We asked some very thoughtful members of our community to reflect on what they’ve learned from their heroes.

Liane Carmen

My hero in the world of authors is Jonas Saul, who also happens to be my editor. When I discovered his books, I read them all (and there were a ton!) one after the other in the span of several weeks. I friended him on Facebook, and I quickly found out that he adores his fans. He allows them to participate in picking his covers and the titles of his books. He sends them postcards when he travels to do book research, and he even lets them nominate themselves to have their name used in one of his books. Read more>>

Dr. Keisha Allen

I am the 50th Sheriff of DeKalb County, Georgia and made history as the first woman elected to hold the office. I have over 26 years in law enforcement experience. I began my career in 1996 at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office before moving on to the DeKalb County Police Department where I served for over 10 years. In 2008, upon request I applied my experience in the creation of the public safety office for Georgia Piedmont Technical College where I served as Assistant Chief of Police before my appointment as the first female Chief of Police for the college. In early 2019, I returned to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office as Chief of Administration before my appointment as Chief Deputy in June of the same year. On December 1, 2019, I was sworn in as Sheriff of DeKalb County by my predecessor. I was elected for my first term in November 2020. I pride myself and agency in operating in Excellence, Accountability and Respect. I have a passion for our youth and justice reform. My greatest joy comes from being a mother and grandmother. Read More>>

McKenna Knapp

My hero is my mom. I know a lot of kids might say that, but let me tell you my mom really is super human. She chose to be a stay at home mom to raise me and left her career in the restaurant business behind. It takes a special kind of person to stay at home with your kiddo and never tire of them. Then when I was old enough for school, my mom changed career paths to stay near me and work at my school as an Enrollment Coordinator. Read more>>

Sheri Meline

As I was searching through the questions I noticed this one asking who my hero was and instantly knew that was the one I wanted to answer. My hero has always been my grandfather, Al Schechter. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up and Pop Pop, as I called him, was always the one I could talk to. Read more>>