Newspaper held annual celebration Monday
Doug Blevins receives the Community Spirit Award from Tribune proprietor and publisher Patrick Graham. Deborah Stewart | Special to the Tribune
For 30 years, The Walton Tribune has celebrated local heroes in the community with the annual release of its progress edition, Visions.
Patrick Graham, proprietor nd publisher of The Tribune, said they’re just getting started.
“I can’t tell you how pleased and proud I am that all of you could join us as we make history tonight with the newspaper celebrating 30 years of honoring the good — not just good, the great — people of Walton County,” Graham said Monday evening at the newspaper’s annual Visions banquet. “Through three decades now we have had the privilege of honoring literally hundreds, if not thousands, of the county’s best and brightest.”
Each year, the Visions banquet honors the paper’s choice for its Community Spirit Award, as well as a selection of Unsung Heroes, a Youth of the Year and an Employer of the Year.
“Starting with our very first Community Spirit Award winner, Charles Sanders, in 1996 to this year’s worthy recipient, to be announced shortly, and all the ones in between, we have had the privilege of recognizing so many of the community’s best and brightest over the years,” Graham said. “All of them are part of the community’s history, and we’ve been recording that history for in the newspaper for 126 years now.”
History was the topic at hand Monday as the 2026 Visions magazine is titled “Making History,” and Graham said they were set to do just that with the latest slate of winners for this year’s publication.
Graham awarded this year’s Community Spirit Award to Doug Blevins.
“When it comes to helping the community, the servant part of our winner’s nature isn’t concerned about credit or kudos,” Graham said. “Just results. And he’ll put a Hall of Fame effort into making those positive results happen, just like he does in his business.”
“I would not be able to do what I do without this community,” Blevins said. “One of the best decisions I ever made was moving here. I love Walton County with everything I’ve got.”
Graham kicked off the night with the Employer of the Year, Malcom & Malcom Realty Professionals.
“Just over 20 years ago now, our Employer of the Year decided she was going to bet on herself,” Graham said of owner Lee Malcom. “betting on herself has paid off big time for our Employer of the Year, with her brokerage going from one Realtor joining her when she took the plunge to a total of 19 Realtors now part of the brokerage. That’s a lot of years and a lot of Realtors she been able to mentor, a long with a lot of buyers and sellers her brokerage has been able to assist.”
“This is an incredible award,” Malcom said. “It’s a reflection of everything we’ve done and inspires us to continue to make this a workplace where everyone can thrive.”
Youth of the Year was awarded to George Walton Academy senior Gabby Rainford.
“To say our Youth of the Year is busy is, well, maybe the understatement of the year,” Graham said. “The George Walton Academy senior has held leadership positions in various clubs, served on the school’s student council and worked countless volunteer hours with Faith In Serving Humanity and her church, Victorious Life Church in Conyers.”
“It’s such an honor,” Rainford said.
Graham also named three Unsung Heroes for this year’s Visions, people chosen as unrecognized pillars of the community.
First up was Audrey Norman, director of the Horizons Transition Program for the Walton County School District.
“Our first Unsung Hero of this evening is making a profound difference in the lives of young adults with cognitive disabilities,” Graham said. “She channels her passion for special education into preparing students for meaningful employment and independent living.”
“Every person has value and can contribute to society,” Norman said.
Next up was Social Circle’s Mamie Phillips.
“Superman might have a cape, but he doesn’t have anything on our next Unsung Hero,” Graham said. “The example of her parents and other role models in her family instilled a spirit of community, strength and selflessness in our Unsung Hero, and it has never left her. She continues to make a difference in significant ways.”
“I am grateful to have friends who work together for this community,” Phillips said.
Finally, Graham recognized Adell Sheats, of Social Circle, for his commitment to helping his neighbors in any number of ways.
“This Unsung Hero is a jack-of-all trades for his Social Circle neighborhood,” Graham said. “He’s the one who his neighbors call when their lawnmower is broken to see if he can fix it. He’s also the one who, after he gets it going again, will come over and mow their yard for them. Both at no charge. Just because he wants to help.
“Friends say his willingness to help is rooted in years of experience and a belief in giving back — skills he has built over time and now shares freely with others who need them.”
Read about all of this year’s winners in the 2026 Visions magazine, inside Wednesdays edition of The Walton Tribune or you can pick up copies of the magazine at the Tribune offices in downtown Monroe.
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