set the tone for the type of experience that a visitor will have and remember, and this year’s Best Year-round Historic Site Programming Award goes to Fort McAllister State Historic Park. Fort McAllister kicked off the year with “Bunk in the Bunker.” Young people were able to experience what it would be like to join the Army and live in a fort. The park also had an annual volunteer day that was designed to encourage the local community to come out for a workday and take pride in their park.



A Memorial Day Program found volunteers conducting demonstrations all day. Again, on the 4th of July, volunteers assisted with wheelbarrow races, sack races, a checkers tournament and baseball games. Cannon firings and musket salutes topped off the celebration, and it was all repeated again for Labor Day. In October, Fort McAllister hosted their annual Candle Lantern Tour, a unique experience for the visitor. The Winter Muster, held in December, was an all-day event and a great success. One hundred and twenty volunteers and re-enactors helped create this event, with women cooking meals and men doing daily chores around the fort. Fort McAllister is always eager to help with programs off the site as well.







MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRAM AT A STATE PARK - Crooked River State Park, St. Marys



Move over, McDonald’s…coming through. Vegetarians, excuse us, Seafood lovers, let us introduce you to a whole new class of cuisine . . . insects! This year’s winner of the Most Innovative Special Program at a State Park is Crooked River State Park with their Bug Cooking Program. Ranger Emily Hewitt and Assistant Manager Jessica Aldridge brought in Chef Ryan (AKA The Bug Chef) with his Insect Cooking and Tasting Presentation. More than 100 guests indulged in the newest and latest diet fad - eating bugs. The Bug Chef prepared several low calorie-high protein dishes out of our not-so-appreciated houseguests. Some of the entrees included mealworm grit sauce on rice, superworm sauce, cricket jambalaya with onions and okra, and shish kabobbed Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches with onions and green peppers. And for dessert . . . chocolate covered crickets. Makes you want to go back for seconds, doesn’t it?



At this program we learned that we eat bugs every day and just don’t know it. There are:

2 to 3 fly maggots in every 2 grams of tomato juice

100 insect fragments in every 25 grams of curry powder

74 mites in 100 grams of canned mushrooms

34 fruit fly eggs in every cup of raisins



Earth has 200 million insects for every living person, so the next time a bug bites you, bite it back!







MOST INNOVATIVIVE PROGRAM AT A HISTORIC SITE -- Robert Toombs House State Historic Site, Washington



On December 8, 2007, staff and volunteers of Robert Toombs House State Historic Site hosted an entertaining and innovative program. Taking cues from Charles Dickens (one of General Toombs’ favorite authors), they turned the house into a stage. Each floor was decorated to provide a backdrop for friends and staff to act out vignettes from the classic story “A Christmas Carol.” Attendance was excellent, with more than 200 visitors enjoying the evening’s entertainment. The program was well organized, researched and masterfully carried out.







RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT - Crooked River State Park, St. Mary’s



Crooked River State Park is located on the Colonial Birding Trail, a destination for birders from all around the country and world. Manager Joe Bradford knew he had something special when campers from Germany planned a trip to his site just to see Painted Buntings. Joe and his staff have worked diligently to enhance their park to make it more “bird-watching friendly” and increase opportunities for rare bird sightings.



Park staff combined ParkPass Incentive and Shop Stock funds to purchase materials to construct a state-of-the-art bird blind. Staff and volunteers did the construction to reduce the cost of the project. The blind can accommodate 20 people and has comfortable seating, shelves for sighting scopes, cameras and audio equipment. It is located near a small pond that attracts numerous large wading birds. The park also won a grant for $1,200 to purchase bird feeders and seed. There are approximately 10 feeders with two-pound seed capacity located around the blind. Special equipment is used to allow visitors to hear the birds they are viewing.



Additional resource enhancement projects at the park include palmetto mulching, prescribed burning of a 100-acre longleaf pine plantation and invasive plant control. Joe and his staff have worked with a private contractor to mow and mulch 100 acres of palmetto that was threatening a longleaf pine stand.



And last but not least, Crooked River was the first park in Region 2 to be invaded by Congon Grass (called the seventh most devastating invasive plant in the world). Joe and his staff worked with Georgia Forestry and the DNR Timber Unit to eradicate this pesky plant before it became a major problem.





MOST OUTSTANDING MAINTENANCE PROGRAM - Indian Springs State Park, Flovilla



Having the best overall program encompasses every aspect of a park maintenance operation, from the daily upkeep to the long-range plan put in place by the manager. It implies a programmatic approach to setting goals and standards, and adhering to those over a long period of time. Transformation and evolution only begin to describe the changes taking place at Indian Springs State Park.



