Presenting
John K. Morgan Family Scholarships
and
F. William Hughey Community Service Award

Monday, March 30, 2026
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Suggested Donation:
$20 per person / $160 per table

Conyers First Methodist Church
921 North Main Street, Conyers

Questions:
Michael Hutcheson
770-761-9244
director@rockdalecoalition.org

Purchase Tickets by March 16

Purchase Individual Tickets or Tables Here

Georgia slips in economic well-being, more children and teens are dying, we continue to be in the bottom 10 in low birthweight.

Georgia ranks 39th out of 50 states in the nation for overall child and family well-being in the 2025 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, falling two spots from the 2024 report. This ranking marks a troubling reversal after making progress in recent years. It’s the Peach State’s lowest overall ranking in seven years.

Georgia ranked 48th in the inaugural KIDS COUNT Data Book released in 1990 but hasn’t been in the bottom 10 states since 2017. After holding steady at 38th for several years, we achieved our highest ranking of 37th in 2023 and maintained that in 2024.

“This slip in progress is a stark reminder that we must persist in our work toward measurably better outcomes for all our children, families, and communities,” said Georgia Family Connection Partnership Executive Director Gaye Smith. “It’s particularly troubling to see the startling increase in the number of teens and children dying in our state, and to lose ground in areas like economic well-being and education, where Georgia has made some gains and performed relatively well in recent years. When we dig deeper into the data, it’s clear that success for some does not always translate into success for all.”

The KIDS COUNT® Data Book uses 16 indicators to rank each state across four domains—health, education, economic well-being, and family and community—to assess child and family well-being.

This year’s Data Book reveals that Georgia has slipped or plateaued in some indicators, while neighboring states have continued to improve and outpace our progress, particularly in economic well-being and education. Georgia continues to struggle in the family and community and health domains, reflecting an increase in our child and teen death rate and only a nominal improvement to our stubbornly high low-birthweight rate.

For more information, click here………..

This is the 15th year the Rockdale Coalition has offered scholarships for students who have demonstrated outstanding community service in Rockdale County with plans to continue that level of commitment while pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship is named for John K. Morgan, former president and chief executive officer of Acuity Brands Lighting and community advocate.

Since the inception of the John K. Morgan Scholarship, more than $100,000 has been awarded to deserving students in Conyers and Rockdale County.

“The talent and commitment these students have shown throughout their careers by giving so much of their time and gifts to help others in need is to be commended and celebrated,” said Director of Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families Michael Hutcheson.

New this year, students were asked what community service organization was most impactful to them, and a $500 gift was given to the organization in the student’s name. Representatives from those organization were on hand to celebrate the students’ accomplishments and accept the donations. Highlights of community service demonstrated by the four finalists and the organization they honored include:

• Ethan Barlay considers his volunteerism at Rockdale Emergency Relief, Sophisticated Men of Excellence and the Beta Club as his most meaningful areas of service. Barlay’s $500 gift was designated for Rockdale Emergency Relief.
• Ariana Boyd cites her volunteerism with Rockdale Emergency Relief, serving on her school’s Green Team, and with the Rockdale Youth Action Team, as motivation for community service. Boyd’s $500 gift was designated for Rockdale Emergency Relief.
• Ryan Rakestraw’s community service passions include pursuing a Gold Award in Girl Scouts of America, volunteering with Lady T Homeless Ministry and the Black Stem Student Union. Rakestraw’s $500 gift was designated for the Rockdale Service Unit of the Girl Scouts.
• Alania Sneed considers her volunteerism with Beta Club, the National Art Honor Society and 4-H as her favorite community service opportunities, and her $500 gift was designated for Rockdale 4-H.

The 2025 recipient of the F. William Hughey Community Service Award was presented to Jennifer Wilds. The award is presented annually to a person who has demonstrated outstanding, collaborative community service in Rockdale County. Rockdale Coalition Board of Directors member Megan Sayago presented the award to Wilds. Wilds is a mental health advocate for View Point Health. She is a tireless champion and advocates for youth and families at the personal, county and state levels. Wilds is involved in many professional organizations including various Local Interagency Planning Teams, local suicide prevention coalitions, Drug-Free Community Coalitions, Family Connection Partnerships, state prevention workgroups, and juvenile justice planning teams. A $500 cash donation will be given to the local community service organization of Wilds’ choice.

The luncheon also celebrated the accomplishments of the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Families over the past 30 years. Michael Hutcheson introduced first chairman of the board, John K. Morgan, and former executive directors of the board, Mark Griffin and Bill Hughey, who shared remarks of the partnerships that have proven successful and fruitful to the Conyers/Rockdale community for 30 years.

“For 30 years, we have facilitated critical conversations, secured and administered grants, provided invaluable resources such as the Morgan Family Scholarships, Rockdale Health SafetyNet and the Community Resource Network, among others, and worked tirelessly to make a positive impact in Conyers and Rockdale. None of this would have been possible without the support of our incredible community,” said Hutcheson.