Ellis R. Lamme was born in Portsmouth, Ohio in December of 1947. Though he was born and raised just north of the Mason-Dixon Line, Ellis has lived in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia for almost 30 years and, as such, very much considers himself a “True Southerner”. Proud to call Georgia home, Ellis’s dedication to his State is evident through the tireless work he does to encourage agricultural sustainability and environmental stewardship in Georgia.

Ellis’s early interest in the field began during his 20-year tenure serving in the U.S. Air Force as part of the Red Horse [Civil] Engineering Squadron. Since then, Ellis has continued to occupy several distinct positions in the field. In 2000, he was elected as Chairman of the Gwinnett County Soil & Water Conservation District Board and has since been re-elected for three consecutive terms. He also currently serves as President of the Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation and Development Council (UORRC&D), a multi-county environmental organization based out of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Additional credentials include:

· Served as Vice-President of the National Soil & Water Conservation Society

· Served as Vice President of the Georgia Association of Conservation District Supervisors (GACDS) Group III

· Holds Level-II and 1-B Certification from the Georgia State Soil & Water Conservation Committee

· Certified Personnel in Erosion and Sediment Control, CPESC #1117.

Ellis’s dedication to this important cause is not limited to a professional capacity. His wife of 24 years, Phyllis, is also involved in the field as President of a successful Civil Engineering/Surveying firm based in Gwinnett County (McFarland-Dyer & Associates, Inc.). Together, the two live on a 12-acre farm in Dacula, Georgia where they plant and maintain a huge summer garden, grow blueberries and Muscadine grapes, black walnuts, and even care for several chickens who happily provide a non-stop supply of farm fresh eggs.

Louis D. Young, Jr. graduated from Auburn University in 1982 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Louis joined Columbia in 1989 and brings over 33 years of civil engineering experience to his current roles as Partner and President.

Mr. Young's experience includes transportation, due diligence, site design and stormwater management. His previous roles at Columbia included serving as a Project Engineer and Vice President. In his current role as President, he is the managing partner for the Land Planning and Landscape Architecture departments and serves as the liaison for many high profile clients. He has served as the Engineer of Record for many projects throughout the United States. As a member of the firm's Board of Directors, Mr. Young helps guide the overall direction of the company.

He is a Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission certified NPDES Level II Design Professional, a LEED Accredited Professional and is certified by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Mr. Young holds professional engineering licenses in numerous states and the District of Columbia. He is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Quality Growth. He is also active in many civic and professional organizations and is a 2003 graduate of the Gwinnett Chamber's Leadership Gwinnett Program.

Mr. Young resides in Lilburn, Georgia with his wife, Danita. He has two grown children, both of whom are engineers.

Matt Retter, a resident of Gwinnett County since 1974 is active in the real estate industry as a professional Real Estate Appraiser, licensed in the State of Georgia with classification as Certified General. In addition, Mr. Retter is involved in real estate development activities of a residential and commercial variety. Completed projects include single family subdivisions, retail centers and attached housing.

A graduate of Berkmar High school in Lilburn as well as Georgia State University, Mr. Retter resides in Buford Georgia with his wife Meredith.

Ms. Fowler's 35-year career in Marketing & Public Relations included director-level positions with regional advertising agencies, an international wholesale supplies distributor, and as a freelance video and film producer. Her most recent PR position was with the City of Norcross, during which she introduced community development strategies aimed at unifying diverse populations by engaging them in meaningful events and activity that highlighted local youth and environmental stewardship. In 2014, Tixie founded and continues to direct “Gardens for Growing Community” a nonprofit focused on empowering youth through nature. She actively mentors young learners from diverse and underserved communities, and supports educators throughout her Districts with Project-Based Learning resources and coaching. Fowler's credentials include certification as an Environmental Educator through Cornell University and the Georgia Chapter of the National Environmental Education Alliance. She uses her skills to support the Conservation Districts in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, including implementation of her “Kids in Conservation” program which encourages youth to actively engage in natural resource and wildlife conservation in urban settings.