Sandy Springs Honors Trisha Thompson, Longtime Community Advocate

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Anyone who has been around Sandy Springs for a while or keeps up with the local news has either heard of Trisha Thompson, is familiar with her work or has benefited from her efforts in the community. The Sandy Springs City Council on Tuesday chose to honor Thompson's legacy with a surprise proclamation read by Mayor Rusty Paul.

Paul commended Thompson for her advocacy in the community with the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods, Sandy Springs Conservancy and Friends of Lost Corner Preserve. Most recently, Thompson was involved in the city's Next Ten advisory committee, which was tasked with helping the city update its Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

Several members of these organizations trickled into the Council Chambers to hear the proclamation read by Paul. The proclamation also renamed the community garden at Lost Corner Preserve to the Trisha Thompson Community Garden and declared Sept. 5, 2017, as Trisha Thompson Day in the city (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Friends of Lost Corner, a nonprofit created to help the city turn Lost Corner from home site to recreation area for residents, unofficially began in 2003 when Thompson and Cheryl Barlow began visiting property owner Peggy Miles at Lost Corner.

Miles, who relayed to close friends that she'd loved to see the property preserved for future generations, deeded the property over to the city in 2008. Plans to turn the 24 acres of wildlife, horticulture and local history into Lost Corner Preserve were a joint effort undertaken by Friends of Lost Corner, The Trust for Public Land, Sandy Springs Conservancy, Fulton County Commissioner’s Office, The Georgia Land Conservation and the city.

The property at 7300 Brandon Mill Road opened to the public in 2016. Through tears of joy, Thompson told the audience she was at a "loss for words."

"I didn’t do this by myself and y’all know that,” she said, adding several names of people such as fellow Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods member Rhonda Smith, Cheryl Barlow and others who have remained close confidants over the years in their mission to make Sandy Springs an even better place to live, work and play.

Paul told his fellow Council members and the audience that he's come to rely on the advice Thompson has passed along over the years.

"Thank you, Trisha," he added after reading the proclamation. "You have been an untiring advocate for this community, going back decades. It’s people like you who make this community special.”

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Images via city of Sandy Springs