Banquet Honors Local Residents

Stephens County honors local leaders and legacies.

Thursday night, this year’s Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County class honored five individuals at the 1st “Leaders and Legacies” banquet at the Georgia Baptist Convention Center in Toccoa.

The goal of the banquet was to honor five people who grew up in Stephens County and have returned to stayed in Stephens County and made positive contributions to the community.

Those being honored at this year’s banquet were local businessman Marvin Dunson, businesswoman and Stephens County Commissioner Michelle Ivester, former NFL player and founder of the E.O. Center in Toccoa Evan Oglesby, banker Tammy Riddle, and businessman Clint Sanders.

Dunson said he is honored to be recognized.

“I am very blessed,” said Dunson. “It is a nice award and I am glad the community gave it to us.”

Ivester said she is humbled to be a part of this.

“Thank you to everyone who came out, everyone who nominated,” said Ivester. “This is very much a surprise and it is just wonderful to be a resident of Stephens County. We have great things coming in our future and I am so glad to be a part of it.”

Oglesby said he is excited to be back in Stephens County helping the community move forward.

“I feel blessed to be back in my community and to do something I love and have a passion for,” said Oglesby. “Toccoa is growing and I am glad to be a part of that.”

Riddle said she feels honored to be able to be a part of this community.

“It was a great evening and I am just humbled,” said Riddle. “I am proud to stand before everybody as a Toccoa-Stephens County resident, hometown girl.”

Sanders said he is also honored to be included in the event.

“It was a very nice evening,” said Sanders. “I am thankful for and humbled by the honor.”

The speaker for the night was 50th District State Senator John Wilkinson.

He says that he agrees with a definition of leadership that says “leadership is influence.”

However, Wilkinson said there are certain traits he agreed with that someone needed to have to be a person of influence.

“You had to have credibility,” said Wilkinson. “You had to have genuine concern, be willing to make a commitment, and have a certain amount of competence.”

Wilkinson also talked about a former leader of the Toccoa-Stephens County community who left a legacy that continues today, R.G. LeTourneau.

All of the money raised through Thursday’s “Leaders and Legacies” banquet will go into the Stephens County school system to help with needs at the various schools through PTOs and the arts programs at the middle and high schools.