The Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift for Your Bulldog Sweetheart

It is hard to believe Valentine’s Day is only one month from today. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised–the stores have transitioned from aisles of red and green décor to rows of pink and red candy. Despite the many options, selecting the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that special someone can be stressful. Lucky for UGA alumni and friends across the country, UGA Alumni Association sponsor FTD is here to save the day with its official Georgia Bulldogs Rose Bouquet.

In my opinion, what better way is there to show your appreciation for someone than with FTD’s special red and white roses in a glass vase etched with the Georgia “G?” It’s perfect for when “I love you” needs a little something extra … like “Go Dawgs.” Whether it’s for the love of your life, a family member or close friend, the Georgia Bulldogs Rose Bouquet is the perfect way to brighten the day of those important to you. Regardless of the occasion, it’s always great to be a Georgia Bulldog.

Let our friends at FTD take the hassle out of gift-giving this year. Each bouquet comes with a free personalized message, and procrastination is no match for their same-day delivery service. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate with the important Bulldogs in your life.

For more information, click here.

Georgia’s Power List: 24 UGA Alumni Named Among 100 Most Influential Georgians

Georgia Trend magazine recently released its “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” list for 2013. These Georgians are exerting their influence in our state’s business dealings, philanthropic endeavors and politics. As Georgia Trend puts it, they “impact how we live, how we vote, how we buy and how we give.”

This year’s list includes 24 UGA alumni:

·         Dan Amos (BBA ’73) Chairman & CEO Aflac

·         John D. Barge (EDD ’04) State School Superintendent

·         Gary W. Black (BSA ’80) Commissioner: Georgia Department of Agriculture

·         Jason Carter (JD ’04) State Senator

·         Saxby Chambliss (BBA ’66) U.S. Senator

·         Chris Cummiskey (BBA ’96) Commissioner: Georgia Department of Economic Development

·         Rob Gibson (AB ’81) Executive & Artistic Director: Savannah Music Festival

·         Hank M. Huckaby (matriculate ’06) Chancellor, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

·         Johnny Isakson (BBA ’66) U.S. Senator

·         Reynold Jennings (BSPH ’69) President & CEO WellStar Health Systems

·         Jan Jones (ABJ ’80) Speaker Pro Tempore: Georgia House of Representatives

·         Brian Kemp (BSA ’87) Georgia Secretary of State

·         Jack Kingston (AB ’78) U.S. Congressman

·         Timothy Mescon (PHD ’79) President: Columbus State University

·         Charlotte Nash (BBA ’75) Chairman: Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners

·         Dink NeSmith (ABJ ’70) President/Co-owner, Community Newspapers, Inc.
Chairman, Board of Regents                                                    

·         Alec Poitevint (AB ’02) Chairman & President: Southeastern Minerals Inc.

·         David Ralston (JD ’80) Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives

·         Lynn Smith (BSED ’68) State Representative

·         Kessel D. Stelling Jr. (BBA ’78) Chairman & CEO: Synovus

·         Natasha Trethewey  (AB ’89) United States Poet Laureate

·         T. Rogers Wade (matriculate ’63) Chairman: Georgia Public Policy Foundation

·         Yvonne D. Williams (ABJ ’78) President: Perimeter Community Improvement Districts

·         Sally Quillian Yates (ABJ ’82, JD 1986) U.S. Attorney: Northern District of Georgia

I am pleased to see so many alumni of UGA on this list, in addition to University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams, and the imprint they are leaving on our state. My congratulations to them all.

See the complete list of influential Georgia, please click here. 

UGA Alumna Rufe McCombs Maulsby, First Woman Elected Judge in Georgia, Dies at 94

It was 1942 and Rufe McCombs Maulsby (BSC ’40, JD ’42), then known as Rufe Edwards, who had already passed the bar exam, had just graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law. She was the only female in her class. She then got a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Maulsby wanted to be a lawyer from the time she was a young girl. In 1975, the Georgia native became the first female elected judge in Georgia without prior appointment, receiving more than 9,000 votes, while her closest contender finished with 3,500 votes. She would go on to serve as a Municipal Court judge, a State Court judge and Superior Court judge before retiring in 1993 at age 75. She succeeded through the years despite blindness in one eye and bouts with tuberculosis and cancer.

While we are saddened by her passing, we celebrate the life of Rufe McCombs Maulsby. We thank Judge Maulsby for her outstanding service to the state of Georgia and for blazing the trail for other women. She emobodied the excellence of the University and its alumni.  

To learn more about Maulsby, the Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., provides additional information here.