Columbia County Faces

A visit with some of the diverse people who give the communities of Columbia County their small-town charm and appeal.

by Ayanna A. Wiggins

A line from Thornton Wilder's Our Town reads: "In our town we like to know the facts about everybody." As these five community leaders will show, sometimes the facts are obvious and sometimes they're not. These are their stories.

The Adventurer, Dr. Michael Caudell

L'Heure de Vérité. The newspaper clip hanging on his office wall recalls memories of his wife's 40th birthday gift to him: a trip abroad for Tour de France 2006. Ironically, the bold headline perfectly symbolizes what it's like every time Dr. Michael Caudell starts his shift as an emergency room physician at the Medical College of Georgia. There are no TV cameras and second takes. Every moment counts. Every hour is the hour of truth. And that's OK because he comes in fully prepared, confident and ready. With every decision, he's constantly asking himself and staff members: "What would you want if you or your mother were in this situation?"

No, every day isn't dramatic, with blood, guts, gore. But there are days, he says, "when you feel overwhelmed that that's all there is." Then there's the business of stepping into relationships with people who want things that can't be provided. "Sometimes it's an answer...or attention to a chronic problem that's non-emergent and requires an outpatient evaluation."

Occasionally faced with scenarios or emotions that you just can't prepare for, Caudell rarely delivers news that is worse than patients or families expect. But when it's necessary—and he needs to inject himself into their emotional state—Caudell often thinks of his wife, Patty, a pathologist at Trinity Hospital, and sons Andy, 8, and Chris, 6. "What would I want if it were them? You come in and you have to be straight-forward, factual and as calm as you can be. It's one thing when it's me and my ill family member, another thing when it's someone else's."

A shoulder injury right out of high school and the unavailability of orthopedic surgeons in his hometown of Cleveland, Ga., sparked Caudell's initial interest in medicine. Well, that and a brief stint as a "pink lady" when he was a student at the University of Georgia.

"When I was in college I volunteered in our local hospital and the only way I could do it was to be a pink lady." As the first honorary (male) pink lady—yes, the older ladies who wore pink dresses and pushed folks around—Caudell gained invaluable experience in the ER. "It scared me to death," he admits, "because I had no exposure to medicine at that time and I wondered how these guys knew what to do. I thought, 'I don't know if I want to be in a position to handle things.'"

But handle things he did. "And I didn't have to wear a pink dress!" he laughs. After completing his schooling at MCG, Caudell stayed for residency, joined the faculty for two years then transferred to University Hospital for another eight. Back at MCG since July 2007, Caudell is now in a position where he also gets to work and play at the same time as director of the Wilderness Medicine program.

It's one of those great things where your hobbies and interests overlap with your profession," he says cheerfully. He was asked to chair the program by Richard Schwartz, chair of MCG's Department of Emergency Medicine. Caudell, Schwartz and another friend had competed in adventure races and wanted to offer a similar event locally—but with medical related challenges. "There was nothing like this here at the time, so we created MedWAR (Medical Wilderness Adventure Race) where we combine wilderness medicine with adventure racing to create unique events designed to teach and test wilderness survival and medical skills." The program, open to seasoned or aspiring medical professionals, prepares participants to work with limited resources.

And Caudell knows a thing or two about being resourceful. In fact, he buys gas for his car every two months—even though the commute from his home in Evans to work downtown is approximately seven miles each way. With gas prices rising, is that really possible? Sure it is he says. "I ran to work today,"—literally—"and will ride home on my bike," he explains while pointing to the bicycle parked in the corner of his office. He's been cycling for 10 years and has only driven to work "a handful of times."

Caudell is living an adventurous life (add to that a dog sledding trip in Michigan last year) and days in the ER can go from nice and calm to crazy and insane within minutes. But the unexpected challenges ignite him and the miracles keep him driven. Specifically, a young medical student who came in with a heart attack when Caudell was a chief resident: "His eyes rolled back in his head, he stops talking, I look up at the monitor and he's in abnormal heart rhythm...the kind you die from," he explains. "So I grab the paddles, shock him and his heart starts beating again," Caudell whispers, pausing for emphasis. "Then he sits up and says, 'Wow, what are you doing with those paddles?'"

