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when he was in the fourth grade after she received a job offer. He’s quick to highlight the role she’s played in his success.

“My mom was telling me the other day that if an opportunity comes, you should always take advantage of it whether you’re interested in it or not,” Howell said. “The opportunity that you don’t take advantage of could be the same one to change your life.”

When Howell was in seventh grade, he was presented with the unsavory opportunity to join 4-H, an organization dedicated to mentorship and positive youth development. He felt hesitant at the time because they’d pick him up in a short little van he thought was embarrassing.

“i would be so embarrassed to get in that van, but it just changed my life so much,” Howell said. “yeah i had to ride on that van, but look what it allowed me to do. i do this stuff because i don’t want to miss out on the opportunities.”

Fast forward four years and he’s spent time on the 4-H state junior board where he represented 40 counties. now, he’s the local club’s president.

Howell spews confidence. He speaks in a matter-of-fact tone about future plans the same way most people discuss the weekend errands they need to run.

Walking the line between confidence and cockiness can be difficult, but Howell is quick to credit those who have helped him along the way.

He acknowledges that while teetering the line between confidence and cockiness, he can sometimes drift too far in the wrong direction.

“Being too confident probably kills me sometimes,” Howell said. “Being too confident, when you take an L, you take it 10x harder than as if you were expecting that L because you weren’t as confident. When you take L’s, you gotta bounce back and just keep it moving.”

Howell’s work ethic has blossomed into a multitude of leadership positions and academic success, and, while there’s no telling where he might go from here, he isn’t scared to aim high.

His mother told him from a young age it was pointless to tell small-minded people about big dreams.

“it’s outlandish for a 16-year-old to say they’re going to take over Wall Street, but if i wanted to do that and i was really interested in that, what could stop me?” Howell said. online photo galleries

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OILER MA x By ju LIA

kate pope

Kate Pope walks through the door of Blackbird Cafe and orders coffee for herself, and some to bring back to her coworkers after our meeting. as we sat she was greeted by the people walking by, whether they were close friends, coworkers or local community members, it seemed as if she had a connection with everyone. Those she didn’t know she greeted with a warm smile, giving true meaning to the phrase “people person”.

“it’s really important for me to be me. i love loud clothes, i love laughing, and i’m not always appropriate or politically correct and i still get some looks, but i’ve been very pleased that i’ve been able to be me - 100%”

Pope started her career at georgia College, her alma mater, as the donor engagement coordinator. However, her number one job has always been taking care of her two kids, Sidney - age 8 and Jack - age 6. Kate explained how starting out at georgia College, she was given ample time to adjust to being a working mother, “georgia College, especially elizabeth Hines, allowed me to be a young working mom. it was really hard - but they allowed me to make sure my kids were always my first priority.” When making the transition to georgia Military College, one of her main concerns was making sure to still prioritize her children. “it was a gut check for me to come to gMC, but i knew coming in under tiffany Bayne (assistant director and dean of students), she knew what was most important for me, and that they (my kids) were my number one.”

Kate Pope was nominated for the 20 under 40 issue because of the outstanding work she has accomplished already in her short time at gMC. “We started a thing called the admissions lab, we started with Baldwin High School. So, the admissions team came into Baldwin High School, prior to going there they gave us the students names and we wrote each of them a personalized acceptance letter from our executive director. We go on the campus, each student gives us their provisional transcripts. We walked each class through the application and waived the fee. We talked about the admissions process in general, and talked about financial aid. We made it an educational opportunity, and when we left every senior went home with an acceptance from gMC. i was really proud of that...Whether we are their first choice or not. i hope this shows those students who think they might not be college material that they are.”

