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The Led County Ledger Your Hometown Source Of Local News Hometown Newspaper of Carol and Eddie Lisenbv Volume XLIII- Number 49 Leesburg, Georgia - - August 11, 2021 Fifty Cents Getting to Know Our 2021 LCHS Distinguished Alumnus Jefferson C. “Cal” Callier, LCHS Class of 1980 Special to the Ledger Jefferson C. “Cal” Callier, LCHS Class of 1980 graduate, had an outstanding academ ic record as a student leader and as a champion debater while attend ing Lee County High School. Cal joined the Debate Team his freshman year of high school. In 1980, Cal and his teammates brought home Lee County High School’s first-ever State Debate Championship. Not only did the team achieve great success, they mentored the younger debaters who then went on to achieve equal and even greater successes. The 2021 Lee County High School Distinguished Alumni board is proud to recog nize Cal Callier as one of this year’s recipients. While in high school Cal was not only an excellent student, graduating third in his class, and an outstand ing debater, he was also voted Junior Class Pres ident and then Mr. Lee County High School. During his senior year at LCHS, as a dual enrolled student at what was then Albany Junior College, his academic success was recognized by his professors when he was asked to tutor full-time upperclassmen college students. Through his debate experience while in high school, Cal decid ed that his life’s work would be as an attorney. Following graduation, Cal enrolled at Mercer University in the fall of 1980 and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating Cum Laude in 1983. He then continued his education at Mercer Law School graduating Cum Laude in 1987 with his Juris Doctor degree. After passing the Georgia bar exam, Cal worked on the Georgia Supreme Court where he was recognized by those he worked for and those he worked with as a gifted student of the law. Since that time Cal has earned a reputation as one of the outstanding lawyers in this state with a work ethic that out works and out thinks his opponents. Cal is listed by Martin- dale-Hubbell as an “A V Preeminent” attorney, which is the highest peer-review rating an attorney can achieve. Cal knew he wanted to have a law practice that drew upon the skills learned while on the Lee County debate team. The Callier Firm opened its doors in 1988 in the private practice of law specializing in personal injury litiga tion, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. Cal’s law practice has been devoted exclusive ly to representing real people and families. Cal believes that the first and most important role of an attorney is to serve as “counselor.” Cal has given back to his profession in many ways, serving as Chairman of both the Federal Bar Association for the Middle District of Georgia as well as the General Practice and Trial Section of the Georgia State Bar. Upon appointment by the Su preme Court of Georgia, he has served as “special Master” in disciplinary cases against attorneys accused of wrongdoing as well as serving as a mentor to young law yers. He is a Sustaining Fellow of the Georgia Bar Foundation which recognizes lawyers who have made significant contributions to both the legal profession and to the community and funds law-related proj ects to local nonprofits throughout Georgia. While in law school, Cal met his wife Linda Henry. They married in 1988 and moved to Columbus, where he has practiced law since. Linda and Cal have two children, Matt and Mary Helen. Matt attended Mercer and Mercer Medical School. He is currently in residency in New Orleans in ortho pedic surgery. Mary Helen is a graduate of UGA and was accepted into the graduate writing program at Washington University in St. Louis where she received her Masters Degree in 2021. She will be returning for a third year at WashU with teaching responsi bilities. Congratulations Cal Callier, a 2021 LCHS Distinguished Alumni! Auburn doctoral candidate making a difference by leading academic readiness program Jalia Taylor is a 2008 Graduate of Lee County High School. She is a resident of Smithville, and a member of New Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is the daughter of Kimberly and David Page and Lafayette Taylor and the granddaughter of Lawrence Gay of Smithville GA and Missionary Lois Taylor of Warner Robins, GA. Jalia and her two sisters are graduates of Lee County High School and all three hold Master’s Degrees. Special to the Ledger Ja’Lia Taylor wants to make a difference in people’s lives, and she’s using her time at Auburn to do so. Taylor, a special educa tion doctoral candidate in the College of Education and master’s student in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, recently formed the Young Professionals in Training program at Auburn as a mentoring and tutoring program for students grades 5-12 from underrepresented populations near Auburn. The program—aimed at exposing students to ma jors and career paths at the university—involves faculty, staff, students and alumni serving as mentors who meet with mentees once a month DOHERTY, DUGGAN, HART&TIERNAN INSURORS Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040 Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040 2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036 www.ddhtins.com 50 Years of Lee County High School Football 1971 Football Players, Coaches and Cheerleaders You are invited to a reception in your honor. August 27, 2021 7:00 PM - Pre-game fellowship Lee County High School Lecture Hall Half-Time recognition For more information contact Donna Jones - jonesdo@lee.k12.ga.us to build relationships and discuss topics, such as social and emotional health, community proj ects and career paths. Young Professionals in Training, in partnership with nonprofit commu nity service organization The Curtis House, sup ports college readiness. Students who participate in Young Professionals in Training will gain ac cess to Auburn First, Au burn’s dual-enrollment program. Those who earn at least six credit hours and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA by Aug. 15 of their senior year of high school qualify for automatic admission to the university. Taylor started a similar mentoring and tutor ing program near her hometown of Smith ville, Georgia, and was inspired to start Young Professionals in Training at Auburn while serving on the Presidential Task Force for Opportunity and Equity. “President [Jay] Gogue is one of my mentors here at Auburn, and he talks a lot about the power of the individual,” said Taylor. “I figured I could just jump out there and get it started since I had a similar model that I started back home. The difference is this program will also offer a pathway to Auburn University.” Taylor believes all students deserve a fair opportunity to improve their circumstances, no matter their socio-eco nomic status. “This program will provide students and their families with the necessary support for them to improve their lives,” she said. “We do this by providing the mentoring and tutoring sessions for the students and the workshops for the parents.” Many Auburn facul ty and staff members, including Gogue, will welcome the first cohort of students this month, support the program and cheer on Taylor for her efforts. “Faculty and staff have been crucial in the development of the program, as well as Ta- marcus Milner, president of The Curtis House,” said Taylor. “Faculty and staff consist of George Flowers, Cheryl Seals, Venus Hewing, Kim berly Mulligan-Guy, Adrienne Duke, Soledad Peresin, Jason Bryant, Alii Bracewell, Andrew McGill, Michele Cole, Wendy Franklin and Martina McGhee, who developed the curricu lum for the students in the program.” McGhee is working with a team of faculty to implement a curriculum that focuses on social and emotional aware ness, and the importance of air, soil and water quality. The curriculum also inspires change in the community through a tailored, year-long community project that allows participants to learn about, research and share a solution to empower the community through environmental sustainability. “I want the students to explore in a way that makes sense to them and engage with their community in an authen tic way that is relatable,” said McGhee, assistant clinical professor of elementary education in the College of Education. “Each grade level will learn how to be an active agent in sustainability and be academically encouraged to explore career paths that might be unique. The team is excited to see the curric ulum implemented and looks forward to kicking off the program.” Taylor first presented the idea for the program to Joffery Gaymon, vice president for enrollment at Auburn, and Provost Bill Hardgrave, who quickly offered their support. “When Ja’Lia shared her idea for the program, I knew it was some thing that would make a difference and allow the Auburn Family to participate in something bigger than themselves,” said Gaymon. “I’m excit ed to see what amazing things come from this program.” Students on the adviso ry board for the program also contributed great ly to its development. Those students are Jailin Sanders, Lane Jemison, Mya Strickland, Donielle Fagan, Elizabeth Devore, Oluchi Oyekwe, Shikia Carter and Jeremy Gray. The Office of Univer sity Outreach and the Truman Pierce Institute will house the program. 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