Roper & Langston: - Citizens of the Year

Roper & Langston:

mrandolphadvance@gmail.com

The annual Vidalia Citizen of the Year banquet was held on Tuesday, March 11, during which it was Vidalia’s own Mayor Doug Roper and Pam Langston who earned the titles of Man and Lady of the Year.

1995 Vidalia Citizen of the Year Dent Temples had the honor of recognizing Roper as the 2025 Man of the Year, as he shared an overview of the Mayor’s accomplishments throughout the year.

According to Temples, Roper is a Vidalia native who returned to Vidalia after college and began his career at the Paul Anderson Youth Home, where he served as a counselor, teacher, public relations consultant, and the Director of Donor Relations and the Direct Mail program. During this time, Roper also served on fundraising committees for the Mercy Medical Clinic, Meadows Regional Medical Center, and Onion Festival.

Roper has worked exten- continued from page

sively in the education field, as he served 8 years as a member of the Vidalia City Schools Board of Education, and led the Board as the Parliamentarian, Vice Chairman, and Chairman. From 2013 until 2016, Roper served on the Georgia School Boards Association Board of Directors, where he found himself in leadership again, acting as the Board’s Vice President, President Elect, President, and Past President. During these years of service to the Georgia School Boards Association, he was involved with several committees, including Strategic Planning, Georgia Operations Committee, and the Georgia Vision Project.

He was selected as a delegate to represent the State of Georgia at the Advocacy Institute in Washington D.C. and at the 2014 National School Boards Association Conference in Louisiana. Roper was appointed by Governor Kemp to the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, and has even served as a mentor with Toombs County Family Connection, during which he worked with students in both Vidalia City and Toombs County middle schools. Roper has been a community coach for the Vidalia High School Baseball Team, and has acted as the Treasurer of the Vidalia All-Sports Boosters.

Roper has extensive experience in leadership, having graduated from the Leadership Toombs- Montgomery Program, and serving on the Toombs-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce (now the Greater Vidalia Chamber) Board of Directors. He volunteered his time to the Chamber Golf Committee and was a 2001 REACH Team member.

“Currently, our man of the year, Doug Roper III, is serving as the Mayor of the City of Vidalia and has been instrumental in initiating many programs such as the monthly Citizen Award, leading an effort to bring golf back to Vidalia and upgrades to City Hall, water and sewer, roads, airport and many others,” Temples told the audience.

He continued, “Doug is a Christian person exemplifying a man of integrity and serving in all areas of his life, especially his family. He makes people around him better and cares about the well-being of his community.

Temples informed the audience that Roper is the Vice President and currently Branch Manager of the Lyons Branch of Vidalia Federal Savings and Loan Association. He is married to Marly Musgrove Roper, continued from page

and the couple has two sons, Cutter and Durham.

Roper is very active in his church, as he has been a member of the Vidalia Cornerstone Church for 47 years. He has served in leadership at the church through the Administrative Board, Finance Committee, and Stewardship Chairmen as the group’s chairman. Roper has taught Sunday School for several years to 3 and 4 year olds, and has been an active local Board Member for the Directors for Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Temples also highlighted Roper’s extensive athletic career, which began in Vidalia and spanned all the way to Toronto, Canada. “Furthermore, we all remember him as a baseball player being the Atlanta Journal Class AA Player of the Year, Savannah Morning News Player of the Year, Macon Telegraph Player of the Year, selected as a member of the Georgia State All-Stars and played on the South Junior olympic Team in Colorado Springs. He was drafted after finishing his education and career at Clemson by the Toronto Blue Jays, but returned to Vidalia after suffering an injury. Today, Roper can be found volunteering his time as a coach for youth soccer and baseball.

Roper has contributed greatly to the city, as he has served on leadership within the Vidalia Kiwanis Club as a member of the Club’s Board of Directors, Club’s Vice President, Club’s President, and Club’s Past President. He is very active in all Kiwanis Club projects, such as the Onion Run and talent show.

An intricate part of the Vidalia Onion Festival Committee, Roper has served with the group for many years, and has led as a Board Member, Chairman Elect, Chairman and past Chairman of the Onion Festival. In addition to the overall responsibility for the Onion Festival, he was also one of the event’s best fundraisers.

“Doug is a good Christian, husband, father, son and friend,” Temples emphasized. “Most recently, he went to bat again for our City and its citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Doug organized our city and its resources in an admirable way. He went the ‘extra mile’ keeping us all informed. Having watched him grow up, I was very proud of the job he did. Thankfully, he was our Mayor at a time when we really needed him!”

Roper reacted to the honor, emphasizing his humility in receiving the award and thanking his family who had supported him. “Most of you know my parents, Doug and Linda Roper,” the Man of the Year said. “I could not have picked better parents; they are amazing. You know, the last 10 months have been crazy from a tornado downtown, to Tropical Storm Debby, to the ‘500Year Flood', to Hurricane Helene.”

