Awards
The Woman of Distinction award is given annually to recognize a woman who has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her professional endeavors, community involvement, and commitment to social responsibility. Through her leadership, this recipient drives meaningful change and creates a lasting impact by uplifting and empowering others.
The 2026 Woman of Distinction award will be presented at the Cobb Chamber Marquee Monday event on Monday, June 8, celebrating the transformative power of inclusive leadership in building a stronger community.
Cobb Executive Women (CEW) membership is available to women whose organizations are Cobb Chamber members. CEW defines prospective members as individuals in one of following categories:
For more information, contact Rebecca Chadwick at 770-859-2368 or rchadwick@cobbchamber.org.
Award Sponsor
CEW Yearlong Presenting Sponsor
Congratulations to Dr. Jackie McMorris for winning the 2026 Woman of Distinction Award!
The Cobb Chamber’s Cobb Executive Women (CEW) today named the winner of the 2026 Woman of Distinction Award at the Chamber’s September Marquee Monday event: Dr. Jackie McMorris, County Manager, Cobb County Government. Throughout her career, McMorris has demonstrated a commitment to public service, collaborative leadership and strengthening the community she serves.
As County Manager, Dr. Jackie McMorris leads one of Georgia’s largest local governments, overseeing a $1.3 billion budget, 34 County departments and approximately 5,100 employees. Her career in public service spans more than 27 years and includes a series of groundbreaking leadership roles. After serving in leadership positions in Cherokee County and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, McMorris joined Cobb County Government in 2013. She went on to become Cobb’s first Deputy County Manager and, in March 2020, became the first woman to serve as County Manager.
McMorris assumed the role at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping lead Cobb County through its response while ensuring essential services continued for residents. Working alongside the Cobb Board of Commissioners, she helped develop a strategy that provided approximately $50 million in relief funding to local small businesses and nonprofit organizations during the height of the crisis.
Her leadership has also helped shape some of Cobb County’s most significant economic and community initiatives, from the continued success of Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta to coordinating the complex, multi-agency efforts surrounding the 2021 World Series and championship parade.
McMorris’ commitment to the Cobb community extends beyond her role in county government. A graduate of the Leadership Cobb Class of 2015, she has dedicated significant time to mentoring and developing the next generation of leaders. Through her involvement with Mentoring for Leadership in Marietta, she has mentored students, helped bring resources and awareness to the organization and personally invested in its mission.
She has also played a key role in creating resources for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents. Her leadership helped establish the Cobb Family Advocacy Center, the first of its kind in Georgia, bringing together critical services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse and human trafficking.
McMorris is actively involved in a variety of community causes, including partnering with North Georgia Habitat for Humanity on homebuilding projects and supporting Cobb County’s Angel Tree Program. In 2023, she participated in Dancing with the Stars of Marietta to help raise funds for local causes.
Developing others is also central to McMorris’ leadership. As a certified John Maxwell trainer, speaker and coach, she prioritizes professional development, team building and transformational leadership. She mentors young women, speaks to youth and community groups, and uses her experience to help develop future leaders.
Her service and leadership have earned recognition throughout Cobb County and beyond. McMorris was named LiveSafe Resources’ Woman of the Year in 2022, became a Credentialed County Manager through the International County Management Association in 2023 and received the Cobb Chamber’s Mack Henderson Public Service Award in 2025.
2014 – Shan Cooper, Lockheed Martin
2015 – Judge Mary Staley, Cobb County Superior Court
2016 – Dr. Yolanda Graham, Devereux Georgia Treatment Network
2017 – Tracy Styf, Town Center Community Improvement District
2018 – Holly Tuchman, Executive Director of liveSAFE Resources
2019 – Allison Giddens, Director of Operations at Win-Tech Inc.
2020 – Kim Gresh, President of S.A. White Oil Company
2021 – Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, Cobb County Government
2022 – Shari Martin, CEO of Cobb Community Foundation
2023 – Stacey Chapman, Vice President of CROFT
2024 – Rhonda Jacobson, Vice President and Co-Owner, Cumberland Diamond Exchange
2025 – Nurdan Cornelius, Director of Consumer Marketing, Cobb EMC
Bill Kinney, Marietta Daily Journal
1991 – Ed Baker, Atlanta Business Chronicle
1992 – Ron Francis, Charter Bank
1993 – Gen. Terry Whitnell, Dobbins Air Reserve Base
1994 – Don Robertson, The Walker School
1995 – Bill Byrne, Cobb County Commission
1996 – Eleanor Davis, Crawford & Company
1997 – Shelia Buckner, Cobb County Government
1998 – Tom Hill, WellStar Health System
1999 – Gwynn Ross, Galleria Specialty Mall
2000 – Sheila Blake, WellStar Health System
2001 – Larry E. Collier, SunTrust Bank
2002 – William P. Kane, Dobbins Air Reserve Base
2003 – Ron R. Koger, Southern Polytechnic State University
2004 – Brent Brown, Chesley Brown International
2005 – Dr. Harlon Crimm, Chattahoochee Technical College
2006 – Dr. Lisa Rossbacher, Southern Polytechnic State University
2007 – Joe Daniell, United Community Bank (ret.)
2008 – Fred Bentley, Jr., Bentley, Bentley & Bentley
2009 – Bonnie Cole, United Way of Metro Atlanta
2010 – Sam Olens, Sam Olens for Attorney General
2011 – Jeri Barr, Center for Family Resources
2012 – Lisa Crossman, Cobb & Douglas Public Health
2013 – Kathy Schwaig, Kennesaw State University
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