Some of the transformation involves changes to cleaning processes across all park facilities resulting in fewer guest complaints, and changes to meet divisional standards for customer service and cottage amenities. The park’s tree removal program protects cottages and other structures, prescribed burns improve highly visible areas and stream bank management enhances the creek. The comfort station renovation in the camping area is a model all parks could follow. Many guests thought it was a new comfort station.



The staff at Indian Springs is to be commended for their excellent work in caring for the state’s oldest state park. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Indian Springs is a beautiful park because of the emphasis placed on the maintenance program by park staff.







ABOVE AND BEYOND (MANAGER) - Kathy Odom, Manager, SAM Shortline Excursion Train, Cordele



Kathy Odom has been managing the SAM Shortline Excursion Train since its inception six years ago. The success of the train is directly related to Kathy and her enthusiasm. This commitment was never more evident than the recent Thomas The Tank event that was held in October 2007. Thomas The Tank Engine made its debut in Georgia last fall. Through proper planning and coordination with many parks, volunteers, county officials and departments, more than 21,000 visitors had a wonderful experience in just six days. Folks came from Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas and of course, Georgia. Many visitors who had been to a Thomas event before said this was by-far the best organized. They felt very safe, facilities were immaculate, and there was so much to do. Even the few complaints were promptly handled, such as running an extra train on the last day to ensure everyone had a chance to ride.



There were many people involved in this success story; however, it was Kathy Odom who led the charge and kept the train on the right track. She has consistently gone above and beyond every year since the train’s inception, and it is an honor to recognize her as this year’s award winner.







ABOVE AND BEYOND (RANGER) -- Sam Williams, Assistant Manager, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Fargo



Sam Williams is this year’s winner of the Above and Beyond Award for his efforts during the 2007 wildfires. Sam was called upon by the Georgia Forestry Commission to run an engine and help fight fires in Waycross, Nahunta, Waynesville and Douglas. He spent 15 days on a strike team, working on average 12 to 16 hour days. He represented the Division and Department well and won the respect of his fellow firefighters from Georgia and around the country. In fact, the folks from Arkansas honored him as the best mud-bogger they had ever seen! Sam worked under an extremely stressful situation in a dangerous environment for a long period of time. He did so safely and kept a positive attitude throughout the entire ordeal. We are proud to recognize Sam Williams for going above and beyond in assisting his local community and the citizens of Georgia during this major event.







GOLF OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Terry Phillips, The Creek at Hard Labor Creek State Park, Rutledge



During the past year, the DNR created a Georgia Junior Golf Tour that started at Meadow Links with 32 golfers and ended at Arrowhead Pointe with 76 golfers. Nearly 50 juniors competed in the season-ending championship at The Creek. It took an incredible amount of time to make this tour a success. Our Manager of the Year took on the challenge of being Tournament Director because he strongly believed that the tour would give our courses better exposure to families. All during the tour, golfers and parents commented on how they enjoyed the tour. In a few weeks, our Golf Manager of the Year will receive the award for Best New Junior Program by the Georgia Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America, a well-deserved honor.







GOLF SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR -- Reggie Ricks, Brazell’s Creek at Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park, Reidsville



When the expansion of Brazell’s Creek Golf Course first began, it appeared to be a smooth project. However, many challenges cropped up, including drought conditions and daily winds from 10 to 20 miles per hour. Superintendent Reggie Ricks took a leadership role to balance the limited water resources, along with a stringent grow-in plan, and produced a fine-looking golf course we can be proud of and look forward to opening this summer.







DANNY CREEL AWARD -- Willetta McGowen, Region 2 Program Assistant, Brunswick



This award is presented each December at the DNR Board Meeting to an outstanding DNR associate who has distinguished him or herself in their community. This award is named in the honor of Sergeant Danny Creel, a 26-year associate of the Law Enforcement Section who was killed in a tragic automobile accident in September 2000.



Willetta McGowen has distinguished herself as an excellent DNR employee for 21 years and has received “exceeds” on her last 10 performance reviews. Ms. McGowen has been certified in prison ministry for five years. Last year she was the team leader and responsible for coordinating the efforts of 20+ volunteers at Hawkinsville State Prison. Ms. McGowen is bridging the gap between troubled women and the road back to a regular life. She is helping women get back into society, while at the same time making society a safer place. By helping women build up their self-esteem they are less likely to repeat their offense.



However, prison ministry is not enough. Ms. McGowen also helps the homeless and hungry. She is responsible for recruiting and coordinating the efforts of a very special team that runs a soup kitchen (the Manna House) in the poverty-stricken area of Glynn County. She annually leads the Coastal Regional Headquarters “Second Harvest” food-drive and always pitches in on other building-wide charitable events and projects.





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