“And then, I thought we were going to have to fire Josh [Beck, City Manager] when we got snow!” Roper shared with a laugh. “It’s been a wild ride! But I couldn’t have done it without my family, so to my beautiful bride Marlee, thank you for being my rock. To my boys Cutter and Durham, you guys are the apple of my eye. I love you all!”

“My pro career didn’t last as long as I anticipated, but getting hurt early brought me back to Vidalia and I know God had His hand in it and He always knows what He’s doing,” Roper added. “As I’ve said before, this storm may have forever changed the landscape of Vidalia, but it will never change the fabric of the people of Vidalia. I love this community, and I am honored.”

Pam Langston

2024 Lady of the Year Angela Lane had the honor of announcing 2025 Lady of the Year Pam Langston.

“It is indeed a very special occasion and one that gives us a chance to focus on the service, high ideals and principles that are reflected and demonstrated in the way our honorees use the gifts that God has given them to help make our community one of the best places in the world. I want to give special thanks to the Rotary Club, Kiwanis CIub, and the Lions Club members for sponsoring this annual event,” Lane began.

She continued, “This year's Lady flies under the radar, if you know what I mean. You attend a charitable event or a community event and there she is. Always happy to step in and do whatever is needed. Whether it's at church, school, hospital, civic or charitable organization, this year's Lady is ready to get it done. Her enthusiasm and passion for helping others is evident in the time she has spent over the years helping everyone from students to cancer survivors. She has been described as ‘always punctual, always dependable, and always willing to help wherever needed. She embodies the true spirit of volunteerism.'

Lane stated that Langston has been “more than generous with her time” and “quite passionate about the need to make a positive difference in our community,” having supported Vidalia City Schools as both an employee and a volunteer, and having worked with several local charities, such as Mercy Ministries and the Salvation Army. She is an avid supporter of local cultural organizations, such as the Franklinia Playhouse, the Altama Museum, ORCA, and the Pal Theatre.

“Pam is always willing to help our Iocal arts organizations, whether backstage, selling tickets, ushering, or just attending events,” Lane added.

Langston is a member of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter, Vidalia Kiwanis Club, and serves on the Vidalia Planning and Zoning Board.

“Without a doubt, this year's Lady has lived her life in a way that demonstrates the ideals that best exemplify the criteria for selection,” Lane added. “Her real passion is her work with cancer survivors, as an auxilian at the hospital, and as a volunteer at Mercy Ministries. Most recently, she was recognized by the ‘Children Keeping a Mission Group’ for the many ways she has served others and supported positive programs in Vidalia and Toombs County. Her willingness to volunteer anywhere, any time, and any place is second to none. Her answer has always been yes.”

Lane continued, “Again, she flies under the radar and never seeks to be recognized. Serving is in her heart, which bleeds garnet and gold! If you know Pam, you know what I mean. Pam is a graduate of Vidalia High School. She is a faithful member of the Vidalia Presbyterian Church where she has served in aII facets of church operations and helping to keep things running in times of transition. Pam received the 2016 Mercy Ministries Volunteer of the Year award, having dedicated more than 1,200 hours of service to The Mercy Ministries over the last decade, making a lasting impact in countless ways. She has filled every role with dedication and grace. Over the years Pam assisted the Vidalia GoIf Team by providing guidance and supporting them in any way she cou1d. Even traveling with the team to away matches, which is not for the faint of heart.”

She continued, sharing that Langston had volunteered during the Vidalia Onion Festival and Sweet Onion Classic Golf Tournament, and that she is a faithful bellringer each holiday season for the local Salvation Army.

“Of all these accomplishments, however, I believe Pam's true passion is her work with the Hospital Auxiliary, where she has committed to serving 100 hours this year, and as a volunteer at the Tommy and Shirley Strickland Cancer Center,” Lane informed the crowd. “Pam is a proud cancer survivor! Over the years she has helped organize Relay for Life events, Pretty in Pank events, and the Virginia Chapman Cancer Support Group. Helping survivors and those fighting cancer is her passion!”

Lane concluded her introduction with a sincere comment about Langston’s family, who have all passed away. “I know her parents, DaIe and Raye Langston, and her brother Greg, would be proud of her servant's heart,” Lane emphasized.

Langston reacted to the honor, thanking the crowd for the award and saying, “I am a private person as Angela said. I do what I do to help the community. As she said, I have volunteered at The Mercy Clinic, and I’ve loved it, but my passion right now is at the Tommy and Shirley Strickland Cancer Center. I love the patients, the staff, and I love what I do there.”

The Annual Citizen and Lady of the Year Banquet is co-sponsored each year by the Vidalia Kiwanis Club, the Vidalia Rotary Club, and the Vidalia Lions Club.

2025 LADY OF THE YEAR – Pam Langston (left) is recognized as the 2025 Lady of the Year by 2024 Lady of the Year Angela Lane (right) during the annual Vidalia Citizen of the Year ceremony on Tuesday, March 11.

RECOGNIZING 4-HERS – The Montgomery County Board of Education recognized the county’s 4-H members who participated at the recent Junior-Senior DPA event at their Board meeting last month.Photo by Makaylee Randolph