Kenna Walsh
VALDOSTA — Laura Love was named the 2006 Woman of the Year at the Valdosta Junior Woman’s Club’s yearly brunch.
Since 1957, the Valdosta Junior Woman’s Club has honored women for outstanding dedication and service in the community.
Love was nominated by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Habitat for Humanity and was one of four women up for the award.
Katharine Carter Courson, Dana Gavin and Kay Harris were also selected as 2006 nominees.
“I’m a behind-the-scenes kind of person, so to be recognized publicly is overwhelming,” Love said.
Love thanked her competitors and credited her parents and family for setting an example of always giving to others.
In 2005, Love served as president of the Valdosta Sunrise Rotary Club and the Valdosta-Lowndes County Habitat for Humanity. Through those services, she served as a mentor to third graders and helped organize fundraisers for the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Rotary International Foundation. She helped provide affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity for 58 individuals.
She served as the 2005 health sector leader for the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce’s World Class Employee Recognition Program, and in 2004 to 2005 served on the United Way Campaign as a division leader for the commercial division, soliciting smaller donations from assigned businesses.
Guest speaker Debra Bishop, a senior sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, said all the women had dreams to find answers to problems and cures for diseases on top of taking care of their own careers and family.
“Not only are these incredible women, but they have a servant’s heart,” Bishop said.
A panel of four judges from the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs selected Love as the recipient.
Love, the community relations director for South Georgia Medical Center, said it is the collective effort of all women that makes a difference in the community.
The brunch was themed “Kicking Up Our Heels” and featured designer shoes on display from Country Cobbler. At each table, a different pair of shoes complimented the decor.
Kristin Ganas, club president, said the different colors, sizes and materials represented the variety of women in the community.
2005 Woman of the Year Mae Stokes bid the title farewell and said in a room full of over-achievers, finding time to serve the community isn’t a problem.
“It’s finding enough time,” she said.
