Get to know the dedicated team that works behind the scenes every day to plan more productions and programs, and ensure The Plaza Arts Center will continue to grow.
Meet the incredible people who support and advocate for the The Plaza Arts Center. Their backgrounds and careers are varied, but they volunteer their time and share their talents as a cooperative working board.
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Susan spent the majority of her career as an administrator in the Putnam County Charter School System, serving as assistant principal of the Elementary School, Director of Special Education, and then principal of the Elementary School, the Primary School, and the Middle School before retiring. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Elementary Education and of Mercer University with a masters in Middle Grades Education. She went on to obtain a specialist and doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Georgia.
Susan and her husband, Tom, have one child, Addie Grace, who is currently in high school at Putnam County High School. They enjoy living in Putnam County with all it has to offer plus its close proximity to Atlanta.
Vickie is the program, theater production and event contact at The Plaza. Her career and personal interests have always circled the non-profit, fine and performing arts world.
She would say that her customer service, creative, technical and event planning talents were honed while working for top rated service-centric companies like Blackbaud and The Ritz Carlton.
Vickie is a native of Eatonton, GA, attended Putnam County Schools and holds a BS in Exercise Science/Kinesiology and Minor in Communications from Georgia College and State University. Her roots are local but she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends. Her love for the Arts continues to grow as she is influenced by the richness and depth of artistic talent that lives here in the Lake Country.
Taylor’s interest in the arts started at an early age. She grew up in Oconee County where she learned to love arts through stage management, show choir and dance. Taylor’s career started in newspapers as a Content & Design Editor. This is where she got her passion for media and communication. She loves to express her creative side in her designs and believes in The Plaza’s mission to bring the arts and performances to the community. Taylor got married in 2022 to the love of her life, Colton. In her spare time, Taylor loves to spend time with her fur baby, Clyde, listen to live music, travel and thrift. She brings with her to The Plaza a personality willing to work and ready to help let the place shine.
Roddie Anne graduated from Putnam County High School in 1970 and has since spent a lot of her time pouring back into her community. From 1980 until 2021, she served as the Eatonton-Putnam County Chamber President. Roddie Anne is a member of Eatonton First Baptist Church, has served in the Eatonton Service League, 100 Women Who Care and lots of other charitible organizations. She has an extensive resume —all helping her hometown of Eatonton grow and thrive. Roddie Anne Blackwell is married to Sammy Blackwell. Roddie Anne has three children and six wonderful grandchildren.
Murray is a native of Florida and moved to Eatonton in 2017 after 20 years in Houston. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech and the Harvard Business School. His 30-year career with Amoco Corporation and British Petroleum in international finance, high technology businesses and global property management entailed assignments in Chicago, Calgary, London, Houston and the remote island of Papua New Guinea where he was CFO of one of the worlds largest copper mines. Since 2012, he has served as a Senior Advisor with the Taffrail Group in Atlanta.
He and his wife, Mary, have three grown daughters and 3 grandchildren. He is interested in historic preservation initiatives and leadership in non-profit organizations and community activities.
Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, Dudley first completed a tour in the United States Marine Corps before attending the prestigious Culinary Arts Institute in Baton Rouge, LA. After graduating he pursued a successful career as a Chef for 25 years in different hotels and restaurants across the southeast. Upon retiring from his foodservice career, Dudley starting a home building and maintenance business. Constructing 42 homes in Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. Dudley and his wife of 30 years live in the historic district of Eatonton in a home built in 1811. They enjoy cooking, shooting, and swimming in the 1/2 Olympic pool in their backyard.
For nearly 11 years Avis Williams worked at the Lake Oconee Community Church in Greensboro as the Pastor of Community Transformation. In this role, she worked to connect the community together in a number of ways. She organized a community Bible Study, a Youth Alliance, between the Greensboro Housing Authority, the Greene County Schools, Putnam County Charter Schools, and LOCC for elementary students ages 6-12 years. The Youth Alliance provides cultural, historical, and educational enrichment for the students with a four-week summer program. She also organized the Entrepreneur’s Club for Putnam Middle School to teach students how to interact with local business owners and how to create ideas and write business plans. Avis was also instrumental in creating the Imagineers Club at the Putnam Middle School which partners middle school students with local writers, musicians, and artists.
Recently, Avis has taken the role of Community Liaison for the Putnam County Charter Charter School System. She is now serving as the representative of the Putnam County Charter School System to the at large community. She is currently working on building an Alumni Network of students and assisting the Director of Experiential Learning with hands-on educational opportunities for all students.
In 2018 Avis received a Doctorate of Ministry: Theology from the Candler School of Theology of Emory University – Atlanta, GA, USA.
Sara Tomson-Hooper holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master of Social Work. She has twenty-five years of experience in human service administration, combined with consulting and academia. Ms. Tomson-Hooper is currently employed with Habitat for Humanity International as Associate Director of Strategy Planning and Support. Prior to joining Habitat for Humanity in 2013, Ms. Tomson-Hooper spent thirteen years in non-profit management and twelve years in executive consulting.
Ms. Tomson-Hooper’s consulting firm assisted non-profit organizations with advancing funding and programmatic strategies; cultivating resources; enhancing professional development; assuring quality standards, and evaluating program outcomes.
Ms. Tomson-Hooper currently serves on the Board of Regents and the Advancement Committee for Wartburg College, a private liberal arts college in Iowa. She is also a member of and serves on the Program Committee for Blue Ridge Institute, which is a non-profit educational organization and the oldest continuing institute of its kind in the country, organized more than 88 years ago. In Eatonton, Ms. Tomson-Hooper is on the Board of Directors of the Eatonton Main Street Program, The Plaza Arts Center, and The Artisans Village.
