Meet Travis Noland! Coach Noland is married to his wife, Julie, and they have three boys. He is from the mountains of Western North Carolina where he grew up in the paper mill town of Canton and lived there until he graduated from college. Life in Canton was pretty simple. People knew everyone, were hard-working,…
Faces of Jackson County: Tracy Pratt
Meet Tracy Pratt! Tracy and her husband, Jeff have lived in Jefferson for over three decades. She is an educator and owner of a wedding business. Tracy, Jeff, and their three children are active members of our community in a variety of different avenues. We want to thank Tracy for telling us a little more…
Faces of Jackson County: Melissa Hodges
Meet Melissa Hodges! Melissa was born and raised in Telfair County. She graduated from Georgia Southern University and started her teaching career in 2000. Melissa and her husband, Heath were married and moved to Jackson County in 2010. They decided to start a family here because the community reminded them of the small towns where…
Faces of Jackson County: Gail Elrod
Meet Gail Elrod! Gail was born and raised in the Pendergrass area, attended North Jackson Elementary School and then graduated from Jefferson High School. “When Dennis and I married, we knew the country life was for us. Being semi-retired, I enjoy gardening, working outside, and occasional camping. Jackson County is a very special place for…
Faces of Jackson County: Kasie Oliver
Meet Kasie Oliver! Kasie and her husband live right here in our community where she wears many “hats.” She is the mother of three children, a Speech-Language Pathologist, an entrepreneur, and a business owner. It was a pleasure getting to talk to Kasie, and we want to thank her for taking the time to tell us…
Faces of Jackson County: Todd and Trisha Harper
Meet Todd and Trisha Harper of Hoschton! They have three children Amber, TJ, and Xavier. They are the founders of their 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, TNT Visions Outreach. Their mission is to empower the Jackson County community by providing much needed support to the youth, working parents, and senior citizens. The Harpers are the voices of…
Faces of Jackson County: Mary Ann Hale and Rachael Parr
Meet Mary Ann Hale and Rachael Parr! They are the Co-Site Directors at Foothills Charter High School. Both of these wonderful ladies love the opportunities that Foothills brings to high school students who need a different, flexible option to earning a high school diploma. They have made a huge impact on many young people in…
Brent Gilstrap
Meet Brent Gilstrap! He is the Pastor of Ebenezer UMC and Redstone UMC and currently teaches and coaches at Jackson County High School. He is married with four children, and they have lived in Jackson County for 21 years. Brent wears many hats; he is a husband, father, Christian, teacher, coach and sports enthusiast to…
The Faces of Jackson County: Guy Dean Benson
Meet Guy Dean Benson! Guy Dean was born to WWII veterans A.G. “Buster” and Hazel Parks in North Jackson’s Holly Springs Community. The area was comprised of family farms, country stores and churches. She says, “At one time we all knew one another and were mostly kinfolks.” She attended Plain View school, North Jackson Elementary,…
Faces of Jackson County: Coach Doug Thurmond
Meet Doug Thurmond! Coach Thurmond, his wife Jackie, and four boys are a major part of the Jefferson community. Coach Thurmond is an alumni, teacher, and wrestling coach at Jefferson High School. His passion for his community is seen in everything he does. As the wrestling coach at Jefferson, Coach Thurmond has coached 21 state…