3 metro Atlantans named ‘Southerners of the Year’

Three Georgians — all metro Atlantans — have been named in a list of 60 Southerners who make Southern Living “proud to call this region home.” 

Abiodun Henderson, Clarkston Mayor Edward “Ted” Terry and Marian Liou were included as “Southerners of the Year.” They’re in the company of characters such as Chattanooga’s Wayne White, who was the set designer for Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, and Durham’s Leigh-Kathryn Bonner, a fourth-generation beekeeper who has helped start colonies for various companies, including Burt’s Bees.

Henderson was cited for her Atlanta-based program Gangstas to Growers, which provides paid internships for “at-risk youth, former gang members and formerly incarcerated individuals to give them a chance to participate in the legitimate economy,” according to its Facebook page. 

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Terry, who was elected mayor of Clarkston in 2013, made the list for helping the immigrant population become the main driver of the city’s economy. 

Parallels can be drawn between Terry and Liou, the latter of whose work with the nonprofit We Love BuHi has made her the area’s “unofficial mayor,” Southern Living said. The Buford Highway-focused group organizes community events and meetings with city planners.

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