Kate explained that she didn’t always know that college was the path for her, “When i was a student, if i would have gone straight to college, i wouldn’t have been ready - maturity wise. i danced ballet and waited tables for a year, and then i came to georgia College at nineteen. That is why i see so much value in community colleges because sometimes you aren’t ready for one reason or another, and that doesn’t mean it ends there. So, i have become very passionate about that because sometimes the opportunity needs to be there, whether you use it immediately or later.” Starting the admissions lab was important for Pope because it shows other students like her that even if they are not ready to go to college immediately after high school, like her, they have that choice. She explained to me that she wasn’t the best high school student but that changed when she got to georgia College, “i did very well in school, graduated summa cum laude and all that crap” She said laughingly, “but what i had forgotten over the years is that i had to take learning support math. i forgot that, until i went to gMC and i was like - oh wait, i am one of these students.” Having this background, Pope makes it a priority to set students up for success and give them equal opportunities, which has led her to start programs like the admission lab.

Moving from georgia College to gMC and switching roles, Pope had a lot of learning to do. “i was learning how to go back into the office after Covid, it was a different culture, and i was also learning admissions...i was also learning how to manage a team, this is the first time i’ve managed full time staff.” going from fundraising to admissions was quite the switch for Pope. There were a lot of new terms she had to learn and said that it took some time getting used to, “ i kept using words like prospect and pipeline… my coworkers would look at me and be like ‘don’t you mean funnel?’ and i would be like, ‘yeah that!’ they essentially mean the same thing, but they are different.” Kate explained that her typical day at work is ever changing and each day there are new challenges, “First thing first, i touch base with my team. When you’re working

running a family business comes with a lot of challenges and obstacles for many, for some it flows naturally, and they can build the empire for future generations.

Jonathan Pope took over the family business and built it to become a stronger empire it is today; he is currently the exchange Bank Vice President, having worked for exchange Bank for 21 years.

Jonathan Pope grew up in a small town, Milledgeville, at a tender age he showed keen interest in banking and Finance.

Being inspired by his grandparents who started the exchange Bank with the sole aim to reach out and give back to the communities. The bank has grown to bigger heights having 5 branches in georgia serving the broader community on each daily basis.

Jonathan Pope is currently the Vice President of the exchange Bank which was established in 1903 by his great grandfather and passed to another generation up to his generation.

He describes this as a legacy that he needs to build and take care for future generations. “at a tender age i fell in love with accounting, finance and banking, my great grandfather build this bank and passed it to my grandfather then to my father, now it is my generation which is running the bank, this is a family legacy established to help the communities and to bring about community solutions” he said

The exchange Bank, Milledgeville, georgia, was established on the 2oth of May 20, 1903, and its doors were opened for business on the 3rd of June 1903 in a building located at 120 West Hancock Street.

The bank has grown in leaps and bounds adopting to modern day technology making banking services easier and convenient for its customers. Pope describes the move into adopting the new media technologies as the right step into fully embracing 4th industrial revolution with the customer at the center of it all. “We have introduced new advanced technologies to the bank as a way to ease the way of doing business and to make our bank deliver better services to our customers, we have new automated machines that have made work easier and during Covid 19 times, our customers can do self-service without needing a teller” added Pope

Jonathan Pope has been part of the bank for 21 years, having started as a bank teller, trainer assistant manager and rose the ranks to occupy one of the powerful positions as the Vice President. He vividly recalls the days he studied at georgia College and falling in love with Math and serving his community. However, one of the biggest takeaway that he shares with young people every single day is accounting is the daily bread as one outside intense work with the exchange Bank Pope is a family man with two children he enjoys spending time with family and he always encourages his children to give back to the community as a way of helping the less privileged and helping build the community.

“giving back to the community is close to my heart, i always encourage my children to give or do something for someone without expecting anything in return”. one of the unique things done by the exchange bank over the years has been to work with the charity organizations, cleaning, setting up for events, visiting the elderly and helping the entire community through several charity work.

with someone day in and day out, they are your family. Family isn’t perfect, but you need to be there for each other. So we touch base and catch up with each other personally. i try to see if there are any fires i didn’t catch over the night, and then we set our priorities for the day and go from there.”

