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2019 20 UNDER 40 HONOREES 6 SHANNON GAVIN JOHNSON 28 AMANDA RHYE Troup County Archives Hope XO 8 ALLEN CRAWFORD Young Life

30 PATRICK SANDS Kia

10 ANABETH IVEY New Ventures

32 MONICA PETERSON LaGrange Police Department

12 BRITTANY JACKSON City of LaGrange

34 ALEX BEALL Jackson Services

14 CHASE HUDSON Beacon Brewing Co.

36 ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ Wild Leap Brew Co.

16 HERB CRANFORD District Attorney

38 QUAY BODDIE Motivational writer, speaker

18 KRISTEN SCOTT Troup County Sheriff ’s Office

40 JAMEY JACKSON Malone Workforce Solutions

20 TAMLIN HALL Holden On

42 CARLA THORNTON Troup High

22 BRIAN DOLLINGER LaGrange Academy

44 BRANDON ELEY 2BigFeet

26 MATT OLESEN Frios Gourmet Pops

46 TRAVIERA SEWELL Troup County Schools

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PRESERVING HISTORY Johnson leads Troup County Archives as executive director They say when you’re having fun the years fly by.

When counting up the years, Shannon Gavin Johnson, 38, was surprised when she realized that she’s already been at the Troup County Archives since 2009 — a full decade.

Johnson began at the archives as an intern in 2009 and worked her way up to become the director in January 2017.

She’s now in charge of the entity that preserves most of Troup County’s historic records, including city and county paperwork and school documents. The archives is filled with the history of local people and of Troup County as a whole, and it’s a job that Johnson doesn’t take lightly.

“To me, if you don’t know where this community has come from, who was here before us then how are you equipped to put a checkmark on a ballot that seats a city council and a mayor and a county commission or a president?” Johnson said.

Johnson was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up and went to high school in Fayette, a small town about an hour north of Tuscaloosa. Her family moved to Manchester in 2004, the same year Johnson graduated from Samford University with a degree in history.

She needed an internship at the time, and the Troup

County Archives was the closest archives building. She started working there in 2009, taking on a part-time position a few months later. She worked part-time until she graduated from the University of Alabama with a master’s in history in 2011. She became director six years later.

“When I went into [this career], I was in a place in my life where I thought I would be happy sitting in a dark, hermetic environment and processing stuff day in and day out,” Johnson said while talking about all the archives has to offer. “Looking back, I think God knew the bigger picture. We are still able to do the tours, the banquets and hands-on history and stuff like that, and I think I enjoy the programming more than anything at this point.”

Johnson and her husband, Forrest, will have been married five years in December.

The couple has two children, 12-year-old daughter Hardy and a 3-year-old son, Forrest Clark “Gunner” Johnson V. Johnson is also a member of the Junior Service League, Rotary Club, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the LaGrange International Friendship Exchange, the Lafayette Alliance and First United Methodist Church.

-Story and photos by Daniel Evans TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 7

HELPING STUDENTS Young Life director leads young people to grow in their faith Allen Crawford, 31, works for LaGrange Young Life, where he is the area director. Crawford grew up in Knoxville Tennessee, where his love for Young Life began. As a high school freshman, he discovered Young Life when his best friend’s brother took him out to a Young Life meeting. That summer he attended a Young Life camp in Colorado.

“It was the first summer I really started to follow Jesus,” Crawford said. “There was definitely a connection.”

After high school, Crawford moved to Georgia to attend the University of Georgia.

At first, he attended school to be a journalist, as he had a love for writing in high school. Then, he thought he might end up being a teacher. He never really saw himself having a career in Young Life.

Crawford began his training as a Young Life director in Columbus, then ended up in LaGrange. From there, he began to coordinate with families to start a Young Life program in LaGrange.

“Young Life helped me to figure out who I wanted to be,” Crawford said. “I feel like God is calling me to it, no matter how hard or exhausting it may be at times.”

Crawford said through Young Life, there are so many

opportunities to form life-long relationships with kids’ middle school age and older.

“The relationships formed through Young Life don’t just stop after high school ends,” Crawford stated. “These kids stay connected to the leaders and the program even through college.”

The Young Life program in LaGrange consists of 25 leaders who help kids to grow in their faith and as members of society.

Crawford said the goal is that these kids have consistency in their lives.

“Teenagers need stability, someone who won’t leave them and will stay faithful and consistent. These things are so valuable,” said Crawford when asked what Young Life members take away from the program.

Crawford enjoys playing golf in his spare time, as well as coaching.

He said that the best thing to happen to him since living in LaGrange was marrying his wife Mamie, who is a graphic designer and also works as a Young Life volunteer. Crawford enjoys food, reading and attending church when he is not busy with his career at Young Life.

— Story by Grace Braswell, Photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 9

GIVING BACK

Ivey works as marketing, sales specialist at New Ventures Anabeth Ivey has always loved giving back to her community. Now, 24, she works as a marketing and sales specialist at New Ventures, a nonprofit organization that provides job training.

Ivey’s role in marketing is to spread the word about New Ventures and to let the community know about the program.

“New Ventures offers a 400-hour training program to provide people in need with a good paying job and benefits.” Ivey said. “My job is to provide the community with information about our program and to let people know what is available when it comes to job opportunities.”

Ivey attended LaGrange High School, and then went on to continue her education at Georgia Southern. Recently, Ivey graduated from Leadership Troup, a program that offers professional development opportunities in Troup County. Ivey said that there are 30 community members nominated for the program each year, and through that program there are opportunities to become more involved in the community.

