People We Admire: Mary Warnell
By Todd Wood | Homepage, May/June 2009
You don’t have to be from Pembroke or Bryan County to have heard the name
“Warnell”.
For years the Warnell name has been synonymous with humble and selfless
community service. From their early beginnings in the Groveland community
in Bryan County, to Pembroke and surrounding counties, the Warnell’s have
quietly devoted much of their lives to making the community a better
place for everyone.
Today, Mary Virginia Warnell sits in her home she and her family moved
into 50 years ago. It’s a rare occasion to find her in her home. Most of
her time is spent spread throughout Bryan County as a volunteer.
As President of the North Bryan Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Warnell spends
countless hours making sure the North Bryan quality of life keeps its
close-knit small town appeal. “Pembroke is peaceful,” says Warnell. “We
are a very giving and caring community.”
Her parents Charles F. and Virginia Warnell spent most of their time
serving their community in many different capacities. Charles was a
Senator for the Second Senatorial District, representing Pembroke and
much of the surrounding areas. He also spent 28 years on the School
Board, 15 of which were as Chairman.
Her mother, Virginia Moody Warnell, was very involved with the church. It
was there, at Pembroke First Baptist, Virginia headed the women’s circle
which is now named in her memory - The Virginia Warnell Circle. Recently,
this circle put together a cookbook, sold it and have given the church
some $16,000 from the proceeds.
Charles and Virginia raised their four children on traditional morals of
family togetherness and a commitment to volunteering in their community.
“We were taught very early that if you want true enjoyment in life,
family and what you do in your community is so important,” said Warnell.
She attended elementary and high school in Bryan County, and graduated
with honors from Bryan County High School in 1967. While in high school
she participated in sports, literary events, Beta Club, and 4-H -
becoming Bryan County's first Master 4-Her.
Today, Mary and all her siblings live in or around the Pembroke area, and
all are involved in the community as volunteers or own businesses in
Bryan County.
Mary graduated from Georgia College in Milledgeville, where she received
a BS degree in Home Economics. Shortly after, she moved to Atlanta to
take a job working as the Director of Nutritional Education for the
Southeast United Dairy Industry.
It was there she devoted 24 years of her life to her career in the dairy
business where she coordinated the nutrition education program for nine
southeastern states and
served as liaison for nutrition program development and evaluation with
National Dairy Council in Chicago.
She enjoyed her career, but the calling to be back with her family in
Pembroke came 14 years ago. In 1996, she moved back to her hometown to
help care for her ailing father.
After her father’s passing in 1999, Mary began devoting her time to the
community. She has always been interested in education, so when asked in
2002 to run for a seat on the Bryan County School Board, she jumped at
the chance. She is now in her second four-year term with the Board, and
is a third generation Warnell to have served on the Board of Education -
beginning with her grandfather, D.B. Warnell, was a trustee for the
Pembroke school district from 1923-1937. Her Uncle William A. Warnell
also served on the Board until his passing in 1950.
In addition to her duties on the School Board and Chamber Director , she
serves as Chairman for the Bryan County United Way, and on the Board of
Directors for the Farm Bureau. And if her plate wasn’t already too full,
she also teaches first and second grade Sunday School, plays hand bells
in the church band, participates in the Relay for Life and can be found
at Chamber meatings and any other community events.
What drives a person to spend every waking moment volunteering in their
community?
“I do what I do because I love my community, and these are the examples
my parents led by,” says Warnell.
While it sounds as if Ms. Warnell has spent all of her time working her
25-year dairy industry career in either Atlanta, or volunteering in
Pembroke, she has found time to stray from the area on occasion.
“I love to travel,” says Warnell.
And travel she has. In 2003, Mary and her sister Carolyn went with a
group from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on a trip to Russia.
Among the highlights was their trip to St. Petersburg where the city was
celebrating their 300-year anniversary.
“My sister had enjoyed Russian history while in college, so when the
opportunity came up we decided to go,“ said Warnell. “I never dreamed in
all those years watching the news that I would end up at The Kremlin or
Red Square.”
She continued.
“It was a wonderful experience. St. Petersburg is a beautiful city, but
Red Square was not as big as I thought.”
Her passion for international travel started 41 years ago. After her
freshman year of college, she went to Holland in conjunction with the 4-H
Team Caravan Exchange Program. While in Holland she lived with a few
dairy business families - learning more about cultures outside the United
States, and even more about the dairy business abroad.
“It was a great experience,” said Mary. “I had traveled with my family
across the United States, but never had I been that far away from home.
It really sparked my interest in traveling to other parts of the world.”
Her most recent venture, in 2007, led she and her sister all the way to
China. They had again hooked up with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Coincidentally, a young man that the Pembroke First Baptist Church had
raised money for mission work in China was not far from where they were
going, so they were able to spend some time with him.
“His name is Jeremy Hammond, and he had been spending summers in China
teaching English,” recalled Mary. “We had the opportunity to spend some
time with him and he showed us around. It made the trip that much more
exciting. It was great to see how helpful the funds we raised through the
church were helping others.”
Though she enjoys traveling the world, Ms. Warnell is still very grounded
to Pembroke and North Bryan County. She resides in Pembroke where, among
all her other hats she wears, she is employed as Treasurer of Groveland
Farms, Inc. and Warnell Timber and Land, L.P. - both family business.
She is a member of the Pembroke Garden Club, and is a Master Gardener.
“My piece of mind is working in my yard,” says Warnell. “I really enjoy
working with plants, and doing yard maintenance,”
Our piece of mind is in the fact that we have someone like Mary Warnell
living and working to make our community all it can be.