Kate is always looking for opportunities to open doors- whether that be for students, staff, or the college itself. She has been working on building connections for the college. “i’ve been able to reach out and start new relationships for the college, so that’s like today i had a team mate from a different campus reach out and say ‘hey, could you hop on zoom and talk to this student?’ so i did that and then 30 minutes later i was on a call with the superintendent from Hancock county schools. That’s what i love doing, opening doors, and that is what gMC has allowed me to do. everyday i’m meeting someone new and i’m establishing a new path for the school and that excites me.”

u BE MCC By BRIGHTON

Jonathan pope

S . BETHEA By LEAH

kara la SS iter

Kara Lassiter has traveled the united States and abroad with previous public relations jobs, but in her position here in Milledgeville she has found a place that feels like home.

Lassiter joined the Chamber of Commerce as membership director back in 2015 and was recently named as the chamber’s new director, but prior to that, she began her career as an account executive in the battery industry, working for a company that was a subsidiary of a Japanese corporation. She lived in atlanta during the time and was fortunate to travel the united States and internationally to taiwan selling power sport batteries to customers like autoZone and yamaha. growing up in Macon and later graduating from The university of georgia with a degree in public relations, she says she always thought she would work in sports management. a move to Milledgeville with her husband several years ago sent her in a new direction, though. She says when she first learned she would be moving to the area, she didn’t really know what to expect. What she has found, though, is a perfect fit.

“i’m so lucky to have found this job and to have worked with all of these great businesses here because i don’t know if i would feel as connected to the community if i didn’t have this job,” she says. “i love networking, i love talking to people, i love seeing everybody prosper and grow, so it was not my dream out of college, but now this is the perfect job for me. i thoroughly enjoy it and am happy to come to work every day.” as membership director for The Chamber of Commerce, Lassiter’s role has been engaging, recruiting and retaining chamber members. She has also been responsible for programs like Leadership Baldwin, reality Check and the local Star Student program, and she regularly plans events like Business after Hours and eggs & issues.

Working with local businesses and organizations has allowed Lassiter to become an engaged community member.

“i love to see how much it’s changed and how we’ve grown over the [past] few years,” Lassiter says.

She’s passionate about small businesses, as well as providing workforce development that encourages high school and college students to stay in Milledgeville after graduation. She counts her work with the Leadership Baldwin program, which encompasses youth Leadership Baldwin, as one of her proudest accomplishments. When the Chamber of Commerce took the program back over about five years ago, she says it had stalled. Lassiter was fortunate to become the coordinator of the program and to witness how it has grown in both the adult and youth aspects. youth Leadership Baldwin has 31 young people involved this year, which she says is triple the number of students that were enrolled when she started. Between the youth and adult groups, this year’s class is Baldwin County’s largest to date.

“it’s just been fun seeing it grow and reaching more people and having especially youth kids being excited about it,” Lassiter says. also a member of The Milledgeville exchange Club, her work through the organization as well as with the Chamber earned Lassiter recognition as exchange Club Member of the year last year.

Moving forward, she hopes to continue growing the Chamber through current partnerships and finding new members as well. She hopes to continue partnering with local high schools and colleges to help with workforce development and encourage students to stay in Milledgeville once they enter the workforce. one of her goals is always to showcase Milledgeville as a great place to raise a family and start a career. it’s something she has found here for herself. She says the time she spent in atlanta before moving to town was fun, but it never quite felt like a place where she wanted to put down roots.

“i never felt like atlanta was home,” she says. “it just felt so big, and i never knew where i was going, to be honest, sometimes. and then when i moved to Milledgeville, it’s like this was home. That small-town feel … i’m fortunate to be able to raise my daughter in a community like this where i know people are going to be looking out for her. it’s just a good feel to be somewhere like this. it definitely is home.”

Lassiter says she is honored to be selected as one of Milledgeville’s 20 under 40.

“i’m very appreciative of it,” she says. “it’s nice people seeing what you’re doing and appreciating the job that you’re doing with it.”

She hopes she can continue to impact this community she has grown to love by helping businesses grow and succeed, as well as through making connections with area students through the variety of programs the Chamber provides.

