PUBLISHER
Red Door Design & Publishing, LLC
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Stephanie Williams
CREATIVE | DESIGN
Elizabeth Beasley
Stephanie Williams
ASSISTANT MANAGER
Nikki Anderson
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
AND MEDIA RELATIONS
Ann Owens
SALES
Dottie Hicks
Daphne Walker
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Renée Martin
Beverly McClellan
Beth O’Neal
Ann Owens
Jackson Sharpe
Paula Dees-Toole
Teri R. Williams
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Eric Love
Lillian Morse Burton
Ann Owens
Paula Toole
Daphne Walker
PROOFING
Beverly McClellan
COVER PHOTO
PIX Photography
Toombs County Magazine© is
published bi-annually by
Red Door Design & Publishing, LLC
148 Williams Avenue • Lyons, GA 30436
(912) 526-4195
All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in
whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written
authorization from the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure
the accuracy of the information contained herein. Advertising is
subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.
F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R
“Have you lost
your mind?”
That was the response I gave my dear husband when he quite
seriously asked me if I wanted to move to Italy for a couple of
years. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Italy and the carefree spirit it
embodies...and the food...and the wine...and the art. It is an amazing
country that we’ve spent many vacations enjoying. But always after
a week or two, I am perfectly content to crawl into my own bed right
here in Toombs County. This moving thing was a stretch for me.
Marrying a “renaissance” man comes with a price, and that price
means you may never know what adventure you will end up on. When
the opportunity arose for us to spend a couple of years working with
the USDA to help feed the world...we just had to take it. After God
continually opened doors in that direction, it became quite clear this
was meant to be. So, yes, I ate my words and started packing.
Many of you have asked what will happen to the magazine. I
guess you could say we are expanding internationally. I will continue
to work on TCM from our “Rome office” while TCM’s new Director
of Marketing and Media Relations Ann Owens will be my connection
to everything that’s happening here. (Makes us sound fancy, huh?)
Each issue will continue to offer exceptional stories, pictures and
advertising opportunities. We even have a new website that will be
updated regularly with more fun information about life in Toombs
County. We have ideas, lots of ideas, so stay tuned to see what’s next!
For this issue, we have more incredible stories about men and
women making a difference in our community with their words,
actions and creativity. Many of these stories highlight people who
became successful at things they did not realize they were gifted
to do until they were willing to take a risk and step out in faith. I
am also thrilled to share stories of strong female role models that
set great examples of leadership (Rizza O’Connor, p. 48); courage
(Elizabeth Harvill, p. 36); business success (Jesslyn Johnson, p. 70);
encouragement (Meredith Raiford, p. 84); hope (Celester Bacon,
p. 106) and joy (Ella Neavins, p. 24).
It may sound cliché, but life truly is a journey. It’s one that we
cannot travel standing still. My advice is this: be willing to take risks,
to chase some dreams, and to write your own story even if you have to
go to Italy to do it.
Cíao,
Stephanie Williams
Executive Editor
To share a story, send a note, or just get information:
toombscountymagazine@gmail.com
(912) 293-0063
Visit us at www.toombscountymagazine.com
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