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  Jan Jones
Outstanding Legislator Award
The
Outstanding Legislator Award recognizes a legislator who has
demonstrated outstanding vision for change and leadership in
advocating for children and families at-risk and the providers who
care for them. Presented by Normer Adams:
As a
relatively new legislator elected for the first time in November
2002, Representative Jan Jones has distinguished herself as an
advocate for children, a champion of their rights to an education
and a leader among her peers. In talking with her, she notes, “I
want to make a tangible positive difference in my constituents’
lives. I’ll extend that passion into creating positive change in
Georgia. I’m here to get things done.”
During both the first and second sessions of her freshman
term, she authored and passed legislation. She was appointed Vice
Chair of the Education Subcommittee of Appropriations. She also
serves as Secretary of the Reapportionment Committee and is a member
of the Environment and Natural Resources and Education Committees as
well.
Chairman Jones has worked relentlessly to fight for better
educational standards and practices. In fact, the State School
Superintendent personally recognized her for her leadership and her
effectiveness on educational issues last year. Representative Jones
personally championed the education of foster children by her
leadership in support for the funding of SB618. This bill was
passed last year to ensure that foster children in residential
treatment facilities received the same educational opportunities as
those children in public schools.
Surely, Chairman Jones is making good things happen in the lives of
foster children. For these reasons, GAHSC awards her Outstanding
Legislator 2007.
  The
Methodist Home for Children and Youth
Outstanding Agency Award
Accepted by Jeff Lawrence
The Outstanding Agency award recognizes a GAHSC member agency
that has demonstrated outstanding service to children at risk and
their families. Presented by Normer Adams:
The
Methodist Home for Children and Youth is more than a home for
children; it is a CENTER OF EXCELLENCE hosting a broad continuum of
care, training and advocacy supporting children and families
throughout Georgia. “Changing the Way Georgia Treats Its Children”
is part of the vision statement of the Methodist Home. Their agency
staff and president, Dr. Steve Rumford, are staunch advocates for
children and families.
With
six sites across South Georgia in Macon, Americus, Valdosta, St.
Marys, Columbus and Albany, they have a range of more than 15
services. In 2006 The Methodist Home served more than 300 children
in residential, foster care and wrap around services. In addition,
the agency is supporting 13 young men and women in colleges and
universities throughout Georgia and as far away as Missouri. The
agency’s FAMILY CENTERED PRACTICE approach to the care and support
of children, youth and families has provided a springboard for
shortened lengths of stays and increased numbers of children and
youth successfully re-united and/or returned home to families and
relative placements throughout Georgia. The Methodist Home is
broadening therapeutic services through a grant targeting the
development of 16 skilled reactive attachment therapists. In
addition, this year the agency joined forces with Bibb County DFCS
in comprehensive planning to serve Bibb County children and youth in
the community. The Methodist Home has also emerged as a premier
training center. THE RUMFORD CENTER has hosted a wide range of
training events for both the public and private sectors, with more
than 24,000 trainees passing through its doors in 2006. In a climate
of uncertainty about the direction of the State as it relates to the
private sector, The Methodist Home remains undaunted in their
efforts to forge ahead in “Changing the Way Georgia Treats Her
Children”. Please join us in honoring The Methodist Home for
Children and Youth for demonstrating outstanding service to children
at risk and their families.
  Melanie
Dallas
Goshen Valley Boys Ranch
Outstanding Administrator Award
The
Outstanding Administrator Ward recognizes a GAHSC member agency
administrator who has shown commitment to making a difference for
children and dedication to his/her staff. Presented by John Blend:
It is a
distinct honor to recognize Melanie Dallas as GAHSC 2007 Outstanding
Administrator. Melanie has provided leadership and outcomes that
place her with the very finest child caring professionals in our
state. Her business sense, coupled with keen therapeutic insights,
provide an extraordinarily nurturing environment for the kids and
staff at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch. She is a veteran of public
service at many local and state levels, and has a spirit of
collaboration and caring for all of her colleagues, in and of the
child caring system of Georgia.
Melanie
has brought clear and unselfish leadership at the Ranch. We have
established a reputation for positive outcomes and permanency for
the kids in our care. Melanie has balanced her Ranch life while
being a wonderful wife to husband Don and mother to her two boys, RJ
and Chris. Don and Melanie recently adopted RJ and Chris, wonderful
kids who came to them through the love of God and the Georgia Foster
Care network.
Melanie
gives freely of her time and talents. She is active in the Jasper
United Methodist Church. She provides therapeutic equine services
within her community with her work as an accredited EPONA Counselor
and Facilitator. She has worked with the students of Reinhardt
College in developing a Therapeutic Intern Program.