“There are so many chances to learn about what’s going on in my community,” Ivey said.

“Through Leadership Troup, we learn about education, healthcare, and economic development among other things that are happening not only in LaGrange but also in Hogansville and West Point.”

Ivey moved back to LaGrange after college because she was offered an opportunity at LaGrange College. Ivey said that this helped to shape her into the young business professional she is today.

Ivey is involved in several service organizations in the community, including Harmony House and Circles for Troup. She is a part time youth minister at First Methodist, and the president of HYPE (Helping Young Professionals Engage). Ivey said that she loves giving back to her community.

“Giving back has always been big on my heart,” Ivey said.

“The LaGrange community is so strong and encouraging.

Everyone is so supportive and works together. LaGrange has invested so much into me, and I want to invest back.”

When Ivey is not at work or volunteering, she enjoys going out on West Point Lake, walking her dog, Pops, on the thread and going out to Wild Leap to hang out with friends.

—Photos by Jenna Oden, Story by Grace Braswell TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 11

FAMILY FOCUSED

Troup County native serves community by working for city When she’s not helping people with business licenses or building permits, Brittany Jackson, 34, enjoys volunteering with her church and spending time in her hometown.

Jackson has worked for the City of LaGrange as a permits and licenses coordinator with the city for more than two years, and she said that she enjoys watching people work toward their dreams.

“I enjoy watching people come in and open up their small businesses and watch them grow,” Jackson said. “I get the chance to see them come in not knowing anything and get the opportunity to watch them grow and learn and do really well in the community — to provide jobs and services. It is also pretty exciting seeing companies and just people in general come in and build their houses and their businesses from the ground up.”

A Troup High graduate, Jackson said she enjoys being near her family in the community where she was born and raised. She said she also enjoys spending time with her 6-year-old and her long-time boyfriend.

“When I’m not working, I enjoy getting out,” Jackson said. “My 6-year-old is very active, so we go out to parks and playgrounds a lot. We do a lot of kid activities and go

to the fountain. He loves to dip his little fingers into that fountain.”

She is also passionate about helping other children through her church.

“I am very involved in my church,” Jackson said. “We do a lot of outreach to kids especially. Kids are our thing because kids are our future, so we do a lot of outreach and programs, just fun activities for the kids over at Confidence [Missionary Baptist Church].”

Jackson is also a member of HYPE, an organization for Troup County young professionals, which allows her to get to know other professionals in her age group, and those who work with her said that her professional skills are an asset to the city.

“Brittany is a very smart young lady,” said Alton West, director of community development and Jackson’s manager.

“She has come in and learned the process here serving up permits and business licenses. She is an asset to this department because she learns quick. She is a millennial, so she knows how to move around the computer.”

— Story and Photos by Alicia B. Hill TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 13

STAYING BUSY

Hudson co-owns two restaurants and runs Beacon Brewing At 33, Chase Hudson co-runs two restaurants and one brewery.

“We (Hudson’s father and him) started C’Sons about 10 years ago this year,” Hudson said.

“At that time, there were not a whole lot of restaurants in LaGrange.”

After the revitalization of Main Street in downtown, Hudson and his father felt the need to bring more restaurants to the area to help with the revitalization.

“We wanted to make sure we did our part individually to give LaGrange some options,” Hudson said. “About a yearand-a-half later, we opened Mare Sol to have some variety.

We then started toying with the idea of a brewery about five or six years ago.”

Hudson said the dream to have a brewery and make LaGrange a destination place for brewing was something the two had for a long time. Now, with two other commercial brewers and Beacon in Troup County, Hudson is watching that dream come true.

“We are impacting the community and providing jobs,” Hudson said. “Restaurants and breweries are a good way to kick off economic development in areas.”

When Hudson is not in the kitchen at his two restaurants or canning his latest brew of beer, he is spending

time with his wife, Beth, of eight years, and 19-month-old son Ben. Hudson is also on the board at LaGrange Academy.

“It is nice to have the academy on the edge of Hillside and a strong private school is important to a community along with a strong public-school system,” Hudson said.

“My wife and I both went to the academy, and we met there in third grade. I felt like it was the right time to do something like that.”

Hudson recently finished his two-year-term on the Callaway Foundation board as well.

Every day is long hours and hard work for Hudson, and he said there is usually no days off for him.

“Every day is really different,” Hudson said. “Because they are all so different it is nice because I can spend one day brewing here (Beacon) for eight hours straight, then the next day I’ll go work the floor at Mare Sol and then we can have a canning day here the day after that. It is a lot of variety, which is nice.”

Hudson said the success of his businesses is due to the support of family and the sacrifices he has had to make.

“I am thankful for all the support I have been given and very blessed,” Hudson said. ­— Story and photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 15

MAKING A DIFFERENCE District attorney hyper-focused on ensuring his office does good job He’s working to make a difference.

John “Herb” Cranford, 33, is a third-generation lawyer who now serves as the district attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit, which includes Troup County. As a Newnan High School graduate, Cranford remembers football games against LaGrange teams, and now, he gets to serve the community that he has known his entire life.

“I enjoy it,” Cranford said. “I can’t think of any other job that has the impact that being a prosecutor has. Being the DA, we deal with the most serious things going on in the community — violent crime, sex crime, abuse of children — and that is a difficult job to do with that kind of subject matter regularly, but it is very impactful.”

