June 17, 2015
By Donna Stillinger, as published in The Brunswick News
A self-described cheerleader for Glynn County was honored by the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce Tuesday on Jekyll Island.
Driven by love and pride of his hometown, Ron Maulden, who has worked tirelessly as a community leader, is the recipient of the Alfred W. Jones Sr. Award, the highest and most prestigious award given by the chamber.
He was presented the award by Catina Tindall, immediate past chamber chairman, in recognition of his long-standing leadership and for “contributing unselfishly of his time and talent to improve the quality of life in Brunswick and the Golden Isles.”
Maulden, who retired from The Brunswick News as vice president and general manager in 2014, worked for the newspaper for 43 years.
He continues to work at his “other” job — community service — still today.
Currently president of the Brunswick Rotary Club, Maulden continues to support many of the organizations he has worked for, including United Way, Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, Alzheimer’s of Glynn-Brunswick, the chamber of commerce and numerous educational entities, including the Brunswick-Glynn County Library, the Glynn County Vocational Committee and PTA.
In 1987-88, he was president of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce. The year before that, Maulden and several other chamber members started the Leadership Glynn program.
Maulden served two terms as president of Keep Brunswick-Golden Isles Beautiful, now known as Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, and was president of the old Keep Glynn Beautiful campaign, the foundation of today’s organization. In 2000, he received the prestigious Keep Brunswick-Golden Isles Beautiful Bootsie Mason Award.
He served as president of the local Partners in Education and served on the state board of Partners in Education for three years.
Maulden appeared very surprised as he approached the stage at the Morgan Center to a standing ovation.
“The year I presented the Jones Award, it was to Alfred Jones Jr.,” Maulden said. “He asked if he could say a few words. I said, ‘You’re asking me?’ He simply said. ‘I am honored and appreciative.’
“And that’s what I say to you tonight. I am honored and appreciative. Thank you.”
Maulden wasn’t the only honoree. Ben Hartman, an attorney with HunterMaclean, received this year’s Chairman’s Award.
Other awards included Ambassadors of the Year, Valerie Barnett, Hodnett Cooper Real Estate and Catherine Boyne, Bank of the Ozarks; Volunteer of the Year Award, Kay Hampton, president of Glynn Community Crisis Center; College of Coastal Georgia 2015 Business Partner of the Year, h20 Creative Group; Small Business of the Year, Southeast Adventure Outfitters, Michael Gowen, owner; and Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, DeeDee Cate, Daddy Cate’s Coffees.
At the end of the evening, the chamber’s current chairman, Mason Waters of United Community Bank, officially passed the gavel to the new 2015/2016 chamber chairman, Donna Gowen Poe of Ameris Bank.
