HONORING ALICE

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Celebrating Alice Rolls' Legacy at Georgia Organics

ALICE’S GARDEN OF GRATITUDE

Photo: 3 Porch Farm

On Friday, April 29, 2024, our dynamic leader Alice Rolls stepped down from her 20-year term as President & CEO of Georgia Organics. We invited our community to honor the transformational impact she had on the landscape of local agriculture and the indelible mark she left on our community. Well wishes and memories flooded in from colleagues and friends, which we gathered here in Alice’s Garden of Gratitude. You can read the reflections below.

To all of you, thank you for being an essential part of Alice Rolls' legacy and the ongoing growth of Georgia Organics. Let's keep planting the seeds for a healthy future together!

The Georgia Organics Family 🌱💚

It’s been so inspiring to watch your work from afar. I’m excited to see what you do next.

Alice Rolls with Board Chair Matthew Raiford at the 2019 Georgia Organics Conference & Expo in Athens. Photo by Bailey Garrot.

Alice, you’re one of kind! I have learned so much from you in the two short years since I landed in Georgia with a desire to learn more about local agriculture and find a place in the movement. I’m so grateful that I had the chance to gain from your knowledge, guidance, and light! - Emmy

Alice, I'm grateful that I've had some personal time with you recently to learn about the things that spark joy in your life - like biking cross-country, getting up at the crack of dawn to go on birding adventures, and visiting family often to soak in the good memories. I wish you a new season of dream-catching! The beauty of a wonderfully fresh world awaits... - Anonymous

Alice - my forever boss! Thank you for your steadfast leadership and vision over the years at GO. When I first moved to Georgia, everyone said, " you need to meet Alice Rolls!" And, I'm so glad I did. So many great memories from the early days in the church basement. Twenty years is an enormous achievement. Thank you for your service, passion, and vision. We love you! - Erin Croom

May this new journey bring you all the joy, adventure, and love you deserve.

I had the privilege of witnessing Alice's evolution into the trailblazer she has become. Our childhood adventures in the woods and creeks behind our house were the canvas upon which her love for nature was painted. It was during those carefree days that she honed her skills, exploring the landscape, learning the intricacies of bird calls, and developing an unspoken bond with the environment. Little did we know that these innocent escapades would sow the seeds of a profound passion that would define her life's work. As her sibling, I have seen Alice grow from the playmate of my youth to the resolute advocate for sustainability that she is today. Her journey has been marked by resilience, determination, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of good food. Alice's impact extends far beyond the borders of Georgia – it reaches into the hearts and minds of those who have been touched by her vision and dedication. Let's celebrate not just the end of a remarkable career but the enduring legacy of a pioneer who dared to envision a world where the choices we make about food have the power to shape communities and cultivate a healthier, more sustainable future. Alice, may your retirement be as fulfilling and rewarding as the countless lives you have touched throughout your extraordinary career. - Janet Loew

It’s been so inspiring to watch your work from afar. I’m excited to see what you do next. Lots of love. - Terri

From the start right up to today, Alice, you've been a warrior for farmers, organic food, and consumers. I'll always recall the day you were at TLW's Wheat Street farm, saw the flowers, and suggested we start a flower subscription service which we did, and it thrived! Your Farm To School efforts across the state are making such a difference one school at a time and AHR Fund has been proud to support your efforts. Here's to a relaxing and FUN next stage of life journey for you, Alice. - Patience Allan-Glick

Alice, I've enjoyed getting to know you personally and professionally. Our struggles are real, and your support has always brightened my days. I hope I have imparted as much to you. May this new journey bring you all the joy, adventure, and love you deserve. - Anonymous

Twenty years is an enormous achievement. Thank you for your service, passion, and vision.

Alice, Thank you for your leadership to bring good food to all people and communities in and around GA. It has been a pleasure to work with you and also see your example and accomplishments from afar. GA Organics has grown and thrived under your leadership. Best wishes for the next stage of your journey! I know it will be fruitful and bright! - Julie Self

My life has been blessed by Alice Rolls in her roles as educator, leader, and friend! Alice, you are among the absolute best leaders in any field. I've seen you share a meal with a table full of strangers, and by the end of the meal everyone leaves as friends, convinced of what needs to be done in the local organic movement, and tasked with what their skills and network will surely accomplish while you toil alongside. I've seen you energize rooms of thousands with your speeches and also travel many miles to foster one-on-one relationships. Thank you for your decades of work for GO, which you're even ending with great leadership, managing the transition with thoughtful deliberation and skill. You leave a lasting legacy! - Ashley Turner

…I want you to know that you are very much one of my "sheros." Your intellect, your passion, your wisdom, your perseverance, your creativity and your curiosity made you a dynamic leader of a movement that was in its infancy when you began. You are leaving it as a healthy, robust movement ready to do the next great things. Because of you, I remain a passionate advocate for local, organic food. I am a healthier person because of what I learned from you and from my time on the Georgia Organics board. I hope you will have more time for birding, and that you and I can find time to find some birds together. With much admiration and love - Linda DiSantis

Thank you, Alice for your devotion and passion - and crazy hard work to raise up growing organic in our little town. An amazing job! - Sue Gilman

Thank you, Alice, for your support of the Farm to School project in Habersham County. It was my pleasure to have the opportunity to work on that. I am grateful for your service to GO and the state of Georgia over the years. Congratulations on all you have accomplished! - Jennie Inglis

I’m so grateful to know Alice and been witness to great leadership in the food movement around Georgia. Imagining all the lives impacted by the passion she always put forth to do the right thing. I’m inspired and hopeful for the legacy she’s cultivated! - Dawn Brown

Watching you pour your heart and soul and strength into such a fundamentally important cause for so many years has been inspiring. I'm grateful to know you and to have watched this part of your life journey. Amazing. - Tina Chadwick

Thank you so much for steadfastly championing GA's organic farmers, nurturing Georgia Organics, and for making it a great place to work and grow. I am so grateful. Wishing you only the best, Alice! And hope this next chapter brings you so much joy, fulfillment, and always great food :-)

- Kimberly Koogler

A virtual standing ovation for you, Alice. Your determination and effort in support of the local and organic food movement in Georgia has resulted in many farmers and families achieving "whole health." Thank you for your dedication, positivity and willingness to bring many partners into the field to help do this work. - Debra Kibbe

I remember Georgia Organics before Alice. It wouldn’t be the powerhouse organization it is today without her leadership. Congratulations on growing such an important resource for the whole community. ❤️ - Elicia Fritsch