Melanie
has now taken on the additional responsibilities of Chief Executive
of First Mountain Community Services. First Mountain will soon be
opening its doors as Northwest Georgia’s first Medicaid Rehab
provider. Melanie and the First Mountain staff will provide services
to the boys of the Goshen Valley, as well as to the broader
communities of the Appalachian foothills. It is with great honor
that we call Melanie Dallas forward to accept this award and the
recognition of her peers.
  Vicky
Nipper McClention
Lutheran Services of Georgia
Outstanding Manager Award
The
Outstanding Manager Award recognizes a GAHSC member agency manager
who has made outstanding contributions by supporting and leading
his/her staff. Presented by Normer Adams:
Vicky
McClention has shown how one person can make a difference.
Advocating for children with disabilities became a way of life for
Ms. McClention when her children were young with two of whom were
diagnosed with developmental disabilities. As State Manager for
intake and Advocacy for Lutheran Services of Georgia, her major
responsibilities include advocating for services and resources
needed by children and adults served by the LSG program. As the
State of Georgia developed its Medicaid plan to replace the Level of
Care system it became obvious that children in foster care receiving
services with Mental Retardation, Developmental Delay, Autism, Dual
Diagnosis, and Medically Fragile diagnoses would not be eligible for
Medicaid funding. Ms. McClention initiated the formation of the
Children’s Taskforce brining to the table representatives of more
than 40 public and private agencies along with State departments and
organizations working on behalf of persons with disabilities. The
efforts of Ms. McClention, the Children’s Taskforce, and State
representatives resulted in both short-term and long-term solutions
that will maintain the current level of services these children have
been receiving. Ms. McClention is available as a resource to DHR and
other public and private agencies for training, identifying services
or resources for individual persons and in other ways of advocacy
for individuals or program needs. Having developed an expertise in
advocacy on behalf of persons with disabilities, Ms. McClention is
sought by local and national agencies and organizations to train and
consult with staff and volunteers who work with members of the
disabled population. She is one of the leading developers of the
Lutheran Services state-wide Foster Care Program , which
predominantly serves children with developmental and physical
disabilities. In recognition of Ms. McClention’s outstanding
management skills and ability to bring together the right people at
the right time to make a difference for children in care, GAHSC is
pleased to present the 2007 Outstanding Manager Award to Vicky
Nipper McClention.
  Hariot
Haynes
Georgia Industrial Children's Home
Outstanding Child Care Worker Award
The
Outstanding Child Care Worker Award recognizes a GAHSC member agency
Child Care Worker who has made outstanding contributions. Presented
by Brian Evans:
Hariot
Haynes has worked with Georgia Industrial Children’s Home since 1999
and has held a series of positions with us in that time. She has
been a house parent, cottage supervisor, transportation worker and
Group Home Coordinator.
This
current position is a very hands on job which requires Hariot to
smoothly help a child, his or her cottage, the administration and
our stakeholders outside our agency live in perfect harmony. Hariot
must arrange for all doctor, dentist, school, court and any other
appointments for approximately 40 children. She must get the child
there, take care of any issues that must be dealt with on behalf of
the agency, smile when she is angry, act as a mentor, counselor,
disciplinarian and more. Oh, I believe I forgot to say that she
must do all this while providing the supervision for the children in
her care coming for all aspects of our program.
Hariot
does all this with a minimum of direction for the supervisory staff
and with a beautiful smile and a wonderful song in her voice that
could only come from her upbringing on Barbados. Hariot is always
happy to see the children and the staff. Hariot never misses an
opportunity to think of the children in her care and her fellow
staff members and always has a wonderful word for them. Not to
mention she is a Foster Parent as well and remembers to bring me my
favorite jerk seasoning when she goes home to the Island.
Hariot
is a joy to work with. No matter what I feel like, when I hear her
call out to "Mr. Evans," despite that I have asked her to call me
Brian, it never misses bringing a smile to my face.
Thank
you for considering her for this award. She is a special person in
a special field. I consider myself privileged to be working with
her.
