2018 Georgia Hall of Fame
Terry Thomas
Legacy Board Member
Boys & Girls Clubs of Glynn
Julia Terrill (Terry) Thomas (1922-2011) was the first female Board member and first female Board President for the Boys Club of Glynn. Terry was known for her efforts to support agencies that served as a tool to better the lives of others.
Terry as her family and friends called her, was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She came to the Cloister at Sea Island in the spring of 1958 for a three-week vacation with her parents, and as she would say to friends, she never left. She assumed the role of Activities Director for the Sea Island Company, organizing the first tennis tournaments that would develop into the renowned tennis program continuing today. Other responsibilities included social functions, holiday events, and children activities.
After retirement from Sea Island Company Miss Thomas truly opened her heart to the Golden Isles community and had a profound impact on its many agencies. She was willing to give her time, talent and treasure, epitomizing the volunteer spirit. She started her significant community involvement with the Boys Club of Glynn in 1976. One of the facilities were named in her honor due to the support she provided in addition to endowing a trust to ensure the organization’s future and remained an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors.
The Terry Thomas Foundation was founded in 2004 under the guidance of its founder, the late Julia Terrill Thomas. Managed by her close friends including Dewey Benefield, Rees Sumerford and Susan Goodhue, the organization has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to dozens of groups Thomas loved since her passing in 2011. Terry had an impact on many charities during her lifetime. Giving over $1M to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia, the Terry Thomas Foundation recently help fund the renovation/expansion at the Terry Thomas Club. A grand re-opening was held in May 2018.
In her life of philanthropy, Terry focused her giving on youth and education, and supported other agencies that would provide the foundation for successful futures for individuals.
Dr. Ronald Brown
Career Achievement - Board Member
Boys & Girls Clubs of Augusta
His Gastroenterology Fellowship was at Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University Health). He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He has practiced Gastroenterology in Augusta, Georgia since 1984. Dr. Brown founded Augusta Gastrointestinal Specialist where he provides private gastrointestinal care as well as care for the indigent population.
Dr. Brown has served as a member of the BGC board for over 15 years. Dr. Brown has served on numerous board committees, volunteered at multiple events over the years and been an advocate of the Club in the Augusta community.
As a product of what happens when one man invests and accents our youth, Dr. Brown, along with his fraternity Sigma Pi Phi (Boule), created a social action program called Project BBUILD (Boule Brothers Uplifting, Leading and Developing). This perineal award-winning group is a weekly teaching, mentoring and behavior modifying program held at the Dogwood Terrace Boys & Girls Club in Augusta for middle school boys during the academic school year.
Members of Project BBUILD must participate in a BGC club as well as attend weekly BBUILD meetings. Each week Dr. Brown and his fraternity brothers spend time with the young men, bring in community speakers and take the boys on special field trips both in and out of state exposing them to new opportunities and experiences. Now in its 10th year, Project BBUILD alumni include an Alvin Alley Company Dancer, an investment banker, welders and U.S Soldiers.
He and his wife Mary, his high school sweetheart, have been married for 39 years and have 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law and 3 grandsons.
Larry Price
Career Achievement -
Board Member
Boys & Girls Clubs of Valdosta/Albany
During his four decades of service, Mr. Price has held several leadership positions on the board including President and Vice President for Operations. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Operations Committee which oversees the Club’s property and facilities, safety, personnel, and programs. Mr. Price is affectionally referred to as “The Conscious” of the board by his peers. He often shares his wise guidance and counsel on matters pending before the board and about the experiences he enjoyed growing up in the Club in Valdosta.
In the past year, Mr. Price led an effort to reduce our summer membership fees by 75% and our after-school program fees by 25%. By reducing our fees, we were able to provide more kids and teens with a safe place and potentially life-changing programs/opportunities to become the person they want to be and achieve a Great Future.
Over the years, Mr. Price has worked tirelessly to expand the Club’s services. He is a staunch advocate for providing more youth with high-quality programming that meets their needs and interest in hopes of helping them achieve 21st-century success. Thanks to his visionary leadership, Today, our organization has seven units of operations and serves more than 3,000 youth through membership and community outreach. Through his leadership and unwavering commitment, Mr. Price has positively changed the lives of thousands of youth throughout the Albany/Dougherty County area.
Mr. Price is a loving father and husband, a man of deep faith and champion for kids and his community. He is a living embodiment of what we hope all Club kids will become – A productive, caring and responsible citizen.
Barbara Hilliard
Career Achievement - Board Member
Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County
Mrs. Hilliard led the Housing Authority for the city of Camilla. She created programs including modernization of units, establishment of a full-scale service programs for residents, programs with an emphasis on the youth, and worked to get extra police protection. She was the driving force in leading the community to establish a Boys & Girls Clubs in Camilla. She also provided leadership to establish a nonprofit home ownership program, for low to moderate income citizens. Some of these homes were deeded to families of Club members.
Her vision and leadership in 1992 provided the groundwork for the opening of a Club in Camilla, GA. She identified a tremendous need for the Club in the Housing Authority neighborhoods, but also wanted to ensure that its programs would be available for all of the young people in Mitchell County. From the humble beginnings of the Club in Mitchell County, she has overseen the growth of the program from a few dozen children in 1992 to more than 4000 kids in 2017.
Mrs. Barbara Hilliard is the reason that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County has been successful. She has paved the way for thousands of young people in Southwest Georgia to have a better life. She never hesitates to speak of the value of the Club to the community, and she always gives financially. Her advocacy is unquestionable, and no other single person in the Mitchell County community is more respected than Mrs. Hilliard. She has led the way for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County to become the leading youth development organization it is, and her inspiration and example is the reason this local Board of Directors is the most prestigious governing organization in the Mitchell County, and a model for Southwest Georgia.
Barbara is married to Tommy Hilliard and has two sons Robert and Tommy Hilliard, Jr.