Cranford was sworn in by Gov. Nathan Deal in February 2018, filling the spot once occupied by his mentor — Pete Skandalakis.

“I went to Georgia undergrad and pursued my interests at Georgia, so I was a religion major,” Cranford said. “I decided to go to law school, and in law school I interned for Pete Skandalakis [who was the district attorney at the time] in the Coweta office. That was just a great experience, so that confirmed for me that I wanted to be a prosecutor. So, I applied for a job with Pete out of law school,

and he hired me in 2012.”

Cranford worked under Skandalakis until 2018, when Skandalakis became the director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council.

When Cranford isn’t at work, he enjoys cheering on his alma mater’s football team.

“I like Georgia football, so I go to football games in the fall, when I can,” Cranford said. “I try to go to the spring game, but I’m pretty focused on work. I have been since Pete hired me.”

Cranford said that taking on the job has meant stepping back from some of the commitments that he took on previously in order to give his full attention to the people who need his office.

“When I was an assistant DA, I served on a couple of nonprofit boards in Coweta, and I rolled off of those the last year or so,” Cranford said. “I made the decision that I needed for this job to be the sole focus as a new DA.” Cranford said that he would like to begin working with area nonprofits again in the future, but he felt that his most important contribution he can make to the community is ensuring that his office does a good job.

— Story and photos by Alicia B. Hill TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 17

DOING HER PART Scott serves community through role at sheriff’s office When Kristen Scott, 26, isn’t working in the Troup County Sheriff ’s Office as a records technician, she can usually be found supporting local causes or spending time with her family.

Like many employees at the TCSO, Scott volunteers for a variety of local programs, including several programs sponsored by and organized by the sheriff ’s office.

“I’ve gotten to work with a lot of different programs since I’ve joined the sheriff ’s office,” Scott said. “I work with [Sgt. Stewart Smith] and SAY Camp, and that is a huge joy for us. We both love that.”

SAY, or Sheriff ’s Academy for Youth, is held each summer for children ages 9 to 14-years-old. Scott also helps with the Explorers program, a program through the sheriff ’s office that gives students ages 14 to 20-years-old the chance to learn about law enforcement.

“It teaches them the ins and outs if they hope to have a career in it,” Scott said. “We actually just had an explorer apply for a position as a detention officer here, so that is going to come full circle for us, which is always really good to see.”

Additionally, Scott said that she volunteers regularly to help with other local groups and events like March of Dimes, Relay for Life, the Citizen’s Firearms Safety Course, United Way, Harmony House and Hope Harbor. She is also an active member of Callaway Baptist Church, where she has volunteered with Vacation Bible School.

A LaGrange High School class of 2011 graduate, Scott has called Troup County home for most of her life, and she now raises her two children with her husband, Freddie, in the same community where she grew up.

“I’ve lived in LaGrange since I was probably 2[-yearsold],” Scott said. “I went to elementary school here, went to high school here. I’ve worked here pretty much my whole entire life.”

Scott said she loves living near her family and helping out in the community, especially in her role at TCSO. “I have loved it,” Scott said. “There is a really good sense of community and a really good sense of family. … I have made lifelong friendships since I’ve been here. It has been a great place to work.” ­— Story and Photos by Alicia B. Hill

TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 19

TRUE CALLING LaGrange native making a difference in mental health discussion Growing up in LaGrange, Tamlin Hall, 39, had no idea he would create a movie that would be filmed in his hometown, start a movement that has spread nationally or teach others how to act and screenwrite.

“After graduating from LaGrange High School in ‘97 when football was really rocking and rolling, I went to the University of Georgia and got my degree in agricultural economics. Then, I moved out to Orlando to do accounting software for a produce industry,” Hall said. “I was really unhappy after about six months. I felt that God was calling me to be an actor, and I didn’t know anyone in the arts because I had an AG degree.”

After acting some in Orlando, Florida, Hall moved to Los Angeles and was accepted to Chicago Steppenwolf Theater and began his writing career. After three years of “sitting on the decision,” Hall decided to tell his childhood friend’s, Holden Layfield, story.

“I had a calling to tell Holden’s story,” Hall said. “We all have a sensor saying we are not good enough and that sensor got to me when it came to telling Holden’s story. I finally reached out to his family with a 13-page letter that I sent snail mail. I wanted to start a discussion of humanity and compassion and wanted to do it with (the movie) ‘Holden

On.’” Hall’s movie premiered in 2017 at the Atlanta Film Festival. Since then, the film has kickstarted a series of events and almost 20 awards in Hall’s life that include conferences throughout the country, a music festival, screenings of the movie on a national level and an honor from the state capitals in the Georgia General Assembly.

“It is an incredible opportunity to be able to provide that type of education with rural communities,” Hall said. “Believe in yourself before anyone else does.”

Currently, Hall is living in Atlanta with his wife, Esti, and two new twin boys, Hendrix and Brock, traveling across America to be a keynote speaker or screen his film and teaching screenwriting at the Atlanta Writers Club and Emory University. However, he still makes several trips back into LaGrange to focus on his nonprofit, IAMHOLDENON. “When I leave this world, if I have done something then I will be happy,” Hall said. “It’s not about us, it’s about everyone here after we are gone. God digs it, and I think that is something that I honor. And it’s a struggle, but it is incredibly rewarding.”

— Story and photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 21

EDUCATING LAGRANGE Head of LaGrange Academy believes key is supporting students Brian Dolinger may not have grown up in LaGrange, but after less than three years of living here, he and his family already feel right at home.

