2025 Citizen of the Year Nominees Announced
From Staff Reports
Eleven Coweta County residents from various walks of life were nominated for the 2025 Citizen of the Year.
The award honors an individual showing outstanding leadership and citizenship within the community, demonstrating exemplary vision, civic pride, and a strong commitment to a better Coweta.
The ceremony and announcement of the winner will be held on Thursday, January 30, at the Newnan Centre. The Kiwanis Clubs of Coweta County sponsor the annual event. The Newnan Centre is located at 1515 Lower Fayetteville Road, Newnan.
Those nominated are: April Anderson, Jess Barron, Tricia Bethel-Sookhoo; Scott Berta; Scott Chahalis; Scott Cortner, Janet Marie Gunnels, Abigail Kimbell, Dr. Bob Heaberlin, Clay Neely, and Rodney Riggs. Each has selected a local non-profit organization, and a donation will be made in honor of the winner and their charity.
April Anderson
April, along with her husband, Brent, own and operate The Mess Hall on Main in downtown Senoia, which includes several international food vendors, as well as the site for their coffee shop, Senoia Coffee. She is the founder of Backpack Buddies, which provides food for needy school students on the weekends. Her charity is Backpack Buddies.
Jess Barron
Jess is a vice president and associate broker with Lindsey’s Realtors, which is owned by the Barrons. He has served on many committees, including the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, The Heritage School, Coweta Forward, Coweta Community Foundation, and past president of the Newnan-Coweta Board of Realtors. His charity is the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society in memory of Vicki W. Barron.
Scott Berta
Scott is a consultant forester for private landowners with Georgia Forestry Consulting. He was a project manager with the Coweta County Development Authority and is the industrial development manager for Electric Cities of Georgia. He is a past chairman of the Newnan-Coweta Boys and Girls Clubs and co-chaired the 2022 Leadership Coweta Class. His charity is the Coweta Grand Prix.
Tricia Bethel-Sookhoo
Tricia is with Modern Woodmen of America, where she works with families, individuals, and businesses to create financial plans. She also held several sales positions in the hospitality industry. She is a long-time supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and is the scoutmaster for BSA Troop 219, the first all-female troop in Coweta County. She has received several BSA awards and has served in many leadership positions. Her charity is the BSA.
Scott Chahalis
Scott is with Blickle USA, which located its headquarters to Newnan in 2016. The company is considered the global leader in casters and wheels. He is on the board of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce and works closely with the Coweta County Development Authority, especially with international companies, to promote the county as a great place to do business. His charity is the LINC multi-use path system.
Scott Cortner
Scott is a wealth advisor and branch manager at Morgan Stanley. He retired from the U.S. Army as a major with the infantry. He and his wife created a foundation to help local charitable causes. Scott has served many years as the chairman of the Kiwanis Coweta County Fair, which distributes more than $200,000 annually to local non-profits. His charity is the Newnan Kiwanis Club.
Janet Marie Gunnels
Janet has a public relations firm with clients including the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce and the Newnan First United Methodist Church. She is a long-time volunteer with the Newnan Theater Company, and also dedicates her time with Kate’s Club, Bridging the Gap, and the Newnan Junior Service League.
Dr. Bob Heaberlin
Bob is a long-time educator, serving as assistant principal at East Coweta Middle School, and principal at Newnan Crossing Elementary and East Coweta Middle School. He also led the opening of Lee Middle School. After retiring, he joined the University of West Georgia as chief administrative officer at UWG Newnan. He also is chairman of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newnan. His charity is the local Boys and Girls Clubs.
Abigail Kimbell
Abigail is the Client Engagement Director at Pathways Center, where she works to make Coweta more inclusive and welcoming to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is also involved in the Inclusive Project, where she teaches local law enforcement and public safety personnel on how best to handle mental health-related calls. Abigail was heavily involved in the annual No One Walks Alone event, a family-friendly gathering to educate the public on strategies addressing mental health challenges. Her charity is Another Way Foundation.
Clay Neely
Clay is the co-publisher and managing editor of The Newnan Times-Herald. He currently serves as president of The Rotary Club of Newnan, board member of the Coweta Community Foundation and is treasurer of Bike Coweta. He has also served as a board member of the Newnan-Coweta Boys and Girls Clubs and Friends of the LINC. His charity is Meals on Wheels.
Rodney Riggs
Rodney was a long-time Marine who served in Operation Desert Storm with an anti-aircraft missile unit. He retired from the Marine Reserves as a Sergeant Major after 23 years of service. Rodney spent 41 years with the Newnan Police Department, retiring as deputy chief. He is heavily involved in local Marine Corps League Chapter 1325 and was named Marine of the Year. He spearheads the Patriot Day flag giveaway and is active with the Toys for Tots campaign. His charity is Toys for Tots.
Guidelines for selecting the nominee include:
• The nominee should live in Coweta County, and his/her activities should be centered in Coweta County and the surrounding area.
• Consideration will be given to those who demonstrate leadership and performance in multiple areas of community service over a period of years.
• The nominee may be an individual from any walk of life, and there are no requirements or restrictions relating to gender, age, race, religion or ethnic background.
