ATLANTA, GA— At the December 7th City Council Meeting for Conyers, Mayor Vince Evans and the City Council Members provided the opportunity to present three local recipients of the inaugural class of the James A “Bud” Cody Community Impact Award recipients. The award, (The Cody) recognizes individuals who have impacted communities via motivation, determination, and innovation. The award honors James A. “Bud” Cody, Executive Director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association; Director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes; and Secretary of the Sheriffs’ Retirement Fund for 46 years.
Mona Franklin, Rockdale County Drug Free Coalition
Mona Franklin has been more than a dedicated professional with experience serving children, families, and communities in substance abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment. She has been a force with love. She has worked with children in the legal and mental health fields in various aspects, including case management, coordinating services, teaching, and group, family, individual, and crisis counseling. Solid reputation as a hardworking, trustworthy, proactive professional. But these are titles for the public because those she works with receive care on a genuine, caring level.
Mona’s various positions while serving include the Project Director for the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families’ Drug-Free Community (DFC) and Chief Intake Officer for the Newton County Juvenile Court. Also, she has served as a Certified Prevention Specialist for Newton County Mental Health and the Georgia Mental Health Institute. And Mona has served our country in the U.S. Army (Active and Reserve) at the rank of Sergeant Major.
Mona set an example for the children she works with typical style by obtaining her master’s in criminal justice from Troy University in May 2011 and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services in 2001 from Mercer University. However, it should be noted that she was Magna Cum Laud for both degrees.
Michael Hutchinson sums up her service with, “Mona has demonstrated a heart and passion for the well-being of youth for many years. Her dedication and commitment have impacted many lives and significantly improved. It has been an honor to work with her”.
Additional recipients for 2022 include Judge Nancy N. Bills, Rockdale Superior Court, Antony (Tony) J. Lucas, Public Safety Director/City Manager of Conyers GA, and Mrs. Marty Kemp, First Lady of the State of Georgia. More information on each winner can be found on the site.
If you know someone who has made a sustainable impact in your community from any field, go to marchmanconsulting.com and go to the tab for “Cody Award for CIA.” Recognize their efforts by completing and submitting the application. The application process is continuous and does not have a dedicated deadline. For more information, email [email protected] for additional details.
Marchman Consulting aids communities to make an impact by assisting with program data analysis, grant development, implementation, and evaluation for sustainability efforts. An example is the award-winning alcohol risk management (ARM) initiative incorporating development of environmental scans, ordinances, certification courses such as RASS for servers/owners, and training for code enforcement.