“I love the feel of this city because we are able to be connected to so much of our community,” Dolinger said. “It’s been an excellent transition. Our quality of life has improved so much.”

Dolinger moved to LaGrange with his wife, Christy, and their three children when he was offered the job as LaGrange Academy’s Head of School.

“We were looking at several different opportunities, and this one seemed like a great fit,” Dolinger said. “We really fell in love with this area and all of the things that are happening at the Academy.”

Dolinger began his career in education as a middle school math and science teacher in Texas. Prior to his move to LaGrange, he was the middle school principal at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Atlanta.

He and his wife even spent time in Africa, teaching the children of missionaries in Togo. Later on, Dolinger became a founding director of a school in Rwanda. He held his first administrative position at this school. It was his experiences in administration that made Dolinger realize he

wanted to have a similar job when he moved to LaGrange.

“I knew that having that opportunity to connect with families and help shape the culture of an entire school was something I wanted,” he said.

Dolinger said that being able to connect with students is the best part of his job. He said that LaGrange Academy students are supported and by their teachers, administrators, and parents as they are prepared for college.

“It’s a true community partnership where every piece of the puzzle fits together very nicely,” he said.

Dolinger considers his biggest life accomplishment as being a father to Levi, Lydia, and Esther. He said these personal things are at the core of who he is as a person.

“As a leader, I want to be someone who is supporting those around me. I’m passionate about shaping our future.

I really, truly believe that education is doing just that,” he said. “I think that the most important of occupations is shaping our students, because one day, they’ll be the ones taking care of us.”

In his free time, Dolinger plays guitar in a local band, is a member of the Rotary Club and is actively involved in his church.

— Story by Libby Criswell, Photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 23

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BUSINESS OWNER Olesen owns Frios, volunteers at First Baptist Church Growing up, Matt Oleson always knew that he wanted to own his own business.

The 30-year-old LaGrange native graduated from LaGrange College with a business degree, so he was well-prepared to make his dream come true in July of 2017 when he opened his own franchise of the Frios popsicle business. Oleson, who hopes to one day own several businesses, chose to open his first business in LaGrange because it offered the perks of a small town and has a good atmosphere.

“I never really had the desire to leave because I really love LaGrange and all that it has to offer,” he said.

Oleson admitted that many people were skeptical of him opening a popsicle business, but Frios has been able to stay open for the past two years, and it has prospered.

He said that Frios popsicles come in such a variety that people who have fruit allergies, are lactose intolerant or are gluten free can still enjoy several items on their menu.

“We really encompass a lot of dessert options that meet a lot of needs for people,” Oleson said. “We’ve got such a variety that we can provide something for everybody.”

Oleson’s favorite part about owning his own business is meeting new people.

“I really enjoy meeting new people and establishing

friendships and relationships that last a lifetime,” he said.

“Being able to see the smiles on peoples’ faces all the time when we serve the pops, it’s pretty rewarding just to see that.”

Aside from his job, Oleson also volunteers at First Baptist’s soup kitchen. He considers serving to be beneficial because it is another way he can contribute to bettering the LaGrange community.

“It really opens up my eyes to the community and some of the people who may get overlooked,” he said. “It’s my absolute favorite thing to do every Tuesday.”

Oleson is grateful that he can also give back to the LaGrange community in the form of pops.

“As far as starting my own business, I feel accomplished with that, but it pales in comparison to family,” Olesen said.

Oleson said he has a wonderful, close-knit immediate and extended family. He and wife, Lynsay, have a oneyear-old son named Foster.

“I really enjoy what I do, but it wouldn’t be as valuable or meaningful if I didn’t have them or the love and support they give to back it up,” Oleson said. “Without them, this would all be for nothing.”

— Story by Libby Criswell, Photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 27

22 • LAGRANGE LIVING | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

SPREADING HOPE

Rhye has overcome cancer, now helps others do the same In June of 1999, at 11-years-old, Amanda Rhye was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and was told she had no chance at survival, but her story didn’t stop there. Now 20 years in remission, Rhye, 31, is spreading hope to cancer fighters everywhere through her nonprofit, HOPE xo.

“In June 2017, before we launched HOPE xo, we found out my sister-in-law had breast cancer,” Rhye said. “So, it was a sign that I knew I needed to do this, and it needed to be launched.”

Starting off, Rhye simply expected HOPE xo to be a popup shop. Little did she know two years later she would be sending off shirts, buttons and care packages filled with hope all over the country.

“We are campaigning for the buttons, where we give 30 percent of all net sales to go to childhood cancer research,” Rhye said. “With cancer awareness months coming up, we are going to try and raise some money to make that happen and use these buttons to do that, we are calling this ‘Project Buttons.’ Lucky buttons right now are what I am working on.”

Rhye not only produces her HOPE xo products, but also spends time travelling to hospitals visiting children who are fighting against cancer.

“I have a group of kids right now that are going through treatment and when I know they are at the hospital I will

take them coloring books and HOPE xo kits or deliver bears with the Caden Project,” Rhye said. “We go all over to different hospitals, not always the same one.”

After visiting one in Jacksonville, Florida, and after traveling all over Georgia to visit hospitals, Rhye said one of her goals for the year is to visit even more.

“We also visit the Ronald McDonald House where we feed them, do activities and give out little HOPE xo kits there as well,” Rhye said.

When it comes to the cancer treatments and the children fighting for their lives, Rhye said the main thing they need in the hospital room is “just a little hope.”