“i want to continue to make it a better place to live, work and play,” she says. “i want people to come here and know it’s a great place to live … i’m so glad that i was able to move here and to get so engaged with the community because it really now has become a part of me.”

the John Milledge academy boys’ basketball practice heats up as the players compete in an intense scrimmage. The boys sprint up and down the court as the ball flies from player to player. The ball finds senior Hunter Hudson in the paint, and an open man reveals himself behind the three-point line. a pass to the corner finds david gallagher, the dean of the high school, and he hits the shot with ease. gallagher is more than just the dean of High School Students at John Milledge academy -- he is the head coach of the boys’ basketball team, winners of the 2021 giSa Class aaa State Championship in March.

“Sports is life with the volume turned all the way up,” gallagher says. “Being in education as a teacher and administrator -- along with coaching -- really enables me to see the whole picture through students and connect with their daily lives inside and outside of sports. if something is going on in a student’s life in the classroom or at home, it is easier to be involved in that while seeing both sides of their lives.” on March 7, gallagher led his team to the first boys’ basketball state championship in John Milledge history. The team had come up short in the 2016 championship game five years earlier, making last spring’s victory even sweeter.

“Most teams finish with a loss, and we were lucky enough not to,” gallagher says. “it was the first state championship i had been a part of. i think it was evident during the playoff run that everyone had bought into playing their role.”

Since he became head coach in 2014, gallagher has had a major influence on his players over the years. Before graduating from the John Milledge academy Class of 2021, Patrick Mcdonel helped the team on its way to the state title, scoring 16 points in the championship game. The former player still helps out and practices with the team today.

“Coach gallagher has been a coach of mine since the seventh grade,” Mcdonel says. “He has, no doubt, made me into the man and the person that i am today. He has taught me qualities of leadership and being a good teammate.” off the court, gallagher oversees the students of the high school while also teaching a math class. as a leader and role model for his students and athletes alike, gallagher strives to maintain the culture of John Milledge. The school’s community is as tight-knit as they come, and gallagher plays a big role in that foundation.

John Milledge academy only holds 192 students, and many of them are also teammates. in fact, most of the students play multiple sports for the school. teachers and coaches like gallagher work hard to create an environment that embodies a close family of students, parents, and staff members.

“First and foremost, i try to promote the right culture for the high school,” gallagher explains. “We try to make things fun and organized and all about the student experience. at the same time, i look to support our high school teachers on dayto-day things, trying to create the best environment we can as a school.” gallagher grew up in the tiny town of Wartrace, tennessee. The city takes the small-town feel of Milledgeville to a whole new level as less than 700 people live there today. growing up, gallagher attended a small public high school where he planted the seeds of his passion for sports. He played football and basketball there, going on to play basketball in college. gallagher attended auburn university of Montgomery as a member of the basketball team for four years. during his time there, he met a woman from iceland named tinna who later became his wife. as a fellow student-athlete, tinna played soccer for auM. gallagher and his wife graduated in 2009 and moved to Milledgeville three years later. it was then that gallagher began his love affair with John Milledge academy.

“When i first got here back in 2012, i was an assistant coach for a year,” gallagher says. “in my second year, i taught full-time for the first five periods of the day, and i was part-time on staff as a volunteer coach for the team at georgia College.” after his brief stint with the georgia College men’s basketball team, gallagher started his career as head coach at John Milledge. He now enters his eighth season as head coach with the team set to kick off their campaign in december.

“We’re looking good this year,” gallagher says.

“We have seven guys returning from last year’s team, and we have quite a few guys moving up from the JV team.”

Most of gallagher’s players also play football, so he has spent the fall with a small handful of basketball players. The group practices three to four times a week, focusing on shooting and skill work.

Senior grayson aldridge has been playing under gallagher since his time on the JV squad as an eighth grader. He is one of three varsity players who have practiced with gallagher throughout the fall.

“He’s just always there,” aldridge says. “you can go to him if you have any problems. He’s always there for you. He treats you like family.” gallagher has built a phenomenal culture for the program, promoting a true bond of brotherhood among his players.

