Catoosa Organization Acting in Disaster chairman Phil Ledbetter and COAD case worker Donna Greeson flank Frank Pierce Foundation trustees Steve Tarvin, center left, and Wayne Peters when the foundation recently presented COAD with a $25,000 donation.
Photo by Mike O’NealIn death, as in life, Frank Pierce has been a powerful force in Walker County and all Northwest Georgia.
During a lifetime that spanned about 80 years, this Chickamauga native accomplished many things. Among them was serving as mayor for nearly half a century; owning Crystal Springs Print Works, one of the area’s largest employers; assembling a museum-quality automobile collection; and restoring Lee & Gordon Mill.
Now, a decade after his death, his influence on the community continues through the philanthropic foundation that bears his name.
“Frank made gifts throughout his lifetime, but the bulk of his giving was directed through this foundation,” said Wayne Peters, senior partner with the firm Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon PLLC and co-trustee of the Pierce Foundation. “It [the foundation] is broadly established to support educational and charitable activities in the North Georgia area.”
The foundation’s largess has provided computers and other gifts to Chickamauga Public Schools and aided programs at Oakwood Christian Academy. The foundation also has been recognized by the Alfred E. Shorter Society for its support of Shorter College.