Exemplary Service Award Recipients
Each year the DeKalb Rotary Council offers its eight member clubs the opportunity to honor and recognize teachers and fellow rotarians for their exemplary service. This year the Rotary Club of North Atlanta honored the following well deserving individuals for their ongoing work to improve the lives of others.
Ms Sanna Sallah a 3rd grade teacher at Doraville United Elementary was chosen as our "Teacher of the Year".
Ms Sallah was born in The Gambia, West Africa the youngest of 8 children. Her father died when she was only 6. Her mother raised the family on her own and was a strong advocate for education of her children and many other children in the community. Once she finished high school Ms Sallah moved to the United States to join three of her brothers and to go to college in Atlanta where she studied marketing management. After graduation she went into business for herself. Her initial experience in education was as a substitute teacher of special needs/extremely disabled children. This is where she discovered her calling as a teacher. Ms Sallah is extremely dedicated to her students and is highly regarded by her colleagues as a woman of integrity. She is a dedicated mother of two beautiful daughters.
PP Jon Yaeger, President Mike Emanuele, Sanna Sallah, Teacher of the Year, Jodie Cohen (last year's Teacher of the Year recipient and 3rd grade cohort partner with Ms Sallah), and Dr Jesse Berger, Principal , Doraville United Elementary
Dr Ralph Peeler, past president of the North Atlanta Rotary Club 2015-16, received the “Show Rotary Cares” award for his ongoing leadership of the 5-year project to reduce the Spina Bifida birth defect in Ethiopia, and his Herculean perseverance with the RF Global Grant preparation and involved process, including the fundraising efforts needed to fund this long term project. The grant is now on the brink of being approved by the Rotary Foundation. This, along with District matching funds, will quadruple the funds we are raising for the project! The five-year project goal is $250,000.
Thank you Dr Peeler for your ongoing service and Congratulations!
Laurence Sharp, Ralph Peeler, Darlene Evans and Bill Smith
Past club president Jon Yaeger was nominated by the club to the Council for the “You are the Key” award.
Jon joined North Atlanta Rotary in 1994 and has served in various leadership capacities in the club including as Club President 2014-2015. During his presidential year he won the prestigious Sheffield Leadership Award from the District. In 2015-16 Jon served as the DeKalb Rotary Council Chair.
Among a wide array of service, Jon is very active in health prevention and treatment programs including his ongoing efforts with various public health initiatives and collaborative efforts to bring individuals and organizations together for more inclusive service delivery, local & global. Currently Jon's efforts have been primarily directed toward working with Dr Peeler on the 5-year project to reduce the birth defect Spina Bifida in Ethiopia and supporting the pending RF Global Grant.
Jon is the well deserving recipient of this prestigious "You are the Key" award from the DeKalb Rotary Council. Congratulations Jon!
Laurence Sharp, Lorri Christopher, Jon Yaeger, Darlene Evans and Bill Smith