“It brings a smile to their face,” Rhye said. “Just being able to go and see the moms and the dads light up and give them a little hope is so incredible. I’ll show the kids my bald-headed little photos and tell them that was me once too.”

When she’s not having dance parties in hospital rooms or spreading hope wherever she goes, Rhye is chasing around her two children, Khyler and Violet, or supporting her husband Josh, the pastor at 3Life Church.

“I’m a mom, a wife and I love taco Tuesdays,” Rhye said.

“But at the end of the day if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

Dealing with cancer is not fun, so I try to keep people smiling.”

—Story and photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 29

22 • LAGRANGE LIVING | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018

MAKING HIS MARK

Sands has seen Kia transform hometown of West Point Growing up, Patrick Sands never thought he would have the job he currently holds. Primarily because he never thought the parent company of his employer, Kia Motors, would decide to make his childhood community the site of a massive, international automotive hub. However, this is exactly what happened as Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia broke ground in West Point in 2006 and began producing vehicles in 2009.

“I never dreamed in a million years they would build a plant like this, literally in my backyard,” Sands said. “It has just been crazy. It seems like just yesterday that all that happened.”

Sands is KMMG’s public relations manager and has worked for the company for more than a decade, joining the team in 2008.

The 39-year-old Lanett native and resident has seen his job change over the years, and has enjoyed the ride.

Prior to his time at KMMG, Sands graduated from Lanett High School in 1998, then attended Auburn University before returning to his hometown. He took a job working for his hometown newspaper, the Valley Times-News, as a general assignment reporter, which kept him busy.

“Every ribbon cutting, every Friday night football game, high school basketball games, just generally everything that was going on, I was there,” Sands said. “I learned a ton. When I left there, I really felt like I knew everybody in the community.”

Sands left the newspaper in May 2008 to take a position

with Kia, and has not looked back since, working in public relations for the entirety of his tenure with the car manufacturing giant.

He came to KMMG as a public relations specialist before he was promoted to assistant manager of public relations in April of 2013.

“That was pretty cool,” Sands said of the promotion. “I started off mainly on the external side and then over the years that became more internal and external.”

In his role as assistant manager, Sands worked on communication projects for KMMG both for public consumption and for internal use only.

“We have a weekly newsletter that we send out, we have a magazine that goes home to employees, we also have really started to incorporate television into what we do here,” Sands said. “We have more than 75 internal televisions that we are able to control and shoot out a lot of content to those.”

Sands’ upward trajectory with KMMG continued in December of 2018, when he was promoted to manager of public relations.

“It has really been the wildest 10 years,” Sands said. “We never have a dull moment, it’s a fun place to work and you really get to see the impact it has had.”

Sands and his wife Sara, a Valley native, have two children who both attend Springwood School, Emily and Ryan.

— Story and photos by Baker Ellis TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 31

COMMUNITY FOCUSED LPD’s Peterson works patrol after leading L.E.A.D. program For LaGrange Police Department Sgt. Monica Peterson, 37, her job is all about community.

Peterson has been with the LPD since 2005, when she left the U.S. Army. At that time, she did administrative work. Since then, she has served in several roles within the department and has influenced the direction of community programs.

“I did D.A.R.E. I loved that — going to elementary schools,” Peterson said. “Then I brought in a brand-new program from New Jersey here called L.E.A.D., [or] Law Enforcement Against Drugs, and I graduated in the first class in Georgia.”

Peterson said the switch from D.A.R.E. to L.E.A.D. was prompted by changes to the D.A.R.E. program and the different focuses in the programs.

“L.E.A.D. continued a component with marijuana, and it also talks about different narcotics,” Peterson said. “It doesn’t just talk about the scary stuff — ‘if you do drugs, this will happen to you.’ This is more [about how] you have choices, and it teaches you how to make better choices.”

Peterson said that she expected the L.E.A.D. program’s primary impact to be increasing understanding of the harmful effects of drugs, but after a few years, the biggest

impact that she has seen has been the relationships cemented between students and officers leading the program.

“I’ve seen police officer-children relationships come together, because the L.E.A.D. program asks the parents to get involved, and we give kids homework,” Peterson said.

“We get to sit and talk to the parents. We talk to the kids.

It is almost like we are bonded.”

Peterson said that she saw the work she did in schools having an impact on local students — from the children who excitedly greeted her in the halls to a child with behavioral problems who agreed to stay on his best behavior all week, if he could eat lunch with Peterson.

“Those types of relationships that get built, you can’t replace,” Peterson said.

Now that she is in patrol, Peterson finds herself working with the community in different ways, but for her, the job is still all about relationships.

“It is different for me now as a sergeant in patrol because I feel like I have more say on how cases are handled,” Peterson said. “Coming from a community and being able to work with the community, it makes things so much better.”

— Story and Photos by Alicia B. Hill TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 33

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR Beall, a LaGrange native, grew plumbing business Alex Beall can often be found in his spacious, yet windowless, office on Whitesville Road, fielding and facilitating a litany of phone calls from plumbers out on repair and installation jobs throughout the LaGrange community and beyond. Beall, a LaGrange native, now works for Jackson Services as the director of company’s plumbing division, and has been in that role since selling his own business to his now-employer in July of 2017.

Beall’s path to selling a successful plumbing business was somewhat unconventional and is a testament to just how far hard work and underappreciated skill can go. Beall showed an aptitude from an early age for the sort of applied mathematics and geometry that plumbing requires, and it did not take him long to begin taking advantage of this skill.