When he's not busy saving lives, there are the parental worries—mainly quality time spent with his sons. "They're the coolest kids ever," he boasts proudly while leaning in to show their picture. "But it won't be much longer when they'll still want to hang out with Dad anymore."

A year or two ago Caudell and his oldest son were enjoying a "boy day" in Charleston when he saw a familiar face: the medical student whose life he'd saved. The memory of the moment still moves him as he recollects: "I have saved one life and he's walking with his kids and his family and that's cool. I've made a difference...and now he's out doing emergency medicine somewhere...helping people too."

The Steel Magnolia, Lynn Huff

A few things you need to know about this feisty, red-haired steel magnolia: She's a stickler for honesty and punctuality, "strongly" opposes pantyhose with open-toed shoes, is in bed by 8 p.m. and her cooking is "out-of-this-world"—perhaps a factor that led to her winning a contest to meet Paula Deen and appear on the Food Network's Party With Paula last year in Savannah.

On the surface, she's striking. But Huff's charming spirit and Southern drawl reveal the layers of underlying beauty to this Southern belle.

By day, Huff works in marketing for AT&T Southeast, where she's charged with growing the business, finding positive solutions and increasing awareness with advance communications systems. And then there's the other job—where the rewards are royal, no doubt, but it's strictly voluntary.

Huff has served as executive director to the Miss Augusta Scholarship Pageant for the past 15 years, fulfilling a calling that allows her to not only mentor young women but also impact the community.

The pageant, now approaching its 34th year, is an official preliminary to the Miss Georgia and Miss America pageants. When Huff originally got involved, the pageant was sponsored by the Augusta Jaycees as a community service project. She served three consecutive terms as president before the chapter folded in 2003 because "people just didn't have the time to commit." Subsequently, she and several board members established the Miss Augusta Scholarship Board to keep the program alive.

The responsibilities of planning and marketing the program, finding and developing contestants, designing show productions, scheduling events and photo shoots, making recommendations on wardrobe, attending state required meetings and promoting community platforms would be enough to drive a few well-meaning volunteers insane. But not Huff. "I really don't think about it," she says matter-of-factly, "because if you think about what you do you freak out." Her strategy for managing the program is simple: "I use the old-fashioned to-do list: pen and paper...no palm pilots. When it's crossed out I move on." And she's constantly working "all year long—in the car, a hotel, wherever time permits."

The thing that differentiates their mission from others, says Huff, is the focus: "We are not a beauty pageant," she explains. "We are a scholarship program—so you don't have to be a size two, four or six to participate." Some winners have received more than $50,000 during their reign and many attribute personal growth to the overall experience. Money or lack of resources shouldn't be a hindrance for those who would like to participate. After all, these girls are like daughters to her and, like a loving mother, she's been known to loan a few items—including shoes if they're lucky enough to wear her size.

"I have over 300 pairs of shoes," she says. Then Huff pauses for a moment, her expression turning serious before she giggles, "It might be more than that."

Whether it's shoes, swimsuits, evening gowns or costumes, Huff finds a way—even though it's been a struggle some years.

"Many years ago I thought about giving it up, but I truly care about these girls. I was never able to have children of my own," she says. "Although the years have been positive, they haven't always been easy."
Adrienne Kemp, Miss Augusta 2007, says, "Last year was my first time ever being in a state pageant and Lynn provided the most wonderful support. Everything I needed, she was right there for me...she was like my second mom."

With so much vested time, you'd assume that Huff was heavily involved in pageants as a young adult. Involved. Yes. Reigning queen. No. Not missing a beat, she offers with infectious laughter, "You know the saying, 'Always a bridesmaid never the bride!'" In the world of pageantry, perhaps, but not her love life.

Three years ago, the story changed when she married a slightly younger babe who didn't have much hair when she met him. Well, sort of. You see, as luck would have it that bald-headed babe was her nursery mate at St. Joseph's Hospital 39 years prior. Yes, really. Neither time (a 23-hour time lapse between their births) nor distance (roughly 30 miles between the cities where they were raised) would keep them apart. "Of course, Scott jokes that I'm older," she says laughing.

