Today's Featured Biography

 
Carolyn Morris (Collins)

I went to Nurshing School at Mercer in Macon in the fall of 1961. I dropped out in 1962 to marry fellow Tiftonite, Bill Tyson. We lived in Greensboro, NC for two years then moved to Valdosta where I completed my undergraduate degree in Sociology at Valdosta State. We had a beautiful daughter in 1963 and twin boys in 1966.

My working career began as Regional Representative with the American Cancer Society in Valdosta. Then moved to Atlanta in the early 70s and became Executive Director of the Atlanta City Unit of ACS, Norcross.

Roy had a son, same age as my twins, and two younger daughters.

Committed to Authentic Leadership

I participated in Leadership Atlanta in 1983-84, and helped establish Leadership Gwinnett in 1985, and a Leadership development program called Teachers As Leaders, for teachers, shortly after this.

We lost Roy's son, John, in February of 1991 in an armed robbery. And, I completed my Masters in Adult Education from the University of Georgia in 1993. I served as the founding director of The Quality Center at Gwinnett Technical College near Lawrenceville until 1996.

Roy had a rare form of heart disease, and a heart transplant in December 1995. Unfortunately he died on April 1, 1996 only twelve shorts years after we married. I went to work at my church, Christ Church Episcopal Norcross in May of 1996. We developed, and I was the Executive Director until 2004, Advancing Authentic Leadership, a leadership program for lay leaders of the church. Over 200 people at our church and other churches graduated from the program.

My volunteer involvements include; graduate of Leadership Atlanta; part of the founding Leadership teams for Leadership Gwinnett, the Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services, and Teachers As Leaders for the Gwinnett Public Schools.

I have been a Rotarian since 1989; President Peachtree Corners Rotary, 2005-2006, and founding Director for the Rotary Leadership Institute for District 6910 (Northeast Georgia). I am currently President of the Norcross Cluster Schools Partnership, a 501.c3 organization formed in 2010 to coordinate Community efforts to assist the schools in enhancing Student performance.

My daughter, Zina, works for the Salvation Army, Southern Territory. So, when Katrina hit New Orleand in 2005, I joined them as the National Volunteers Coordinator and led the efforts to recruit, train, and mentor volunteers nationally for the Katrina Aid Today, UMCOR National Disaster Relief program from 2005-2008. The following became my daily prayer as we worked with those that had been displaced "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change--the courage to change the things I can--and the wisdom to know the difference."

I have 8 grandchildren, 3 boys & 5 girls, 1 great grand child, and my son, Scott and his wife Lorna are raising 4 foster teenage daughters. They live in Yelm, Washington. Six of the grandcildren, ranging from ages 7 to 17, live ner me in Atlanta; 2 granddaughters live in Alpharetta, 2 in Cumming, and 2 grandsons in Dallas, Georgia.

Unfortunately, I lost one of my twins, a wonderful 44 year old son in October 2010 in Colorado. I am currently exploring my options for the "next phase" of this on-going drama. I look forward to seeing you all again and hearing your stories.

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