Bearden Funeral Home

Dawsonville, GA

James is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, life insurance agent and vice-president of Bearden Funeral Home.  A 2007 graduate of Ogeechee Technical College, he also operates Dawsonville Monuments, serves as a board member for the Georgia Racing Hall Of Fame and is an active member of Bethel Baptist Church in Dawsonville.  He and his wife, Alivia, have two sons, Wade and AJ.

West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory

Marietta, GA 

Chris lived most of his life as a resident of Cobb County, now living in Paulding County. A 1986 graduate of R.L. Osborne High School, he attended Southern Tech before entering the funeral business at Winkenhofer-McCurdy Funeral Home in Smyrna. After graduating from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, Chris managed Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home in Kennesaw from 1991 until 2005. He is a Past President of the Kennesaw Business Association and the Kennesaw Optimist Club. He married Christa Rabern in 1993, and has two sons, Hayden and Cameron, who both graduated from Harrison High School. Chris served on the Harrison Football Booster Club as Secretary and on the Harrison High School Council as Chair Person. He was named Harrison High School's Volunteer of the Year for 2014-2015. He and his wife Christa live in Dallas and are members of Burnt Hickory Baptist Church. He joined the staff of West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory as General Manager in January of 2006.

Watson-Hunt Funeral Home

Perry, GA 31069

Lisa has lived in Perry, Georgia, most of her life. She graduated from The Westfield Schools, received an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Middle Georgia College in Cochran, and graduated from Georgia Southwestern College with a Bachelor's Degree in Middle Grades Education. Always eager to further her education, she returned to Georgia Southwestern for a Master's Degree in Reading Education. After over a decade of teaching school, she became a stay-at-home mom with her newborn twins. While she enjoyed her babies, an opportunity to serve her community was presented, and Lisa accepted a part-time position with Watson-Hunt Funeral Home as a Family Services Counselor, assisting families with pre-planning their own funerals. It wouldn’t be long before she discovered a hidden passion for directing and planning funerals, and she returned to college and earned an Associate’s Degree in Mortuary Science from Ogeechee Technical College. She proudly turned her part-time position into a full-time career and is a Georgia Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer. Lisa has taken courses and is also a licensed Georgia Life Insurance Agent, a licensed Georgia Cemetery Sales Agent, and is an NFDA Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC) and an NFDA Certified Cremation Services Provider (CCSP). She is a member of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. Lisa has been nominated for Perry Business Woman of the Year and was the 2013 recipient of the Seabie Hickson Community Service Award presented by the Perry Chamber of Commerce. On January 1, 2020, she purchased Watson-Hunt Funeral Home from long-time owner and funeral director, Mr. Draper Watson, whose parents began Watson-Hunt Funeral Home in the late 1950's.

Lisa makes her home in Perry with her children, Catherine “Sissy” Hays, and Cary “Tank” Hays. Her daughter, Korah Beth Clark, lives and works in Murray, Kentucky. Lisa is a member of Perry United Methodist Church, where she previously served on the Administrative Board. She is a long-time member of one of the Women's Service Leagues in Perry, the Balvaunuca Club. She is the founder and annual Event Chairman for Balvaunuca’s Mistletoe Market since it's inception in 2005. Lisa continues to serve on the Board of Directors for Jay's HOPE, a Childhood Cancer Foundation, and served on the Board of Directors at Heart of Georgia Hospice, a non-profit Hospice Organization serving all of Middle Georgia. She loves Perry and Houston County and is proud to continue serving the community in various ways.

Paul M. Lowe Funeral Home, Inc 

Warrenton, GA

Known to most simply as “Randall,” Charles Randall Reese is the son of Wanda Howard Reese and the late Rev. Charles E. Reese of Thomson. A lifelong servant leader, Randall, has built a career centered around compassion, professionalism, and innovation in the funeral and insurance industries.

A proud 2005 graduate of Thomson High School, Randall went on to earn degrees from Augusta Technical College and Ogeechee Technical College, where he received his Associate of Applied Science in Mortuary Science. He began his funeral service career in 2008, starting part-time and quickly transitioning to full-time, embracing the calling to support families during their most difficult moments.

In 2021, Randall accepted a leadership role as Manager of Paul M. Lowe Funeral Home and Lowe Vault and Monument Company. There, he oversaw daily operations of both the funeral home and its affiliated vault and monument companies. Under his direction, the organization experienced growth across all service lines—thanks to implementation of strategic product offerings, streamlined workflows, and a people-focused operational culture.

Randall holds a Georgia Life Insurance License and leads the pre-need and aftercare services for the facility. Most recently, he founded CE Associate, a company dedicated to delivering in-person continuing education tailored for life insurance agents specializing in pre-need services.

His success led to a promotion as Head of Operations, where he currently oversees a team of more than a dozen employees. With a reputation for ethical leadership and vision-driven management, Randall continues to empower professionals across both industries with engaging, growth-oriented experiences.

A dedicated community member, Randall is a charter member of Second Chance Independent Church and has served in multiple civic organizations, including: President of Kiwanis Club of Thomson, Secretary of Camellia City Lions Club of Thomson, Board Member, Thomson-McDuffie County Library, Member and Past Board Member, Warren County Chamber of Commerce, Member, Kiwanis Club of Warrenton, Past Member of Friends of the Library in Thomson

To expand his expertise, Randall completed monument retailer training in Elberton, Georgia, deepening his ability to serve families with care and craftsmanship. When not working, he enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and exploring new ways to make life easier and more meaningful for others.

Cobb Funeral Chapel

Moultrie, GA

Rocky L. Ezell, CFSP, began his career in funeral service in 1998, at Whiddon-Shiver Funeral Home in Thomasville, Georgia. From there, Rocky worked at Clark Funeral Home in Cairo, Georgia (2002-2009), as a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Abbey Funeral Home in Tallahassee, Florida (2009-2023), as Senior Licensed Funeral Director in Charge, again at Clark Funeral Home (2023-2025), until he assumed the reins (March 2025), as Managing Director of Cobb Funeral Chapel and Cobb-Suncrest Memorial Gardens in Moultrie, Georgia, helping continue the legacy that Gayla and Bobby L. Cobb established in 1974.

A 2007 honors graduate from Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro, Georgia, with an Associate of Funeral Service Degree, he obtained his Georgia License in December 2007, followed by his Florida License in October 2009. In 2015, he obtained the designation as Certified Funeral Service Practitioner from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. He has been an active member of the Academy of Graduate Embalmers since 2007 and has served as Sergeant-at-Arms since 2022. He is also a member of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association, serving as Sergeant-at-Arms at the 2025 Summer Convention, and now serves as the District IV Chairman.

Roundtree Funeral Home

Homerville, GA

Jonathan Roundtree is a native of Ware County and was raised in Blackshear and Homerville. He is a graduate of Clinch County High School and a 2000 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, GA. He is a former president of the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia. He is married to the former Apryl Bateson. Apryl is employed by the Ware County Board of Education as a First Grade Teacher at Williams Heights Elementary. They have two daughters, Alyssa, who is a Speech Therapist in the Savannah area, and Clara Grace who is in the tenth grade. He enjoys boating, golf, hunting, and spending time with his family.