On Feb. 9, eight local residents will be honored at the 27th annual Heart of the Community Awards of Honor. These residents have been chosen for the service they have given to the Rome and Floyd County community. Those being honored this year include:

Board of Governors Award: Anne Culpepper

Young Heart Award: Matt Davis

Employer Award: Citizens First Bank

Awards of Honor: Jim and Bonnie Moore, Dr. Robert Hortman, Beth Bagby Smith, Robert M. Skelton

The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Forum. There will be a silent auction, the awards presentation, dinner and dancing. For information on tickets, contact Wanda J. Whitten, 706-802-3924.

Anne Culpepper

Board of Governors Award

Anne was a 1997 Heart of the Community Awards recipient. At that time she was recognized for her volunteer work at East Rome Junior and Senior High Schools. That included band chaperone, cook at fund raisers, yearbook advisor and working on fund raising and other student related projects. She previously was a tutor at the Sarah Murphy Home in Cedartown. Since 1972 Anne has been a volunteer in the tourism office 5 days a week, 8 hours a day.

Other volunteer community involvement has included:

— Coosa River Christmas

— Mayfest on the River

— Heritage Holidays

— Olympics in Rome and Atlanta

— Volunteer at Myrtle Hill Cemetery tours

— Led haunted house tours on Broad Street

— Volunteer Teacher at Berry Senior College

— Numerous volunteer hours at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

— Leadership Rome and High School Leadership Rome

— Volunteer with Tour de Georgia

— Volunteer with the Clocktower handycling event

— Volunteer at the Clocktower

Organized and led field trips for local schools at Myrtle Hill Cemetery

— Charter member of the Myrtle Hill/Oak Memorial Association

— Step–on-Tour guide on the Toonerville Trolley in the Between the Rivers Historic District

In 2005 she was named by the Georgia Council on Women as a Georgia Legacy — Women Active and Alive Well Past the Age of Sixty.

Anne was born in Rome “several” years ago. Her parents instilled in her a need to give back to her community. Her husband, Joe Culpepper, was also a volunteer and they worked many events together until his death in 2003.

Dr. Robert Hortman

A native of Rome, Dr. Robert Hortman has been an active member of the Rome and Floyd County community.

A graduate of Darlington school, he returned to the school as an active parent and volunteer. His work at Darlington has included:

— President, Athletic Booster Club

— Member of the Board of Trustees

— President, Alumni Council

— Annual Fund Chairman

— Along with wife, Susan, co-chaired the Parent’s Association

First Baptist Church:

— Bible Study Teacher

— Member of the multiple church committees including Chairing the Children’s Committee

— Chairman, Board of Deacons

— R.A. Director

— Chairman, Touching Tomorrow Building campaign

Other community Involvement has included:

— Board of Directors, Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Ga.

— Active in Development of South Rome Boys and Girls Club

— Board of Directors Exchange Club of Rome

— Board of Directors Family Resource Center

— Volunteer, Homemart Store for Habitat for Humanity

— Homemaking Division chairman, Coosa Valley Fair

— Volunteer United Way of Rome

— Director, Floyd Co. Baptist Assn. Free Dental Clinic

Bob and his wife, Susan have one daughter, Jane, living in Atlanta, and two sons, Jeff, living in New York and Robert and his wife, Nancy who live in Nevada. They have one grandson, Wes.

Nominated by Scott and Beth Smith, they say “Bob works tirelessly in our community. He not only works for the betterment of Rome but he does so in such a quiet manner, spending many hours and hours he with groups he loves.”

Citizens First Bank

Employee Community Service Award

Community service has always been at the heart of the Citizens First Bank culture. They call it the “Culture of the Heart.” In fact, one of their three key values is “Service to one another, our customers and our community.”

Their staff is involved throughout the community in a variety of civic, cultural, charitable and religious organizations including 21 different organizations and agencies. In addition, they have team members involved in coaching youth sports teams, volunteering in churches and schools and serving in local government.

Recently, when they celebrated their 100th anniversary they chose the theme “Celebrating 100 years with 100 Good Deeds.” Their intent was to celebrate this milestone year in a unique and special way by giving back to the community that had supported them for 100 years. At the end of their celebration year, they had completed 113 deeds and touched the lives of thousands throughout the community.

Good Deeds included numerous collection efforts such as used books for schools, canned food drive, balls and toys for the holidays, box tops for education, shoes for Soles for Souls, and toiletries for Marines overseas. Additionally, they helped to inventory the Habitat for Humanity warehouse, served in the Community Soup Kitchen, participated in Teens for Jeans and even made snacks for their nearby fire station. One of the crowning and most emotional deeds was the yard clean-up for a World War II Veteran that included the presentation of a new US flag to him by the staff of Congressman Phil Gingrey.

When completed according to one staff member. “It boosted morale-lifted spirits in a down economic time — gave back to the community in a non financial way with heartfelt, genuine compassion.

