Chattahoochee Valley Boys and Girls Club inducts Joan Redmond into Hall of Fame

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - It’s important to honor community leaders, and that’s exactly what the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley do every year at their Youth of the Year Gala.

And they’ll do so again on Feb. 2, inducting someone special into their Hall of Fame.

Tonight, we’re introducing you to the pioneer, Joan Redmond, an attorney who broke barriers for women and youth in Columbus.

“She’s just got a heart of service and honestly very high integrity, very high standards.”

He’s talking about Joan Swift Redmond, who broke the ceiling in many ways, like being the first female to serve as board chair of the Boys and Girls Club in Columbus, as it was known in 1985.

“That was a big achievement. And she was one of the very few women in her class at law school,” said Redmond’s daughter, Anne Cogner. “I went to the University of Georgia, and she was in law school at the University of Georgia.”

She also attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts, going on to be the first female partner at the predecessor for Page Scrantom Law Firm, doing work all the way up to the US Supreme Court.

Giving back to the Chattahoochee Valley was a priority for Redmond, serving on numerous boards, including Stewart Community Home for the Homeless and Mentally Ill, alongside friend Sandy McCann.

“When she invests in something, she’s all in. She’s authentic and straight-forward, consistent, a hard worker, good at empowering others,” said McCann.

Redmond’s daughter says she was very involved as a mom and at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chattahoochee Valley, which is now inducting her into their Hall of Fame for being a woman who stands out as a leader who loves children.

“She was really instrumental in breaking down boundaries in Columbus for women to have the ability to achieve, be just as successful as men, at the same time while having a family,” said her daughter.

“Shee paved the way for a lot of other ladies to come in for a much bigger presence and circle of contribution by women in the club,” said Jake Flournoy, her nephew.

Redmond is currently an award-winning board member of the Columbus Botanical Garden, having previously served in that role for St. Francis Hospital and Trinity Episcopal Church Flower Guild, some calling her the most talented flower decorator they’ve ever seen.

Friends and family say she has a heart of gold with a dedication to youth that makes her a worthy new member of the Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame.

Redmond will be honored tomorrow night with a winner named from five finalists in the 10th annual Youth of the Year competition.

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