“good teams have good players,” gallagher says. “great teams have great teammates.” along with his duties as the dean, gallagher teaches aP Calculus to a class of ten seniors. He takes great pride in teaching the course to students motivated enough to take a college-level course. as he continues to build a family of students and athletes at John Milledge academy, gallagher is also raising a beautiful family of his own at home. He has three daughters, one of which was recently born in august. His oldest daughter, Hazel, is a first grader at John Milledge, and she has two younger sisters: two-year-old Pearl and three-month-old Stella.

“it’s a very special and unique thing about working in education,” gallagher explains. “Hazel rides with me to work every morning, and i’ll see her throughout the day. it’s a true family environment, being at a small-campus school with her.” as his daughters grow up and get closer to joining him at John Milledge academy, gallagher uses this as motivation to help his school continue to grow. He wishes to create the best possible environment of education for his girls when they eventually reach high school.

“i look at my job in the high school like i would one of my basketball teams,” gallagher says. “it’s just a different program. We have a team of teachers and a culture of students. i love secondary education, and i love the concept of being able to be with my kids and to see them grow up in the system that i’m in.” online photo galleries

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S . BETHEA By LEAH

Jo S ey J one S

Local photographer Josey Jones counts that quote as one of her favorites. in a world that has seen its share of troubles over the past couple of years, she strives in her professional life to make record of the good moments that still happen in it every day.

More often than not, she finds those moments with the families she views from behind her lens, and it’s not lost on her how important it is to capture their memories.

“What i really love the most is capturing the love and emotions between families and people just because it shows who they are and who their loved ones are and the connection that they have with each other,” Jones says. “of course, with what’s been going on recently with everything in the world, it really is so important, i think, right now to capture that and to give those memories to people because you just never know with family and everything what could happen, so i really think that’s the most important thing.”

Photography has been a big part of Jones’ life for a long time, but it wasn’t until the past few years that she transformed what she once considered a hobby into a full-time job.

She first got interested in camera work when she was just in high school. The Milledgeville native was so fascinated by the art form that she studied it more at georgia College, graduating in 2011 with a degree in art and a concentration in photography.

Like any good artist, she continued practicing and honing her craft, and she began doing a few family sessions for some for relatives. Before long, more and more friends asked her to take their photos, and her business grew, though not into a full-time venture just yet.

While still in college, Jones took a job at local t-shirt shop, The 42nd Floor, where she learned how to really work in Photoshop. She says her experience there allowed her to sharpen her design skills.

“i’ve always really loved the creative side of things,” she says.

She worked full-time there for a while before later working in sales and in the front office at The union-recorder. Her next career move would take her to erin andrews Media, where she helped with social media management, marketing and ad design, among other tasks. She stayed with the company for a few years, but all the while continued pursuing photography as a side job.

By 2019, though, she had begun picking up so much photography work that she decided she would try it as a full-time job. The rest, as they say, is history.

Through her businesses, Josey Jones Photography, Jones shoots a variety of photo sessions. She’s done newborn, baby and children sessions, graduating high school and college seniors and even weddings.

The majority of what she does, though, is family sessions. it’s where she feels most inspired, and it’s where she feels she can make her biggest impact.

“i think it’s just important to capture what is around us, so i think that’s the biggest impact … not everybody has a certain point of view or a certain eye for things, so i feel like i have the ultimate opportunity to show what i can see and what my perspective is of people and their relationships and share that and the beauty of people to everyone.” Jones has done photography work for the community, as well. She was asked to photograph some of the antique homes in downtown Milledgeville for the Milledgeville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Those photographs of historic homes in the area are now used on the CVB’s website to promote Milledgeville and Baldwin County. She’s taken headshots for local businesses as well.

Jones has also done studio work and she says that falls in line with a future goal she would love to achieve.

“i would just love to be able to have my own little space available for people,” she says.

Jones has recently had some of her photos published in “Lensational,” a weekly print and digital publication that features photographers. and, she says she is always proud to have her work featured in local publications in her hometown, including The union-recorder and Milledgeville Scene as well.

“i’m definitely thankful and grateful that i was chosen…,” she says of being selected as one of Milledgeville’s “20 under 40. “

With the success she has had in the past year, Jones says she looks forward to seeing what the next year has in store.