Not one to bemoan the fact that she had been divorced for 13 years, Huff found Scott and his daughter, Anna, now 10, to be a breath of fresh air. "It's almost like God knew I needed them to complete everything...I never thought I'd have this in my life."
Though she now resides in Evans, Huff is honored that she can impact the community in which she was born and raised—and it helps to have program support in place with board members and local businesses "because without them, this just wouldn't be possible."

The Visionary Recreator, Barry Smith

His bailiwick is Columbia County, but even if you haven't personally met Barry Smith, chances are you've reaped benefits from some of his efforts as director of community and leisure services—a job that provides oversight to six departments. Whether it's recreating in one of Columbia County's 12 parks (to include Blanchard Woods Park in Evans), delighting in cultural offerings at the new performing arts center, bonding with family at regional tournaments and community events or enjoying beautification projects throughout the county—he's the guy who manages it all. Smith is one of the lucky ones whose educational pursuits have paid off (horticulture degree from UGA and a master's in parks, recreation and tourism management from Clemson) and he gets to utilize those skills daily while promoting Columbia County as a great place to live, work and play.

And he's solidified his reputation as someone who can make things happen. In fact, one of his first charges five years ago, newly hired, was to develop a convention and visitor's bureau for the county. "They said start it and I said, 'Ah...OK,'" he laughs. Smith jumped right in, did his homework, determined the feasibility of the mission based on taxes collected, got with the county attorney, formed a board of directors and eventually found a home for the CVB. "People said, 'You're pulling off from Augusta's CVB...why?' But I said, 'I guess we're growing up and we're in our post-puberty stage.'"

Smith, whose roots in Augusta go back two generations, honed his "can do" attitude early on. Although his father was a well-respected dermatologist, Smith's parents instilled old-school values in their children instead of doling out money. And so a young Smith—determined to have a new car at the age of 16—showed his father just how resourceful he could be with money he'd saved from various jobs.

After "hammering" the local sales guy "repeatedly" by calling weekly and being turned down more than once because he didn't have enough money, his father said, 'You're going to wear the people out...don't keep bargaining with them.'" To which Smith replied, "Eventually he's going to say yes,"—and he did. "Finally the guy said, 'Come get the car!'" Just what kind of car was it? "A Pinto!" he says laughing. "It's not that I really wanted a Pinto...that was the only one that was new." OK. "The car was dependable...a dark blue Pinto. I put a vinyl top on it from Pop's Top Shop for $45...[and] it made that Pinto look special!" In between a guffaw of laughter he adds, "Now would my kids even sit in a Pinto?...I would say, no."

Smith—refined and clean cut, smart and unexpectedly witty at times—is well-traveled and exudes adoration when conversation shifts to his wife, Darian (a.k.a. DeRe)—or "Blondie" as he calls her (you can't help but smile when he talks about his other half). "We've loved each other for 31 years," he says like a true Southern gentleman. "We've invested time in each other." After college (and a brief stay in Atlanta) Smith moved back to Augusta, where for 10 years he owned and operated a nursery and garden center seven days a week on Bobby Jones Expressway, sacrificing quality time with his wife and kids. But they've always taken family vacations and have rented their home for the Masters every year since being married. This year, he and "Blondie" will be vacationing in St. Lucia "because Oprah told me to," he says laughing. Smith was perusing one of his wife's O magazines when he came across a quote that read, "Before you die, you must experience the Pitons..." "I think Oprah has a house there," he says, "but I'm not going to have lunch with her or anything."

As for the future of Columbia County, Smith is focused on quality of life for residents and will continue to promote tourism through the hotel/motel tax fund. One of the exciting things about the job, he says, is "seeing things come to fruition"—like an Euchee Creek greenway. "Our goal is to have a greenway from I-20 all the way to Columbia County connecting all the parks together to end up at Riverside Park." Other projects will include the development of Wildwood Park, with a lodge and cabins to attract more overnight stays, development of a 16-court tennis complex off Fury's Ferry Road to accommodate regional tournaments, a dog park, a county-wide recycling program with convenient drop off centers, the development of a centrally located Evans Town Center Park, procurement of land for future parks and securing funds for greenspace acquisition.

mith is proud of the public and private partnerships he's developed over the years—to include ties with Augusta. Most importantly, he's proud to be working for the county: "I don't know why I didn't do it 15 years ago. This is a great government and it's got great leadership. I don't think you can get a finer government to work for...the commissioners really care."

