A veteran teacher and public servant is set to lead the board of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Georgia.
Atlanta native and former Gainesville resident Brenda Hayes begins July 1 as president of OLLI@UGA’s board of directors and will serve for the 2017-2018 term. She will succeed current President Lee Albright.
Based in the College of Education, OLLI@UGA is a member-driven organization that offers courses, lectures, travel opportunities and social activities throughout the Athens area. Its membership totals more than 1,400.
A former high school English teacher, Hayes was the first woman elected to chair the Hall County Commission and helped secure the 1996 Olympic rowing and canoe/kayaking venue at Lake Lanier. After working as a regional director for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, she served as associate director at UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Fanning Institute, both public service and outreach units; she retired from UGA in 2010. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Georgia.
Joining Hayes, other new members of the OLLI@UGA board include Richard Lynch, president-elect; Margaret Pruiett, secretary; and Victor Gagliano, treasurer. Jim Alberts, Sherry Malone, Roy Martin, Ginny Spencer and Nancy Grayson will serve their second term on the board of directors.
The organization also recently honored two of its members as part of its annual meeting. The Dr. Carol J. Fisher Award was presented to Lenette Burrell and Peggy Cole for their outstanding volunteer service over many years.
Burrell, a member since 1999, has filled many roles such as a long-term host for OLLI classes and, more recently, as an OLLI@UGA ambassador to residents of her retirement community. Cole, who has been a member of OLLI@UGA for 15 years, has been a key participant on the membership committee.
One of 120 Bernard Osher institutes throughout the U.S., OLLI@UGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the intellectual, social and cultural needs of adults age 50 and older. For more information, visit olli.uga.edu.