“i’m looking forward to next year and how much more i can reach people and capture their memories.”

Making a positive impact everywhere you go is something that not everyone can say, but it is something that people that know Kyle Collins can say about him. Kyle has had plenty of different experience in the workforce ranging from professions in golf to reporting. one of the exceptional professionals in the industry, Kyle, rose quickly to becoming the district Communications specialist for the georgia department of transportation.

“They don’t come much better than Kyle Collins, i can tell you that. Kyle’s commitment to the work he does at gdot is apparent, it is miserable, and it is palpable. He is just a stand-up guy in the first place. He really brings a certain level of communication expertise to his role at gdot. in bringing important information that people find valuable and useful in their daily lives, but also doing it in such a way that is understandable and relatable.” said Strategic Communications director Scott Higley.

Kyle has been exceptional with all of his work endeavors since graduating from georgia College and State university. He has been described as being an exceptional leader and one that many look up to. His current work is something that serves major importance to those in the middle georgia area. one of the key components of his job is relaying crisis communication information to the public. This includes traffic, delays caused by accidents, and extreme weather in the area. This information is essential for the public to be informed of as soon as possible in order for individuals to be safe and aware of what is going on with roads and transportation.

The georgia department of transportation’s social media presence has really taken off since Kyle Collins has gotten there and is something that he is very proud of. When Kyle started his role, the georgia department of transportation’s Facebook page had roughly 300 followers. it now has over 28,000. Their twitter and instagram pages have also taken off since Kyle has been there. Kyle says that this is one of his favorite parts of his job and where he spends the majority of his time. This impact has allowed many more people to see important crisis, traffic, and road closure information.

Kyle Collins grew up in Milledgeville and has not veered far from home throughout his life. after graduating high school from John Milledge academy, Kyle went to Mercer university to play on the golf team before eventually transferring back to georgia College. after graduating from georgia College in 2009 with a degree in Mass Communication with a journalism focus, Kyle began working with the georgia College golf team as an assistant coach while also pursuing a professional golf career. eventually, Kyle started working for the union recorder part-time and doing freelance work for local magazines. after a few years, Kyle ended up joining the union recorder staff as a full-time reporter.

Working as a reporter at the union recorder is one thing that Kyle credits for helping him in his current role with the georgia department of transportations. Having to get out multiple stories in a day with a quick deadline while reporting for the union recorder has helped him balance his current job’s challenges.

Milledgeville is a very special place to Kyle Collins. it is where he grew up, went to school, and learned to play the game golf. His family is from the area and still resides in Milledgeville. “i am definitely thankful for the area and i don’t take it for granted,” said Kyle.

Kyle, who is 35 years old, has been described as a leader by those that know him personally, even back in his college golf days. Head Coach of the georgia College golf team Jimmy Wilson said,’’ Kyle was always that guy that ate right, got to sleep, and worked out. He was a leader by example with his teammates and again a leader by example when he helped me coach the team.” Kyle says in his free time he still enjoys playing golf. He is still around the game as a Master Club Fitter for the well-known golf company, Callaway golf. great people always have great people behind them. Kyle credits his parents for their support throughout his career. The Collins family still lives in Milledgeville, where Kyle’s mother owns a local Milledgeville store, The Market Collective. “ it means a lot to me to be recognized in this fashion to pay my mother and father back for all they have done for me and the sacrifices they have made whether it was golf or my professional career. They have allowed me to succeed and made things easier for me,” said Kyle Collins. Kyle also credits his former Coach, Jimmy Wilson, for his support and allowing him to continue to be around the game of golf through being the assistant coach of the georgia College golf team.

Looking forward, it is not hard to expect anything but excellence in the career and life of Kyle Collins.

Kyle Collins stated, “This is a great honor, and i was pretty surprised when i found out. i know there were plenty of people in the past and that are currently going to be on that list that do a lot of great work in this community. So it’s an honor to be recognized in this fashion and i must be making a difference somehow, which makes me feel good.”

. BETHEA S By LEAH

kyle collin S