Class of 2022
2022 Georgia Hall of Fame
The Georgia Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame began in 2009 as a result of a proposal presented to the Georgia Area Council. The plan provided that the Georgia Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame would be developed under the leadership of a council of advisors to honor those youth members, men, and women who have best served the Boys & Girls Club cause in Georgia as well an effort to preserve institutional knowledge and the culture of the Boys & Girls Club Movement.
The Georgia Hall of Fame celebrates the extraordinary youth, men and women who have made significant contributions to the Boys & Girls Club Movement in Georgia. Each has helped raise the standards and level of professionalism in the Boys & Girls Club Movement, while inspiring and mentoring future generations, laying the ground work that encourages us all to strive for excellence in helping children who need us most.
Nicholas D. Ellis
Career Achievement - Board Member & Safety Chair
Boys and Girls Club of the Altamaha Area
Nicholas “Nick” Ellis has been
a part of the Boys and Girls Clubs
movement for fifteen years and has
served in various roles within the Boys
and Girls Clubs of the Altamaha Areas organization. He began as a volunteer in 2006, worked as a staff member and Unit Director for the teen center, and is currently serving as a board member and past chief volunteer officer. In each area that Ellis has served, his heart for helping the children has had a lasting impact on the lives of young people, the community, and the Club itself. Ellis believes in the mission to serve those who need it most - where there is a need, he is willing to serve.
Ellis is rooted in the Wayne County community, serving in leadership roles and as a volunteer for various organizations and boards in addition to his professional responsibilities. He is the immediate past chairman of the Boys and Girls Club of the Altamaha Area where he remains an active board member and safety chair. Through this, he is working to grow and lead the organization through the ongoing pandemic and uncertainties that may come. Ellis has also served on the Wayne County Board of Education since 2015 where he currently serves as a board chair.
In his professional career, Ellis began his career in law enforcement in 2008 with the Department of Juvenile Justice and transferred to the Jesup Police Department in 2010. Since 2010, Ellis has advanced through the ranks as patrolman, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, and caption. He currently serves as the Patrol/Administrative Division Commander. In 2020 Ellis was appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp to serve on the Georgia Board of Public Safety where there are only 16 members including the acting governor. One of Ellis’ greatest passions is mentorship, especially with young men in the Wayne County community.
Ellis has been married to his wife, Krystal Ellis, for eleven years where they are currently raising three children, Amarrion, Dominique, and Kadence.
James Holmes
Legacy Member
Boys & Girls Clubs Frank Callen
In 1960 James was recruited by Walter B. Simmons (GA HOF member) to work at the Boys Club as a Game Room Leader and thus his legacy at the FCBGC began. For the next 36 years, James served as a group leader, physical director, and later - program director. In fact, he was an assistant basketball coach for Savannah State University as well.
There are numerous doctors, lawyers, educators, and college professors who owe their professional integrity in part to “Coach” Holmes because he always taught “Character Matters” - his reach across the community is far and wide!
Upon his retirement, his work continued as a founding member of the FCBGC Alumni and Friends Association. Later in life, Mr. Holmes served four terms as a Chatham County Commissioner from the 2nd District. The new field house at Memorial Stadium is named and dedicated in the honor of Mr. James J. Holmes.
Jeanette Coody
Career Achievement -
Board Member
Boys & Girls Clubs of Valdosta
Jeanette Coody is a woman of
devotion, virtue, and service.
Living by her father’s motto of
“always do what’s right,” she lives a life of purpose and service.
Jeanette grew up in Pinetta, FL. She moved to Valdosta in 1963 where she worked for Levi Strauss for 36 years in human resources and as the head of the Levi Strauss Foundation. Her excellence and justice made her a trailblazer for women and an exceptional workplace leader, earning her the Levi Strauss International Koshland Award in 1996.
In the 1970’s Jeanette led Valdosta Girl’s Club for five years before the organization became the Boys & Girls Club of Valdosta, earning her over 45 years of service to the Boys & Girls Club movement. Among many other accolades, Ms. Coody was honored as Woman of the Year in 1981, and the Jeanette Coody Service Award was created to honor those who dedicate over 30 years of service to the Boys & Girls Club board of directors.
In 1988, Jeanette founded The Haven, a domestic violence shelter serving women throughout South Georgia. A faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Valdosta, Jeanette holds over 80 years of perfect attendance in Sunday school and is a joyful member of the choir.
Jeanette Coody is full of grace and kindness, yet as firm as an oak tree. Her devotion to God and to the children of our Boys & Girls Club blesses the movement in Valdosta and across the nation. In the year of her 100th birthday, we celebrate her induction into the BGCA Georgia Hall of Fame.
