The Cobb Chamber’s South Cobb Area Council, which represents South Cobb’s three distinct districts of Austell, Mableton and Powder Springs, has selected three community advocates as 2022 Citizens of the Year: Lin Harrison for Austell, Ray Thomas for Mableton, and Pam Conner for Powder Springs.
The Citizen of the Year Awards are given to honor an individual whose impact through the years will be recognized and regarded with pride throughout the area as a role model. These outstanding citizens are chosen for their definable, exceptional deeds, with which he or she have made their community a better place to live. Awards are given based on local area nominations. The 2022 South Cobb Citizen of the Year awards were presented at the South Cobb Area Council luncheon at the Cobb County Police Department Training Center.
2022 Austell Citizen of the Year
Lin Harrison
Lin Harrison is an engaged and active member of the Austell Community who shows his passion for the community through everything he does. A leader who has focused on education and youth for decades, Harrison helped establish the Austell Community Collaborative (ACC), a non-profit dedicated to creating a transformative vision for bringing hope to the next generation of the community. Currently serving as the Chair of the ACC, Harrison has has been instrumental in helping the organization get to where they are today, leading collaborative conversation with multiple sector leaders to transform the community.
This past year, Harrison helped reorganize and transition the ACC towards a new dedicated executive board of advisors, while achieving 501c3 non-profit status for the organization, which will be instrumental in helping funding the expansion of the Austell Youth Innovation Center (AYIC). Under Harrison’s leadership in the ACC, the AYIC’s goal is to improve graduation rates and test scores for Austell youth, while providing a solid foundation to put them in line for the jobs of the future.
Harrison has empowered teams of volunteers to serve and influence the children and families of local schools through service projects, scholastic mentoring, character education initiatives, teacher appreciation events, parenting workshops and encouragement events, and sponsoring/hosting school-based cultural artistic events. Over his 54 years in Cobb, Harrison has continuously contributed to the wellbeing of the Austell community through his servitude and dedication.
2022 Mableton Citizen of the Year
Ray Thomas
Ray Thomas, President of the Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC), has been a crucial fixture within the Mableton community for many years. Upon joining the MIC as a board member in 2016, Thomas relaunched MIC’s corporate sponsorship program, founded the HOA Network, spearheaded the design guidelines for Veterans Memorial Highway and Mableton Parkway, and has grown the MIC ‘s membership to an all-time high.
Thomas has also played pivotal roles in establishing the inaugural Taste of Mableton and the Mableton Economic Development Summit. One of the most enduring achievements in Ray’s portfolio of success is Discovery Park at the River Line. After over 10 years of advocating, Thomas’ persistent and preceptive advocacy opened this park to the public with a ribbon cutting in 2020. Discovery Park today is the anchor of Cobb County’s involvement in the Chattahoochee Riverlands project – a 100-mile plan for greenspace along the most important water resource in the community.
Thomas works tirelessly for the organizations that he commits to. For many years, he has provided financial and leadership support to the Integrity Children’s Fund, a nonprofit serving Trenchtown, Jamaica and the Atlanta area that focuses on eliminating illiteracy in children and adults. In 2019, Thomas headed the fundraising effort to buy laptops for the Outdoor Classroom at Lindley Sixth Grade Academy. Thomas has also worked closely with the leadership at Cobb County School District on specific efforts to reach Latino parents and families so that barriers to full access can be removed. He continues to selflessly dedicate himself to help improve the quality of Mableton and the wellbeing of its citizens.
2022 Powder Springs Citizen of the Year
Pam Conner
Pam Conner, City Manager for the City of Powder Springs, has worked tirelessly for the community for over 20 years. Since her appointment in 2015, she has overseen the revitalization of Downtown Powder Springs, including the construction of Thurman Springs Park, and has taken the lead in sparking a rebirth of economic growth for the entire city.
Conner has been instrumental in growing and sustaining community involvement by fostering relationships with local non-profit groups and local small business associations. She provided strong and steady leadership throughout the pandemic by implementing wise measures to protect both the public and her city staff, all while exhibiting and maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards. She is highly respected by all her contemporaries and has willingly shared her expertise with other city managers to enable their success in their respective cities.
A graduate of Leadership Cobb Class of 2020, Conner exemplifies the best qualities of the Powder Springs community. Conner has dedicated much of her career to serve and help improve the quality of the city and the wellbeing of its citizens. Her servitude, hard work ethic, and determination make her a valuable contributor to the neighborhoods and communities of Powder Springs.
For more information about Area Councils, contact Katie Guice at kguice@cobbchamber.org or 770-859-2334. Thank you to Series Presenting Sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, and Program Sponsors, Georgia Power and Six Flags Over Georgia.