“Plumbing came easy to me, I understood it and it made sense to me,” Beall said. “I excelled in that pretty quickly.

It’s not all plugging toilets, a lot of it is flow rates, dealing with geometry, things like that.”

After taking a job with the Troup County School System at a young age in the maintenance division, Beall soon began branching out, completing side work as a plumber for family and friends.

“I started learning a lot about plumbing, and was started going to fix my grandmother’s faucet, or an aunt and uncle’s water heater, then I began to realize, ‘Hey I can make some money doing this,’” Beall said.

Working full-time with the school system as well as a consistent stream of additional plumbing work soon led to

long days and short nights, thus Beall and his young family made the decision to start a plumbing company, Beall’s Plumbing. At the time, Beall was all of 25-years-old.

“There was a lot of fear and uncertainty at the time, it was right in the middle of the housing crisis,” Beall said of starting the company. “But, there was a need for plumbers in LaGrange at the time, so we were able to grow quickly.”

Throughout the course of the next decade, Beall’s company grew to employ up to 16 plumbers. In that span of time, Beall joined a networking group through the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, which led him to meet Dale Jackson of Jackson Services. After a prolonged courtship process on the part of Jackson Services, Beall came to realize a merger was in the best interest of his growing company and its employees.

“The move was all about growth,” Beall said. “Now we offer full medical benefits, 401(k) with a match, vacation time, etc. You can be a plumber in LaGrange now and make a competitive wage and also have the benefits of a large company.”

The growth outlined initially by Beall and his team has been accomplished, while future growth plans look promising as well.

Beall is also married to his middle school sweetheart. He and his wife, Hanna, met in an 8th-grade Algebra class at Gardner-Newman Middle School and have been together ever since. The two now have three children, Chloe, Camden and Isla. ­— Story by Baker Ellis, Photos by Jenna Oden TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 35

TAKING THE LEAP Rodriguez co-owns Wild Leap Brew Co. in LaGrange Brewing beer is a unique form of science, something Wild Leap Brewery co-founder Anthony Rodriguez discovered when he was working for a hospital in Atlanta.

In between study sessions for the MCAT exam, Rodriguez worked part-time at a brewery where his passion for crafting beer was sparked.

He and his business partner Rob Goldstein began to craft their next move, as well as the kind of product they wanted to create.

Through careful engineering and patience, the Wild Leap founders created a tasty, well-balanced product that earned them a quick fan base in the LaGrange community.

“We just try to make a well-balanced product,” Rodriguez said.

“Some products can sometimes overdo it on one side or the other, so we always shoot to be well-balanced in any style to make the easiest drinking version we can.”

Such precision and passion recently helped crown Wild Leap as USA Today’s Best New Brewery in the country, an honor Rodriguez says is thanks to LaGrange’s warm recep-

tion to the brewery’s product.

“We haven’t been here very long, but we managed to establish an amazing group of people that really enjoy the product,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s something the fans chose, and we were lucky to edge our way to the top.”

Rodriguez advises anyone who has a passion they want to turn into a reality to do one simple thing: take the leap.

“When you believe in something, it’s a lot easier to share that passion with everyone else,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of times we spend our time saying ‘I want to do this’ or ‘I want to do that,’ but we never really take that step. I think the hardest thing is taking that first step, and even that second step after that, but you have to push through it.

The best advice I can give is just get started.”

To give back to the community for their support, Rodriguez serves on the Downtown Development Authority board and works on various fundraiser events.

— Story by Shiann Sivell, Photos by Jenna Oden

TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 37

FINDING HIS CALLING Callaway graduate spreads the message of positivity He found his calling. When Callaway High graduate Quay Boddie was a student at Shorter University, he enjoyed sharing positive messages with friends and acquaintances, and he hoped it helped brighten their day.

Six years ago, as Boddie was approaching graduation, he felt the urge to do more, to try to spread that message of positivity to a wider audience. So Boddie, while a senior at Shorter, decided to take a leap of faith and write a book, one he hoped would provide inspiration to those who read it. That book, titled “Old Soul 22,” was released five years ago, and that began a whirl-wind journey for Boddie.

Boddie, who graduated from Shorter with a degree in business administration, has since written three more books, and he has also become an in-demand motivational speaker. It all started with those uplifting messages during his college days, and Boddie couldn’t imagine this is the path his life would take.

Boddie has been joined on his life’s journey by Jerika Boddie, who became his wife earlier this year.

“I never knew that God wanted me to write a book until 2013,” Boddie said. “I used to send out text messages and emails to different people. God told me, you’re going to write a book. The next thing you know, December 19 of 2014, I released my first book.”

Boddie’s follow-up book to “Old Soul 22” was “I Am

Somebody,” and he later wrote “Pocket Power” and “Coffee.”

While Boddie may have been a somewhat reluctant writer at the start, he now says “it’s a no-brainer” that this is what he’s meant to do.

“I love it,” Boddie said. “I find the good in everything or find a lesson in everything around me.”

Boddie was a three-sport standout at Callaway in football, basketball and baseball. Through sports, Boddie learned lessons that have helped him throughout his life.

“You get hit in the mouth, you get back up, you learn how to come from behind,” Boddie said. “It’s all these different things that translate to your life.”

Boddie went on to play football at Shorter, and while at the college in Rome he continued to mature and grow and find things out about himself, most notably that he took great joy from writing, as well as public speaking.