The Team Player, Arthur Marshall Jr.

His greatest accomplishment to date didn't happen on the football field; it happened in his heart when he became born again, proclaims Arthur James Marshall Jr. with unabashed certainty. "It's my greatest accomplishment...ever!"

This revelation is one of many surprises while conversing with Marshall about his life. Locally, he is the well-known Hephzibah High School graduate who later played in the NFL for the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants from 1992-1996. After a few defining moments in his life, Marshall moved back to Augusta where he ventured into the business world as an investor and later as an entrepreneur. He's now involved in several joint ventures, to include Augusta Fitness and Training Center and Powerhouse Gym on Fort Gordon. He owns Arthur Marshall Realty and Marshall Homes, a housing development company located in the old Beasley Broadcasting building on South Belair Road.

Marshall's road to real estate began when he was 18: "Football determined that for me," he says. Clemson tried to recruit him, but the school didn't offer engineering, his program of choice (instead, they offered real estate). Marshall later decided on UGA where he pursued a business degree and minored in real estate. "I really didn't know the impact of the influence, power and control I had as an 18-year old kid," he says almost incredulously. But like most success stories, the humbling experiences entered Marshall's world when he broke his arm as a freshman, then a leg during his junior year.

"Those things will humble a lot of people. Because I was limited I couldn't perform." Leaning in, he adds, "You don't know why they happen [but]...hopefully you take those lessons with you later on in life."

And he did. Marshall has been in business now for eight years as proprietor of his real estate and housing development companies. He says his team is committed to home ownership and, "I pride myself on educating [people] on the process that will benefit them down the road...not just for my benefit as a fee or commission." With an experienced group backing him, Marshall deals mostly with construction, mortgages and land development. When he isn't traveling, he is on the phone packaging deals or providing consulting and finance work with clients around the country. As a businessman, he's focused on the team. "I'm a nice person, but I'm looking for a team, not employees. That's my athletic background: You do your job and I'll do mine. Athletics at an early age taught me discipline." And an NFL career taught him integrity and commitment to the business you represent.

"Dan Reeves [New York Giants head coach] is a very good friend of mine. I had a back injury my last year in New York and I really couldn't play. They had to cut me from the team. He called and said, 'Arthur, this is the most difficult thing I've done in a long, long time. But I have an obligation to the owners...to put the best team on the field that I can. You're a great player and a great person.' He never said I cut you...or I release you. I just understood...I knew what he had to do and I respected that. Four months later I did go back and play and finished out the season, but it helped me understand that regardless of what people's feelings are...ultimately you have the responsibility to make the decisions that are going to be best for everybody and not one individual."

As befits a man who grew up in a structured, disciplined environment (both at home and in sports), Marshall says when it comes to parenting his children, Arthur III, 19, and Aubern, 17, he's been a "stern dad" because that's all he knew. Although he's working on being more of a friend now, Marshall says he's "no nonsense...honest and straight" as an assistant coach for his daughter's basketball team at Hephzibah. He believes good coaching develops a mindset that leads to success later in life, with the athlete always thinking, "I'm gonna do better, I want to do better, I understand now how I can get better."

Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. Some values are hard to shake—even when you're a grown man approaching 39. "I was a military kid, so I was a do what you're told type kid," he says. "I always did good in school because I didn't know there was an option not to." And he always cleaned his plate. "I was so impressionable, when they said, 'Eat all your food.' I did...and I still do to this day. That has stuck in my mind since I was six years old...to eat all my food every time...unless it's a buffet, of course," he says with a big smile.

At the end of the day Marshall is focused on "doing the right thing and being a blessing to people."

"A lot of guys I know who are successful think that's [success] all there is." For Marshall, there's more. "I want a wife so bad," he says wistfully, "and I'd even consider starting another family." It's hard to imagine that Marshall, self-assured and charismatic, would have any difficulties in this area. He's giving— "more than most people know,"—and caring—"I'm more in touch with other people's emotions than I used to be." "And I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't club...I don't think there's a catch better than me," he says laughing.