Rick Pinnell
Career Achievement - Board Volunteer
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta
Currently serving his 40th year on
the Board of Directors for Boys &
Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta, Rick
Pinnell has devoted tremendous time
& support to the organization’s growth and sustainability.
Rick spent his professional career in the HVAC industry as owner of Pinnell Heating & Air and later president of Gold Mech Services. In 1982, he joined the board of directors of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta and has served two terms as board chair throughout his tenure, being named Volunteer of the Year twice by Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia and twice by the United Way.
Rick’s investment in Augusta’s youth started in 1980, when he and his wife Pat began a Secret Santa program providing Christmas dinners and presents to 25-30 families in need on Christmas Eve. He soon partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs to continue this program and it is estimated that more than 1,200 families have been served through this program, and it remains an integral part of the holiday season at Boys & Girls Clubs to this day.
Rick also played a foundational role in the initial tracking and reporting of Club members’ academic performance through his founding of a Club Cookout where Club members would bring their report cards to Club staff in exchange for a hot dog. This was just the beginning of Rick’s involvement in Club events, as he would go on to be instrumental in the logistics and set up of the annual Youth of the Year, Burger Battle, and former Steak & Burger events, always there to lend a helping hand, and often the last person to leave.
It is without a doubt that Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta would not have nearly as great an impact in the Augusta community without the devotion of Rick Pinnell.
Stephanie Blank
Career Achievement - Active Member
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
Stephanie Blank is a longtime advocate in
Georgia for children’s issues. She has chaired
Gov. Nathan Deal’s Commission on Child Welfare
Reform, served on First Lady Sandra Deal’s Children’s
Cabinet, served on Gov. Deal’s Child Mental Health Commission, and was a member of First Lady Kemp’s GRACE commission (Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education) fighting human trafficking. She is the founding chair of GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students – a not-for-profit focusing statewide on children birth to age five. She served as the chair for an Atlanta coalition of community leaders that created PAACT, a city wide early learning collective impact initiative. She is also the co-founder of Mothers and Others for Clean Air, serves on the system board and chairs the quality committee for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, served on the national board of Jumpstart, serves on the board of REACH – Georgia, and is immediate past Trustee chair for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, having served as the prior corporate board chair. She is currently co-chair of the BGCMA capital campaign. She is president of the Rotary Club of Atlanta and served as the program committee chair in 2019. She also served as the chair of the capital campaign to build the Children’s Museum of Atlanta and on Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s transition team following his first election. As a professional interior designer, Stephanie was the design liaison for The AMB Family Office, the Georgia Dome Atlanta Falcon’s remodel, the Atlanta Falcons training camp, and the Pace Academy Upper School.
Prior to her philanthropic career, she was with the Home Depot as a buyer/merchandiser/designer and created a national marketing/merchandise program for all stores nationally. She also spent 17 years gaining valuable experience with children’s issues, best practices, and not-for-profit management as a trustee of the A.M. Blank Family Foundation. She currently serves as president of her own foundation.
She is the recipient of the 2019 Community Champion award from Christian City, the 2019 Rev. Ross Johnson Humanitarian of the Year from Buckhead Rotary, the 2011 United Way of Metro Atlanta Women’s Leadership awardee for Excellence in Education, the 2007 Voices for Georgia Children “Big Voice” awardee, the 2002 YWCA of Greater Atlanta Woman of Achievement, the 2001 recipient of the Atlanta Anti-Defamation League Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award and the 2000 Georgia Philanthropist of the Year from the National Society of Fundraising Executives.
Ben & Gustine Hayward
Career Achievement - Active Members
Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County
Mr. Ben and Mrs. Gustine Hayward have been very involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County for many years. They are a husband-and-wife team that has worked tirelessly to benefit the youth in Mitchell County.
They both have served as President and Vice President of our organization. In addition, they have volunteered their services to our youth. They also serve on our executive and resource development committees. This couple has raised well over $800,000 for our organization. Mr. Ben is the Chairman of the County Commission and has been responsible for securing annual donations to the club for decades. Mrs. Gustine has been our advisor for our Youth of the Year and has helped secure judges for our local competition. She is currently serving as Vice Chairman.
The Haywards secured our one and only Jeremiah Millbank Society Member, Mrs. Felicia Norwood (their niece) who has donated over $500,000 to our organization.
Ben & Gustine have previously been named, respectively, as our Man and Woman of the Year. Ben & Gustine were also involved with the start of the organization in 1992 and have served ever since. It isn’t an exaggeration to say the Club would not be what it is today without their support. Their drive, vision, leadership, and kindness have made the way for thousands of young people in Southwest Georgia to move up to a more positive life.
We are so proud to have them as champions for our youth as well as our community.
Congratulations to our Youth of the Year 2023-2024 Candidates!