“In college, it was an every once in a while-type deal, but when I got out of college, that’s when it was like OK, I want to do this,” Boddie said. “I love to pour into the lives of other people what’s poured into me. So it’s been going strong since then especially since 2014. That’s really when I realized, I love this. I’m hyped, full of life. I want to bring life and energy to anybody that’s in front of me.”

— Story and Photos by Kevin Eckleberry TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 39

FOLLOWING IN FOOTSTEPS Jackson says father’s legacy led him to LaGrange Jamey Jackson’s exposure to LaGrange is somewhat unique compared to most. A native of Macon, Jackson spent time in Louisville as a young child before moving to LaGrange when he was approximately 10. His family spent six years in the local area before moving back to northern Kentucky, where he finished high school. After high school, he spent time at the University of Kentucky before taking a job with Kelly Services, a workforce solutions company. The job at Kelly led to a position with Malone Staffing Solutions, where Jackson now serves as the Executive Vice President.

Jackson’s first stint in LaGrange as a child was a product of his father’s job. His father, the late Randy Jackson, first came to LaGrange to help his then-employer Alcan Aluminum open a plant. However, Randy Jackson is more well-known throughout the local area for his second stint in the community, when he served as chief administration officer for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

“He was one of the very first Americans hired here,” Jamey Jackson said of his father. “He helped basically build the entire organization. He was the head of anything dealing with administration.”

While his father did not recruit Kia to West Point, Randy Jackson helped build the company’s workforce, managed its growth, served as the company’s spokesman and helped coordinate with both foreign investors and state government agencies. He was an integral cog in Kia’s growth and the economic development throughout the area that came along as a result.

Randy Jackson passed away, suddenly and tragically, on May 20, 2016, as the result of a sudden heart attack. He died en route to South Korea, on an economic development mission to bring more jobs back to Troup County.

The tragedy and resulting experience left his son faced with an important question and realization.

“It was the most life-altering experience I’ve ever gone through,” Jamey Jackson said. “When we had his funeral service, we had to use Kia’s training center for his public service, I think we had 1,100 people there. After that, my wife and I said ‘What are we doing with our lives? Because if that happened to us tomorrow, 1,100 people aren’t showing up for us.’”

Jackson, still living in Kentucky at the time, was inspired by the legacy his father had created and left, and wanted to be the one to pick up that torch and carry it forward.

“It inspired me to say, ‘If anybody is going to try and carry on my dad’s legacy, it should be me,’” Jamey Jackson said. “That’s what brought me here.”

Now, Jamey gets to reminisce often about his father, living in the community where he left such an impact.

Jamey’s work now is similar to the work done by his father, in the sense that Jamey is committed to helping company’s grow by helping them find the right people.

“I enjoy the relationship side, I enjoy the people interaction both on the client and candidate side,” Jamey said.

“Even more than that, I find great satisfaction in solving a client’s issues via people.”

— Story and photos by Baker Ellis TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 41

MORE THAN WINNING Thornton balances will to win with focus on building leaders It was a blessing in disguise.

Carla Thornton was a freshman basketball player at Bethune-Cookman (Fla.) when she suffered a major injury, hampering her college career before it even started.

At the time, it seemed like a catastrophic blow for a player looking to make it on the college level after an exceptional prep career at Callaway High.

“I went down there, and had a chance to be the backup point guard my freshman year (in 2002),” Thornton said.

“I tore my ACL the first practice, and that kind of derailed my career. But everything happens for a reason. That’s when I got into watching the game. I changed my major from marketing to education after that.”

Thornton went from playing to watching, from participating to observing, and that helped foster a passion for coaching that is still going strong 15 years later.

Thornton is heading into her 10th season as the head girls’ coach at Troup High, and that comes on the heels of two successful years leading Gardner Newman Middle School’s girls’ program. It all goes back to those days at Bethune Cookman when she received invaluable on-thejob training.

“My coach at the time, she let me be involved in a lot of things,” Thornton said. “She showed me the ins and out, had me watching film with her and sitting by them on the bench. It was a great learning experience.”

After graduating from Bethune Cookman, Thornton’s

intent was to remain in Florida, but the desire to be closer to an ailing grandfather brought her back to Troup County.

“My grandfather got sick, and at the time we didn’t think he was going to make it,” Thornton said. “I came home to be with him.”

Thornton led the Lady Mustangs to a league championship in her first year at Gardner Newman, and they made it back-to-back titles the following season. Ricky Thrash, at the time an assistant principal at Troup High, persuaded Thornton to follow a new career path, convincing her to come to his school to become the girls’ basketball coach.

“Sometimes, it takes a challenge to bring out the best in you,” said Thornton, who grew up in West Point where some of the Troup players come from. “Sometimes you get comfortable. It was something I needed at that time in my life and in my career.”

Thornton had some early success at Troup, leading the team to a region championship and a spot in the state quarterfinals. While the competitive fire burns brightly for Thornton, she balances that desire to win with an effort to make the gym a refuge, a happy place for the players.

“At first, I was all about winning my any means necessary,” Thornton said. “Over the course of my career, I’ve learned to care more about the people. When you care more about the people, the wins will still come.”

—Story and photos by Kevin Eckleberry TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 43

ONE BIG IDEA Eley, owner of Two Big Feet, has growing business Brandon Eley makes very big shoes for very big feet. His company, the aptly-named 2BigFeet.com, provides a myriad of shoe options for people with shoes sizes of at least 14, ranging as high as 20 and beyond. The company, born prior to Eley’s 20th birthday, has seen its share of ups and downs throughout the years, but now has a bright outlook thanks to hard work and ingenuity of its founder.