  Robert
Mahan
Georgia AGAPE
Outstanding Agency Board Member Award
The
Outstanding Agency Board Member Award recognizes a board member who
has gone above and beyond the required tasks asked of a board member
and made outstanding contributions to the other board members and
the agency he serves. Presented by Doug Mead:
Bob McMahan has served on the Georgia AGAPE Board for
four years now. It was because of a relationship he and his wife
have with a major donor that a $500,000 matching gift was offered
our agency to help us build our endowment. Bob and his wife took
the lead in this effort. They encouraged our Board to accept the
challenge and served as Co-Chairs of our Endowment Campaign. The
goal was to secure $1.5 million in matching funds to qualify for the
$500,000 matching gift. Bob and his wife, Judy, almost single
handedly organized the campaign effort and raised the lion share of
the funds in a very quick time frame. The Campaign began in March
of 2006 and successfully concluded in September of 2006. Bob
spearheaded all efforts in the process of getting our agency ready
for the endowment campaign and lead efforts to accomplish the goals
of the campaign. This level of activity is very unusual for a board
member. Bob and his wife are very committed to our cause and have
put their efforts and funds where their mouths are! Bob has also
accepted the position as Chair of our Board Development Committee.
He will take this committee to greater heights than it has ever been
before in our history. It has been my pleasure to serve with Bob and
it is my pleasure to join GAHSC in recognizing Bob McMahan as the
2007 Outstanding Agency Board Member.
  Alton
Conway
Mountain Top Boy's Home
Outstanding Volunteer Award Awarded to Alton Conway
The
Outstanding Volunteer Award recognizes a volunteer who has made
outstanding contributions to making a difference for children in
foster care. Presented by Normer Adams:
This
volunteer is one of those volunteers who is like the Energizer
Bunny; he keeps on running. More importantly, he is a catalyst who
makes things happen. He connected with Mountain Top Boys Home more
than ten years ago and was recruited by a board member to help raise
money. What pulled him in were the kids. They grabbed his heart
and they did not let him go. He has been with them ever since.
When
this volunteer arrived at the home, the doors were literally falling
off their hinges. The ceiling in the school was falling in. The
place that the boys called a school was no more than a shack. There
were few resources to take care of these problems. The problem with
a volunteer like this, he was not content with just fixing problems,
but making dreams happen. Raising money would have been the easy
part. He set out to realize a vision for children and a community.
This
volunteer saw more to this community than just providing a group
home for boys. He saw possibilities for much more. He saw a
community of homes in the woods where there were none. He saw a
whole community interacting with the boys and the boys with the
community. He saw a camp, a retreat, and a place where service,
ministry and sharing could become a reality.
His
leadership did not go unnoticed. He has served as their Board
President twice and serves on their current Board. As a connector
of people, he brought together the community with its builders,
architects, road builders, accountants, and others to share in a
vision for a community in north Georgia that serves children at risk
as part of their calling of ministry. For these reasons, we honor
Alton Conway as Outstanding Volunteer, 2007.
  Dee
Simms
Office of Child Advocate
Gail Bayes Award
The
Gail Bayes Award recognizes one individual who over a lifetime of
service has been an advocate and visionary for children. This award
is given in honor of Gail Bayes who served children at risk in
Monroe, Georgia for over twenty years through The Alcove, a homeless
and runaway emergency shelter for children. Ms. Bayes epitomized a
love and care for children that demonstrated itself in advocacy and
vision. Presented by Normer Adams:
Dee
Simms focuses on what is right for children. Ms. Simms was named
Georgia’s first Child Advocate in October 1, 2000 making Georgia the
twelfth state to open an independent ombudsman office designed to
protect the rights of children in state care and to monitor the
agencies charged with protecting children.
Dee
Simms has always advocated strongly for changes that are needed to
enhance the protection of our children. As Child Advocate, Ms Simms
has been a strong advocate not only for a strong child protection
system, but also for strong families, and the rights of children and
their families. She was a major advocate for the Foster Care Bill of
Rights both for public and private foster parents. She serves on
the mediation team that looks at grievances brought by foster
parents. She advocated for legislation that extended tuition grants
to foster children pursuing higher education.
Through
the Office of Child Advocate, Ms. Simm’s single objective is to
promote a healthy and more efficient child protective service system
in Georgia. Her office provides children with an avenue through
which to seek relief when their rights are violated by state
officials and agents entrusted with their protection and care. Last
year, her office investigated over 500 cases involving children and
youth at risk. Her office not only investigates situations where
children are put at risk by the systems designed to protect them,
but also advocates for appropriate placements for children whether
back with their families and communities or in treatment
facilities. She is a tireless advocate for permanency for children
when parents and other guardians have not been given the supports,
services and legal remedies due them and their children. She has
always worked with those who share these common goals.
Under
significant political pressure, she often reports what others would
prefer left unspoken. Her audits of counties’ systems have drawn
distracters from far and wide. True to the mission of her office,
faithful to her values, driven by ambitions of service to children
and a vision that all children should be protected, nurtured, and
valued is why GAHSC names Dee Simms, to receive the 2007 Gail Bayes
Vision for Children Award.
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