Thomas L. Hamby, President, Birmingham, AL – Mr. Hamby has returned to the Land Trust board of directors after serving on our advisory board for the past few years. Mr. Hamby retired from AT&T in 2008, where he held the office of President for Alabama. After joining AT&T in 1971, Tom held various positions of increasing responsibility within the company, including Director of Federal Regulatory Matters and Vice President of Product Management. After his retirement, Mr. Hamby has served on many boards, including the Protective Life Board, Region’s Bank Birmingham Advisory Board, and he served 6 years as the chair of the Trustees of the Birmingham Museum of Art. Mr. Hamby earned an undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Georgia and is actively involved in beef production on the Hamby farm in Georgia.

Vice President, Birmingham, AL – Ted McCullough first joined Southern Company in 1987, where he has held various engineering leadership positions over the last thirty years. He currently serves as Southern Company’s Vice President of Hydroelectric Generation, Renewables, and Fossil Fleet Performance. A registered professional engineer, he holds degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics from Vanderbilt University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Auburn University. Ted grew up playing sports but was introduced to duck hunting as a college student. That experience turned him into an outdoors sportsman, giving him an appreciation for the natural landscape. Today, he enjoys hunting on his farm near the North Sauty Wildlife Refuge in Alabama and is a strong advocate for the preservation of wildlife habitats through land conservation.

Dr. Ken Davis, Secretary, Rome, GA – Dr. Davis is a native of Rome where he attended Darlington School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia and his Medical Doctorate from Emory University. He has served as Chief Resident at Emory University Hospital and in private practice at Harbin Clinic as a General Surgeon. After retiring from his general surgery practice in 2000, he became the Chief Executive Officer and President of Harbin Clinic in 2002. Dr. Davis retired as President and CEO in 2015 and now serves as the Chairman of the Board. In addition to his career in the medical field, Ken has business partnerships with Hardy Realty, Lavender Mountain Hardware, Jordan Davis Partners (medical consulting), Adams Project Management, Heritage First Bank, Hydrodynamics, Inc., and The Georgia Land Trust.

Bo Bickerstaff, Columbus, GA – Bo is a graduate of Davidson College in NC and holds a Master’s in Construction Management from Southern Polytechnic. He has led projects for Brasfield & Gorrie in Georgia for the past 14 years. In his free time, Bo enjoys hunting and fishing. Bo lives in Columbus with his wife Katie and their three children, Lizzie, Frankie and Ruth.

Roswell, GA - Tia has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University with a specialization in environmental engineering. She is a compliance assurance manager for Georgia Power’s Environmental and Natural Resources organization. Tia developed her appreciation for the environment as a little girl growing up in Alton, Illinois, a small town on the Mississippi River. She and her family often fished and camped along the riverbank. Tia and her husband, Kenny have two children.

Fort Valley, GA – Mr. Evans lives in Fort Valley, Georgia. He received a B.A. and a master’s degree from The University of Georgia. He is the president of Evans LLC which runs the largest pecan operation in the State of Georgia.   

Dalton, GA – Tammy was born and raised in Dalton, Georgia.  She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Economics.  Tammy started Outrageous Bargains in 1988 with her college roommate.  She successfully grew and later sold Outrageous Bargains in 1992.  Following the sale, Tammy and her husband, Steve, started Herndon Properties LLC in 1992.  Herndon Properties is a vertically integrated extended stay hotels company that develops, builds, owns, and operates extended stay hotels throughout the southeast.  They also own and develop multi-family housing.  Tammy has served on the United Way, FCA, and Friendship House boards.  Tammy and Steve participate in the land conservation easement program and believe in conservation of land through the Land Trust.  Tammy and Steve have been married for 28 years. They have four children, Chase, Mitchell, Ellis, and Mary Margaret.    

Roswell, GA – A native Georgian, Dr. Reed’s journey as a land conservationist began in the late 1980s. As development and urban sprawl edged north in Fulton County, GA, his 13 wooded acres became surrounded by strip malls and housing developments. In 1994 he created the Chattowah Open Land Trust, which has grown and evolved into our present-day organization, the Georgia-Alabama Land Trust. Dr. Reed received his B.S. from the Oxford College at Emory University and later his Doctor of Medicine from Emory University School of Medicine in 1979. Chip and his wife Roberta reside in Alpharetta.

Birmingham, AL. Kevin is the founder and CEO of Interconn Resources, a natural gas marketing company head-quartered in Birmingham, AL. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Birmingham Southern College where he was BSC’s first All-American tennis player and was inducted into the BSC Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. However, his most rewarding accomplishment is convincing his wife, Jane Templeton, to marry him in 1983. Together they have raised three wonderful children, all of whom own their own businesses. They also have two precious young grandchildren. Kevin is a conservationist and avid upland bird hunter and fly fisherman. He has served on several boards and is currently a member of the Board of Overseer of the Hoover Institution, the Board of Trustees of Birmingham Southern College and the Board of Advisors for Tauber Oil Company. 

Thompson was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University, a Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Loyola Law School. He is an experienced estate planning attorney focusing on wealth transfer tax and business succession planning. In his free time, Thompson enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, biking, and bird hunting.

Rome, GA – Mr. Watters has been self-employed since 2001, and was previously part-owner and Vice President of Sales for Syntec Industries, Inc. Mr. Watters obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Textile Management from Georgia Tech. Mr. Watters is a past President of the Northwest Georgia Council of Boy Scouts of America, serves as Chairman of the Georgia Alliance of the Boys & Girls Club for the State of Georgia, and serves on the Executive Committee and is a past President of the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Georgia. Thad also serves on the Board of Directors of Cancer Navigators, and the Board of Directors at Heritage First Bank in Rome, Georgia.

Dalton, GA - Ms. Watts has worked in a Chief Operations Officer capacity in the real estate field for over 17 years. She has extensive experience managing and overseeing all aspects of business operations related to real estate acquisition, disposition and analysis both nationally and internationally. She also assists in the management of the family farming business which includes agricultural, environmental and livestock endeavors. This has fueled her passion for land conservation and protection for our future generations. Ms. Watts holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from University of Tennessee Chattanooga. Her greatest pride and joy are her two beautiful daughters who attend Christian Heritage School and are involved in several school and sports activities.

Atlanta, GA – Mr. Wiley received his B.A. in European History from Washington and Lee University and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Georgia, a Master of Business from Georgia and a Masters of International Law from the University of Brussels in Belgium. He practiced tax law in Holland, Russia, and England before becoming Managing Director of Merrill Lynch PBIG and Global Consulting Group in Atlanta, GA. Buck serves as a board member and is the past Chairman of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business Alumni Board. He is active with the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Georgia and Business Executives for National Security (BENS). Buck and his wife, the former Ellen Wilkins of Athens, Georgia, live in Atlanta with their three children.