First Citizen Of Cherokee County Award Winner Named

CANTON, GA — The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce has announced that William G. Hasty, Jr. has been named the 45th recipient of the First Citizen of Cherokee County Award. He was honored during the Chamber's 49th Annual Meeting held Jan. 23.

Hasty, 72, a native of Canton, is a graduate of Cherokee High School. He earned an associate degree from Reinhardt College, his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Georgia, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He served in the United States Army for two years, including one year in the Honor Guard Company stationed in Washington, D.C. and a one-year tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam.

Hasty has practiced law in Georgia since 1974. After practicing with local attorney Andy Roach until his retirement, he went into private practice and founded the law firm of Hasty Pope, LLC, for which he is now of counsel.

In addition to his litigation practice, Hasty has represented and litigated for municipal and county government entities his entire career. He served as attorney for Cherokee County, the cities of Canton and the Ground and the Cherokee County Water & Sewerage Authority. He has served as attorney for the Cherokee County Development Authority and as pro bono legal counsel for Empower Cherokee (formerly known as the Cherokee Training Center) which serves Cherokee County residents with developmental disabilities.

A member of the Board of Directors for Northside Hospital Healthcare System of Atlanta, Inc., Hasty serves as Chairman of the Cherokee County Hospital Authority. In 2015, then Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Hasty to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Foundation. He is currently a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Atlanta Civil War Round Table, the Atlanta Historical Society and the Cherokee County Historical Society.

The former Chairman of the Reinhardt University Board of Trustees, and the first Chairman of the Cherokee County Education Foundation, Hasty’s former involvement also includes serving on the Board of Directors of Bank of Canton, Kings Ridge Christian School and R.T. Jones Memorial Hospital. He was also Chairman of the Cherokee County Recreation Commission. At his late father’s request, he served as President of the Riverview Cemetery Association for many years.

A member of the Reinhardt University Hall of Fame, Hasty was honored with the Cherokee County Education Foundation 2018 Alumni of the Year and is a past recipient of the Dionne Warwick Award for community service.

“The Cherokee County Chamber was honored to name Mr. Hasty as the 45th recipient of the prestigious First Citizen of Cherokee County Award. It is obvious, based upon his accomplishments, why he was selected,” said David Simmons, Chattahoochee Technical College Vice President for Facilities, and 2020 Chamber Board Chair.

The title of First Citizen of Cherokee County is bestowed upon a resident of Cherokee County who has resided in the county for a minimum of five years and has shown significant meritorious service to his/her community through family, civic and/or religious involvement. A panel of out-of-town judges reviews the accomplishments of each applicant then the winner is chosen based upon merit. The 2020 recipient joins a prestigious list of honorees including former Canton physician Dr. Grady Coker, who was the initial recipient in 1971, along with Raymond Rollins who was selected in 2019.

The mission of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, a Georgia Certified Chamber of Commerce, is to promote business and the community while expanding the economy and enhancing the quality of life. For more information on the Chamber and its programs, visit CherokeeChamber.com.