Newspaper Page Text
Stye Aiiuance
The ADVANCE, October 6, 2021/Page 14A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
PAST RECIPIENTS — Rollins joins the company of 48 past Lyons Citizen of the Year award
recipients, Here, past recipients stand with Rollins. Shown with the year of their award
from left to right are: 1977, John Adams; 1991, Anson Callaway; 1992, Wayne Smith;
1997, Tommie Williams; 1998, W, Doyle NeSmith; 2004, Clint Williams; 2021, Tommy Rol
lins; 2005, Jane Benton; 2008, Michael Grimes; 2011 Nan Price; 2012, Darriel Nobles;
2013, Sabrina Culpepper Campbell; 2015, Charles "Speck" Nobles; 2017, George Pow
ell; and 2019, Jackie Alexander.
Lyons
continued from page 1A
sponsibilities,” Nobles told
the crowd. “He was truly an
outstanding young man.”
In high school, Rollins
served in several leader
ship capacities at Toombs
County High School. He
was President of BETA,
Vice President of Student
Council, and an avid par
ticipant in the FFA. He at
tended the American Le
gion Boys State Convention
in Atlanta, was a member of
the Georgia Conference
on Education, was selected
for the Jaycee Citizenship
Award, and represented the
Georgia Jaycees at the Fed
eral Affair Seminar in Wash
ington, D.C.
After high school, Rol
lins attended Abraham
Baldwin Agricultural Col
lege (ABAC), where he
received awards for leader
ship and academics. He was
the top student in Forestry
Technology studies. Later,
he was elected President of
the Alumni Association and
served on the ABAC Foun
dation Board.
Unfortunately, Rollins’s
time at ABAC was tem
porarily paused to come
home and care for the fam
ily farm when his father was
diagnosed with terminal
cancer. Yet, Rollins per
sisted through his struggles
and eventually gained his
degree from ABAC. After
graduating with a two-year
degree from ABAC, Rollins
decided to attend the Uni
versity of Georgia (UGA)
to continue his education.
Nobles explained Roll
ins’s character from a young
age through his depiction of
Rollins working throughout
his time at UGA. “Mr. Cato,
a family friend, offered him
a job on Saturdays working
for the forestry division of
his timber business. Tommy
would come home, work
Saturdays, go to church on
Sunday mornings, then go
back to Athens,” Nobles
told attendees.
Rollins has served the
community throughout
various positions and or
ganizations in the area. He
has been the Director of
the Toombs-Montgomery
Chamber of Commerce
(now the Greater Vidalia
Chamber) and the Toombs
County Development Au
thority; he currently serves
on the Toombs County
Board of Commissioners
and has participated in the
local Tales of the Altamaha
play for five years. He is a
member of the Lyons Lions
Club and Toombs County
Booster Club, and is known
for his support of the Boy
Scouts and anyone in need.
He serves on the Alta
maha Bank and Trust Com
pany Board and is Chair
man of the Robert Toombs
Christian Academy Board
of Directors. Rollins is an
active member of the First
Baptist Church of Lyons,
where he has served as a
Deacon and Sunday School
Teacher and spent 10 years
as the Chairman of the Lot
tie Moon Christmas Offer
ing
Rollins established a
timber operation after the
death of Mr. Cato. This
business became very fam
ily-oriented, as his entire
family joined in running
TAR Land and Timber.
Through this business, Rol
lins acquired the contacts
and connections that al
lowed him to become an
Officer and Board Member
of the Southeastern Wood
Association.
“He is one who truly
knows how to work hard,
how to give back, and how
to share with others,” No
bles concluded. “He has
worked hard to give honor
to God. He is proud of his
name and his tough up
bringing - it’s called char
acter. He is willing to give
a hand to those who are
willing to help themselves. I
say that to make you under
stand that hard work and
determination are key fac
tors on the road to success.”
Rollins was presented
with the Key to the City
by Mayor Willis NeSmith
and expressed his gratitude
to the community. “I have
grown up here, and you all
have truly supported me
in everything I have done.
It is an honor to be among
so many great people with
this same title throughout
the years,” he tearfully re
marked.
Toombs County Com
mission Chairman David
Sikes later commented on
behalf of the Commission
Board about Rollins’s re
ception of this award. “We
are proud of Commissioner
Rollins for being recog
nized as Lyons Citizen of
the Year!” he beamed. “It is
very well deserved, and we
are thrilled for him and his
family.”
The banquet also fea
tured entertainment by
Dana Burton, who sang
“America the Beautiful,”
and “Chief Impossibility
Officer” Joe M. Turner, who
used his illusions to present
the crowd with motivation
al truths.
Past Recipients of the Cit
izen of the Year Award
1971 - Rev. Carl J.
Milton; 1972 - Wilson E.
Collins; 1973 - Dess Gray;
1974 - Ernest E. Trapnell;
1975 - Amelia Gray; 1976
- (Not Awarded); 1977 -
John Adams; 1978 - Ross
P. Bowen; 1979 - William
T. Aiken;
1980 - G. Melvin Page;
1981 - L. Howard Sharpe;
1982 - Charles H. Durst;
1983 - James A. (Buster)
Johnson; 1984 - J. Hardy
Thomas, Jr.; 1985 - Ronald
E. Widener; 1986 - U. S.
Jones; 1987 - Leo B. Trap
nell; 1988 - C. Warren Cul
pepper; 1989 - Dr. Wilbur
New;
1990 - Harold M.
Rhoden; 1991 - Anson
Callaway; 1992 -Wayne
Smith; 1993 - Billy Rob
ertson; 1994 - Dr. Larry
Smith; 1995 - Marvin B.
Hartley, Jr.; 1996 - Charles
H. James; 1997 - Tommie
Williams; 1998 - W. Doyle
NeSmith; 1999 - Roy L.
Stewart;
2000-A.S. “Sid” Clark;
2001 - Charles Davis; 2002
- H. Dorsey Hart; 2003
- James Bellmore; 2004 -
Clint Williams; 2005 - Jane
Benton; 2006 - Jack Durst;
2007 - Rod Clifton; 2008
- Michael Grimes; 2009 -
Johnny Jones;
2010 - Kipling “Kip”
Hart; 2011 - Nan Price;
2012 - Darriel Nobles;
2013 - Sabrina Culpepper
Campbell; 2014 - Kathy
Mann; 2015 - Charles
“Speck” Nobles; 2016 -
Carolyn Cooper; 2017 -
George Powell; 2018 - Ra
mon Powell; 2019 - Jackie
Alexander; 2020 - (Not
Awarded); 2021 - Tommy
Rollins.
The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival
Big
Green
Egg
TRAEGER
The Ultimate Cooking Experience'
WOOD FIRED GRILLS
HU1-H4
YETI
Call ahead for curbside pick up
Call in your order, we will have it ready for you and bring it out to your car.
HANDY
IANDY
Handy Andy
Home Center
Eastman, GA
478-374-0075
Hoboken
Building Supply
Hoboken, GA
912-458-2119
Handy Andy's
Vidalia, GA
912-537-8572
Handy Man's
Home Center
Hazlehurst, GA
912-375-5844
Andy's
Home Center
Lyons, GA
912-526-486