Alumnae Make 40 Under 40 List

Jones and Peavy-Owen chosen for Georgia Trend magazine’s “2014 40 Under 40”

This past October, Georgia Trend magazine named its “2014 40 Under 40,” a list of 40 Georgians under the age of 40 that represent “the state’s best and brightest,” according to the magazine.

Two GSW alumnae, Keri Jones and Tami Peavy-Owen, made the list.

Keri Jones

Keri Jones is a certified public accountant with Allen Pritchett & Basset, LLP in Tifton, Ga., where she has been since 2007.

Jones first attended GSW from 1995 to 1997 immediately after she graduated from high school. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in marketing from Valdosta State University. After several years of working in marketing, Jones decided to change her career path and returned to GSW to do so, earning her BBA in accounting from GSW in 2011.

Leadership is a big part of Jones’s life, as she recently participated in the Leadership Georgia program. She is also a 2012 graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. that make up the strength of my community with a more informed approach.”

In addition to her hard work in these two programs, Jones is also very involved in leadership in her community. She has served as the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders program chairman and facilitator, a program from which she also graduated. As well, she has been chairman for the Business and Education Committee and the Community Planning and Assessment Committee.

Jones was deeply appreciative of her recognition by the magazine. “Being recognized by Georgia Trend magazine as a 40 Under 40 was a nice honor,” she said. “I am proud to be from Georgia and we have strong leadership in our state. To be recognized as part of that leadership was a true honor.”

Tami Peavy-Owen

Tami Peavy-Owen, currently of Americus, Ga., is the director and legal advocate for the Southwestern Judicial Circuit Family Violence Council. The council is a non-profit organization that serves Lee, Macon, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, and Webster counties. a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law

Formerly an attorney in a private practice, Peavy-Owen began working with the council in 2013 during a time when more help was required for the protection of abused and neglected children in the region.

Through her work with the nonprofit, Peavy-Jones provides legal and non-legal services to victims of domestic violence. Additionally, she is appointed by the juvenile court to represent children in cases where the state has taken custody.

“Basically, my professional goal is to provide legal services to under-served people in our community,” she said.

Peavy-Owen is also working to improve the community in the area of public education. She is currently the vice-chairperson of the Governing Board of Furlow Charter School. The school will be a new public school option for children in Sumter County starting in August 2015.

“I believe that all children deserve an opportunity for a quality education and am excited that we will be able to offer a different approach to education for Sumter County students.”

Peavy-Owen felt honored to be recognized by the magazine along with such a talented group of people.

“I am very honored to receive this recognition,” she said. “I was also humbled by the amount of talent and dedication represented by the other recipients.”

Jones, Peavy-Owen, and the others on the list were honored at a reception at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Oct. 21, 2014.