Eley, a native of LaGrange, graduated from LaGrange High School before briefly attending LaGrange College.

Before his freshman year at LaGrange College, he took an internship opportunity with Shorewood Packaging, an international packaging company, and struck up a serendipitous relationship with a co-worker, Neal Moncrief, who happened to have large feet.

“We used to talk about how we were going to quit our jobs and make lots of money as entrepreneurs,” Eley said with a smile. “He grew up in South Georgia with not a lot around him. He grew up with size 16 feet, never had many shoe options. He came up with this idea and asked me if I could build a website for him. So, we quit our jobs and started 2BigFeet.”

Eley, a teenager at the time with limited technical knowledge in an era before digital technology was as overwhelmingly present as it is today, felt confident he could create a serviceable website.

“I’ve always dreamed of owning my own business,” Eley said. “I’ve never really gotten along with authority figures telling me what to do. I would have always preferred en-

trepreneurship, but this was just a good idea.”

Eley kept one foot in two camps for two years immediately thereafter, attending college and running the business. However, it became evident he needed to commit to either one or the other and made the decision to focus on the business. He and his wife took over full ownership of the company in 2007, approximately seven years after its origin, when the company was all but bankrupt.

To make ends meet, Eley sold his small consulting business to a local company, Kelsey Advertising, and went to work there for five years. While working there, Eley helped develop the mobile website for McDonalds’ after the initial version of the iPhone was released.

Over the course of the next five years, 2BigFeet re-established itself as a viable brand, which eventually led Eley to turn his full-time attention to the company in 2014. The company eventually paid the entirety of its debt obligations back to its vendors, something Eley is very proud of.

“We paid 100 percent, every dime that we owed,” Eley said. “I felt very strongly about that.”

Eley sees the economic future of LaGrange and Troup County as primarily and overwhelmingly positive, thanks to solid leadership.

“In LaGrange and Troup County, we’ve been really blessed to have a lot of people who care enough about the community to get involved and donate their time and energy for the good of the county,” Eley said.

— Story and photos by Baker Ellis TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 45

TEACHER OF THE YEAR Sewell is giving back to her hometown by educating tomorrow’s leaders It’s been quite a year for Long Cane Middle School teacher Traviera Sewell.

Sewell, a sixth grade social studies teacher, was named the Troup County School System’s Teacher of the Year in March.

This is only Sewell’s fourth year teaching.

“I was in tears,” Sewell said when her name was called. “I was surrounded by my family, my co-workers, my friends and faculty, so I felt really blessed and humbled but super excited also.”

The LaGrange native went to the Troup County School System for kindergarten through twelfth grade and graduated from LaGrange High School in 2010.

She said it meant a lot to come back to Troup County and teach the next generation.

“I definitely wanted to come back and give to my own community. This is where I grew up. This is where I call home, and this is where my family is from,” Sewell said.

“Troup County had such a big impact on me, and I wanted to inspire other students and other people in my community, so I’m definitely glad I got to come back home and give back to my community.”

In April, Sewell learned that she won a free cruise for

two from Norwegian Cruise Line, via the Giving Joy campaign. Only 30 teachers from across the United States were selected.

“March was such an amazing month for me,” Sewell said.

“I did not expect to be named Troup County Teacher of the Year and was thrilled when I was named the winner.

The following day, I received news that I had been nominated to win a free cruise for teachers through the Norwegian Cruise Line.”

Sewell earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, her master’s from Columbus State University and her specialist degree from Liberty University.

She’s currently working to earn a doctorate degree.

Sewell credits her mother, Tanya Boyd, for inspiring her to be the person she is today.

“She has made everything possible for me and my siblings. She has sacrificed to make sure we all had what we needed, and I literally don’t think I can thank her enough for all she’s done for us and done for me,” Sewell said. “She was the first one that jumped up last night when they said my name, and I couldn’t have asked for a better mom.

She’s the rock of the family. She holds everybody together.”

— Story and Photos by Daniel Evans TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 47

PREVIOUS 20 UNDER 40 HONOREES

2018 HONOREES CORINNE HODGES Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia

CHRIS BEIRNE Point University

BRENT ADDISON Emory at LaGrange

KAYLA YEARGIN Troup County High School

DALE JACKSON Jackson Services

DAVID KELTON LaGrange College

ASHLEY MCCOY Synovus

BETHANY HEADRICK Hillside Montessori

JAKE AYERS Pioneer Group

CHASE HALL Edward Jones

TRAE LONG Gay & Joseph

JAKE JONES Synovus

STEWART SMITH Troup County Sheriff ’s Office

HENRY JACOBS Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

HILL DANIEL Troup County Drug Court

LAUREN VENTERS Circles of Troup County

KEYAL LOVELAND Sweetland Amphitheatre

CURTIS BROWN Build the Crowd

TOREY HARDEN WellStar pediatrician

ROB GOLDSTEIN Wild Leap Brew Co.

THE LAGRANGE DAILY

NEWS | JUNE 2018

INAUGURAL

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DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE? 20 Under 40 is possible due to nominations from the LaGrange and Troup County community. Each year we take nominations via an online form. Do you know someone who we should recognize that is under 40 years old and makes a considerable difference in our community? Make a nomination by emailing news@lagrangenews.com, subject: 20 Under 40.

TWENTY UNDER FORTY • 47

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