Beth Bagby Smith

A lifelong Roman and graduate a 1987 graduate of Darlington School, Beth received a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Education degree from Auburn University. She returned to Rome and taught at East Central Elementary School teaching kids with special needs. She then moved to Darlington Schools where is has taught pre-K and Kindergarten for the past several years.

As a member of the Junior Service League she has served on the Executive Committee and was an active member of their Follies Programs.

Other activities in the Rome community include:

— First Baptist Church:

— Sunday School Officer

— Youth, Women of the Church, and Family Ministries committee

— Sunday School, youth and missions teacher

— Director and Founding member of the Tri for Kids

Youth Triathlon which benefits the Boys and Girls

Clubs

— Founding member of RACE Rome which hosts endurance events and youth/adult triathlons to raise money for local charities.

— Darlington School Servant Leadership Program

— Volunteer with Open Door Home, Boys and Girls Club, Cancer Navigators and the William S. Davies Homeless

Shelter

— Heart of the Community Board of Governors

—- Her class adopts a family at Christmas and prepares a meal for the Homeless Shelter each month.

— Her class at school makes hand painted plates as awards for Clocktower Handcycling event.

— Organizes students to greet teams during NAIA National Championships

Beth is married to Attorney Scott Smith. They have 3 daughters: Bailey, Avery and Anne Scott.

Robert M. Skelton

A native of Oakwood, Robert Skelton attended Truett McConnell College and Belmont University.

He did his graduate study in Education at the University of Georgia and obtained his Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He also received a certificate in Continuing Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.

During Skelton’s student years, he served as a student pastor to several churches in Georgia and Kentucky.

His full time pastor positions have included:

— Garden Lakes Baptist Church, Rome

— First Baptist Church, Mableton

— Minister of Evangelism at Roswell Street Baptist Church, Marietta

— He currently serves as the Senior Division Director-WinShape Foundation-Student & International Division, Berry College

Skelton has served as:

— A teacher and coach in Commerce and Gainesville

— Executive Committee for the Georgia Baptist Convention

— Board of Directors for the Christian Index

— Trustee of Truett McConnell College

— Trustee of the Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries

— Advisory Board of the Rome Leadership Prayer Breakfast

— Interim Pastor to 14 local churches

According to the nominations received for Robert Skelton, words cannot describe the positive influence he has been to lives of all the people he touches:

He is “a stabilizing factor in those lives,” “a father away from home” to students at the WinShape Center.

“His motive in life is to serve, not be served. He so ably puts his time and talents into so many lives — not so that he can count his successes, but so that others are spurred on to succeed.”

Robert Skelton is married to the former Vicky Wood of Griffin. They have one daughter, Wendy Whitley and three sons, Rob, Brett and Matt and 20 grandchildren.

Matt Davis

Young Heart Award

A native of Rome and a graduate of Pepperell High School, Matt had been active in the Rome community.

Volunteer with:

— Alzheimer’s Association

— Chair of Coosa Valley Walk to end Alzheimer’s

— Organized “Battle of the Bands”

— Fund Raising Efforts for:

— Rome /Floyd Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship Fund - Magnolia Foundation

— Cancer Navigators

— Board of Directors for Sexual Assault Center of Rome

— Ambassador for “ Step Up, Step In” campaign

— Member of Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation

Matt is Vice-President of Davis Communications Group, and the father of a son, Brody, age 5. He and his wife, Tonya, live in Rome.

Bonnie and Jim Moore

Bonnie and Jim Moore have worked for more than 14 years advocating for individuals with mental health issues. Not only have they worked with mentally ill individuals but they have helped countless family members to be able to cope, live and understand and support their own family member who may suffer from mental illness.

Their involvement in the community has included each of them participating on many of the same agencies and boards.

Bonnie:

— Past Highland Rivers community Service Board

— Past Disability Link Board Member

— National Alliance on Mental Illness

— Past Many volunteer jobs at First United Methodist Church

Jim:

— NAMI President

— Pine Ridge housing for persons with mental illness

— Disability Link Board Member

— Juvenile Court Citizens Review Panel

— Past Mentor-East Central Elementary School

— Past numerous volunteer jobs at First United Methodist Church

Bonnie and Jim:

— Homeless Task Force

— Weekly family Group facilitators

— Family to Family and Basic teachers for caregivers of persons with mental illness

— Advocate local and state level for mental illness

— Organizes yearly candlelight service for Mental Illness Awareness Week

— NAMI Walks

— Crisis Intervention Team training Regional Coordinators

— Floyd County Suicide Prevention Coalition

— Mission Trip to Mississippi following Katrina

Nominated by Marsha Spota, “Jim and Bonnie have fought hard for the rights of individuals with mental illness and for the stigma that goes along with that illness to be eradicated.”

Bonnie and Jim enjoy time with their three grown daughters and two grandsons and time at their cabin in Cloudland, were they reenergize in order to continue their work helping persons with mental illness and their families.