Most importantly, "I don't put myself above or below anyone else. If President Bush and a custodian are there, I'm going to give them both respect...that's just who I am." Period.

The "Hoffa Machine", Reese Hoffa

Reese Hoffa holds the world in his hands—literally. He currently reigns as world champion in the indoor and outdoor shot put categories—despite being told as an eighth grade student that he wouldn't be any good at the sport. Hoffa eventually attended Lakeside High School and UGA where he honed the skills that took him to the Olympics in 2004 (his personal best at shot putting has been 73.7 feet to date). Now Hoffa hopes that ability and determination to persevere will qualify him to be one of the top three shot putters to make the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing.

The shot must weigh at least 16 pounds for men, which is lightweight to Hoffa, who weighs in at 285 pounds. "The crazy thing is you're trying to apply force on a ball that's very compact. It's really hard to throw, balance it, make sure it's in the right position and apply force to make it go really, really, really far. I think anyone can push a ball, but to push a ball over 70 feet, or I think even over 65 feet, is very, very difficult."

Still, the "Hoffa Machine" executes with precision—even if he is one of the shortest professional shot putters at the top and even though the pressures of not wanting to disappoint the fans who have embraced him in his pursuit to win international medals are always at the top of his mind.

"Early on in my career, I didn't really have a lot of stress because no one was really looking for me to be one of the top guys in the U.S. or even in the world," he laughs. "I guess I definitely feel the pressure now because I'm coming off winning two consecutive world championships."

While Hoffa holds the world in his hands, he's also held the world on his shoulders. He was abandoned at an orphanage in Louisville, Ky., when he was four by a mother who was 13 when she had her first child and 15 when she gave birth to Hoffa (he was born Maurice Antwan Chism, but his name was changed to Michael Maurice after being adopted..."Michael" because of his favorite lead character from the '80s TV show, Knight Rider). Now united with his birth mother, Hoffa says that as an adult he understands her choices. "One of the lessons I did learn is that no matter how bad the situation, it's got to be something that motivated a person... and I try to sympathize with the person from their perspective." But as a child, he says it was a "very traumatic experience."

"Watching your mom walk away from you is pretty hard. I was four at the time so you can't grasp the concept that your mom—someone that supposedly loves you—would just walk away and leave you. Luckily, I had my brother there."

Hoffa was adopted a year later by a white family that provided structure and focused on education. As the only African-American child in the family (with three sisters and one brother), Hoffa says his parents worked diligently to provide him with the tools he'd need to be successful in life, even in worst case scenarios. But even with all the love, Hoffa says it was an experience that initially took time adjusting to.

"Just right off the bat you know that you're just different from every single person," he says. There would also be times when he'd struggle as a teen trying to find himself, identity-wise, but he says being athletically gifted got him out into the world.

"I was a very introverted kid. Sports was my outlet. If I didn't have sports, I'd just be at my house all the time. Any sport I went out for, I made."

It is this learning curve that has given Hoffa an edge in the shot put category—but the lessons haven't all come easily. Of the 2004 Olympics he says: "I'd done all this work to go to the Olympic Games... [and] to make it there and under perform by a whole lot...that was very humbling. I used to keep the results of the competition with me for an entire year reminding myself that you have to go into everything prepared. Of course, the next year I thought, 'Well I did enough work, I feel like I'm prepared'...and then I really wasn't."

When 2005 came around, Hoffa was one of the favorites to make it to the world championship, so he was hopeful.

"I did get sick that year and it really affected my training, but I thought, 'I'm Reese Hoffa, I should still make the team.' I ended up getting fifth. That really hurt and it refocused me a lot in terms of preparation and making sure that I'm always prepared for every single team...that was a really hard lesson. Then in 2006 and 2007 I just lit the world on fire!"

And he's ready to approach the 2008 Olympic Games with the same energy—even though "the competition is like no other competition that you'll probably ever see in the world."

Hoffa, now married and residing in Athens, Ga., has one more goal that he'd like to see happen in the hometown that's shown him nothing but love.

"I haven't had a chance to get back to Augusta for the Masters," he says. But "the goal after winning the Olympic gold medal is to have a chance to go play the Masters [and] maybe have Tiger Woods tie in."