Writer: Staff Reports
Published March 16, 2022
Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News
The Cherokee County Educational Foundation Gala raised over $175,000 for Classroom Impact Grants for local schools recently, and honored two local citizens.
CCEF hosted more than 400 guests for a catered dinner by 1885 Grill of Acworth at the Northside Cherokee Conference Center.
The surprise presentation of CCEF’s Alumni of the Year Awards were given Blue Ridge Superior Court Judge Tony Baker and Cherokee Office of Economic Development CEO and President Misti Martin.
CCEF Chairman Billy Hayes, CCEF Board Member Rebecca Johnston and Cherokee County School District Chief of Staff Mike McGowan presented the awards.
Martin is a native of Georgia and 1991 graduate of Cherokee High School. She’s been in the chamber and economic development field since that time.
In the 1990s, Martin worked for the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. She also served as president and CEO of the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce from 1998 to 2004 before returning home to Cherokee to assume her role at the Cherokee Development Authority.
“Our Alumna of the Year works tirelessly for this community and is respected in her field across the state and nation,” McGowan said. “She has a passion for Cherokee County and the Cherokee County School District and does valuable work which benefits not only her organization but also the community at-large.”
Under her leadership, the Development Authority boards, Cherokee by Choice Board, and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development have worked to create over 2,000 jobs and almost $440 million in capital investment since 2018.
“She has a passion for bringing businesses and industry to our community which enable the citizens of Cherokee County to stay in the community to work and not have to seek employment outside Cherokee County,” McGowan said.
Martin was recently recognized as one of the “Top 50 Economic Developers in North America.”
She has helped attract industries such as Universal Alloy Corporation and Inalfa Roof Systems to Cherokee County. In her role, she has implemented new initiatives in talent development, entrepreneurship, and film and product development.
Martin was at the forefront of bringing Cherokee’s Be Pro Be Proud initiative to the region, which includes visiting schools throughout the region to introduce students to skilled industries.
She has been the architect of many successful initiatives such as “Signing Day” for high school graduates who are immediately entering the workforce and/or receiving scholarships from career and technical schools. Other initiatives include the Cherokee Film Summit and Cherokee by Choice.
Baker received the Alumnus of the Year award for outstanding contributions as an attorney, judge, and community leader.
“Tony overcame great odds to achieve an elevated level of success in his life. His professional achievements are great, but he is also known for his genuine sense of caring, warmth, and kindness,” Johnston said.
Baker arrived in the United States at the age of 8, after he escaped from a war-torn Vietnam in 1975. He was adopted by a Canton couple, attorney Elliot Baker and his wife Ginny, who already had three children of their own. Baker grew up in Canton with his two older sisters, and younger brother, Jay Baker.
Baker graduated from Cherokee High School in 1985 and from the University of Georgia in 1989. In 1992, he obtained his law degree from Mercer University, and returned home to practice law with his father in downtown Canton. He later served as a trial lawyer and municipal court judge for the cities of Canton, Holly Springs and Woodstock.
In 2007, Baker was appointed as Cherokee County Juvenile Court judge overseeing delinquency and dependency cases involving children and their families. He was re-appointed two times by Superior Court judges.
In 2018 he was elected Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge to replace retiring Judge Jackson Harris. Baker has been a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Blue Ridge Bar Association and both the State and National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
Baker served as a board member of the Cherokee County Educational Foundation and the Northside Cherokee Hospital Authority. He also has served as a board member for Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Malon D. Mimms Boys and Girls Club of Cherokee County, the Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Chattahoochee Technical College’s Advisory Board.
He was also extensively involved with the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 125, as a Scout Leader and Merit Badge counselor.
In 2011, Baker received the prestigious Justice Robert Benham Award for his service to the community. He often speaks with community groups about his role as judge and the Juvenile Court.
The CCEF gala was presented by Manley, Spangler, and Smith Architects, the firm charged with design for the new Cherokee High School.
