NAMING THE NEW FINE ARTS CENTER IN HONOR OF PORTER SANFORD, III

Target:

CEO Vernon Jones & Dekalb County Board Of Commissioners

Sponsored by:

Spring Valley Civ. Assoc., Atty. Paul Robinson, Mattie Reid

The undersigned believe that it would send a positive message to our community if the new Fine Arts Center in Dekalb County is named after Porter Sanford, III. A man of integrity who had a burning desire to serve his community. As Super District 7 Commissioner, Porter secured the original funding for an arts center in South Dekalb County. His civic involvement of forty years was not limited to Dekalb County, but spanned the entire metropolitan Atlanta.

It is only fitting and proper to name the South Dekalb Fine Arts Center in honor of Porter Sanford, III. This is an honor he richly deserves.

Porter Sanford, III was born on November 2, 1941 in Eatonton, Georgia. He received his early education in the Putnam County School System and graduated from Butler Baker High School in 1960. He worked for a year before matriculating at Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration in 1965. Having an entrepreneurial spirit at an early age, he assumed the role of campus barber and operated a barber shop to defray the cost of his college education. During his college years he met and married his loving wife of 41 years, Bobbie Kennedy. They were blessed with two sons, Porter "Sandy" Sanford, IV and Brandon Kennedy Sanford.

While in college, Porter was encouraged by his professor, William Robie to pursue a career in real estate. Upon completion of his studies he worked for a short time as a Sales Representative for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and later as a Sales Agent for Robie Real Estate and Roberts Real Estate Company. His entrepreneurial goal of self-employment was realized with the opening of Sanford Realty in 1965, the first minority-owned real estate company in Dekalb County. Porter grew this company from a small five agent office on Memorial Drive to the current office located on Snapfinger Woods Drive with 75 agents accounting for millions of dollars of real estate sales in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Porter was often mentioned as one of the individuals instrumental in starting the movement of Blacks in Dekalb County that led to it becoming the second most affluent Black County in the United States.

Even with the increasing responsibilities of operating his business, Porter had a burning desire to serve his community. He was a founding member of the Samuel Jones Boys Club, the First Southern Bank (where he sat on the Board of Directors and formerly chaired the Loan Committee) and the 100 Black Men of Dekalb County. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Dekalb-Peachtree Airport Authority. He was elected from a field of eight candidates to the Dekalb County Commission in 1994. During his tenure at the super district 7 post, he was elected the first African-American presiding officer of the Commission. He also served on the budget committee and secured funding for the South Dekalb Arts Center.

His civic involvement was not limited to Dekalb County, but spanned the metropolitan Atlanta area. He was an active member of the following organizations: Board member of OIC (Opportunities Industrialization Center), the Dekalb branch of the NAACP, National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Inc., Georgia Association of Realtors, Dekalb Association of Realtors, Past President, Empire Board of Realtists; Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Grady Hospital Board of Visitors, the Regional Leadership Institute, South Dekalb Business Association and the Spring Valley Civic Association. He was a member of Greenforest Baptist Church, a lifetime member and past president of the Atlanta Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, and was active in the Clark College Alumni Association, the Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons, and the Shriners and received many awards and accolades.

Porter%u2019s death on February 9, 2006 has left a void in the Dekalb community. His trailblazing spirit of helping thousands citizens realize the dream of homeownership and his untiring love for serving his community with integrity and honesty make him a most worthy candidate for having the Arts Center named in his honor. It is only fitting that this honor be bestowed upon Porter Sanford, III.

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We signed the "NAMING THE NEW FINE ARTS CENTER IN HONOR OF PORTER SANFORD, III" petition!

# 270:

3:44 pm PDT, Jul 30, GLORIA DRISKELL, Georgia
I SUPPORT THE HONOR FOR PORTER SANFORD 111.

# 269:

10:35 am PDT, Jul 27, NICOLE BOND, Georgia
A GREAT MAN! WHAT AN HONOR TO HIS MEMORY!

# 268:

10:27 am PDT, Jul 27, JAMES BOND, Georgia

# 267:

8:31 am PDT, Jul 25, Marion Braswell, Georgia

# 266:

3:09 pm PDT, Jul 24, Aristide Collins, Georgia

# 265:

10:52 am PDT, Jul 23, Harold A. Dawson Sr., Georgia

# 264:

9:15 am PDT, Jul 23, Charlotte Lucas, Georgia

# 263:

8:54 pm PDT, Jul 22, Lonnie Johnson Jr., Georgia

# 262:

7:00 pm PDT, Jul 22, Jeanne Goldie, Georgia
As a 25 year Dekalb resident, we should honor Porter Sanford's contributions to our community.

# 261:

3:54 pm PDT, Jul 22, Erica Ellington, Georgia

# 260:

2:59 pm PDT, Jul 22, Marie Edwards, Georgia
There is no one more worthy of this honor than our dear Porter Sanford III

# 259:

12:51 pm PDT, Jul 22, Donald Murray, Georgia
Good Commissoner. Deserves the recognition

# 258:

9:26 am PDT, Jul 22, Gregory B. Levett Sr., Georgia

# 257:

9:20 am PDT, Jul 22, Name not displayed, Germany

# 256:

8:44 am PDT, Jul 22, Renee Shackelford, Georgia
I totally support the naming of the new Arts Center in Porter Sanford's honor. He spent his entire life working for the citizens of DeKalb. This would be a most fitting tribute.

# 255:

8:25 am PDT, Jul 22, Deborah Jackson, Georgia
I believe that it is important to name the center after Porter Sanford, III in recognition of his support of efforts to increase access to culture for South DeKalb.

# 254:

7:53 am PDT, Jul 22, Edward London, Georgia
Porter Sanford was a dedicated civic leader and community servant who truly deserves such an honor.

# 253:

7:48 am PDT, Jul 22, Priscilla Moody, Georgia
Let's give honor to whom honor is due.

# 252:

6:36 am PDT, Jul 22, Conner Allred, Georgia
It is only fitting and proper to name the South Dekalb Fine Arts Center in honor of Porter Sanford, III.

# 251:

6:11 am PDT, Jul 22, Cornelius Stafford, Georgia

# 250:

4:37 am PDT, Jul 22, GLADYS Declark, Georgia

# 249:

4:36 am PDT, Jul 22, Jacqueline Scott, Georgia
The Performing Arts Center in south DeKalb County on Rainbow Drive should be named for Porter Sanford, III because there would be no Arts Center except for his efforts. I served on the DeKalb Board of Commissioners with Porter Sanford, III. It was through his efforts that three million dollars was set aside for an Arts Center. He made the motion to appropriate the $3,000,000 for an Arts Center in south DeKalb County at the time Brook Run was purchased from the State of Georgia for park land in north DeKalb County. His motion passed unanimously. Jacqueline Scott, District 3 Commissioner 1991-2002

# 248:

4:35 am PDT, Jul 22, Sam Depot, Georgia

# 247:

4:34 am PDT, Jul 22, Dru Barry, Georgia

# 246:

4:32 am PDT, Jul 22, Gene Young, Georgia

# 245:

4:31 am PDT, Jul 22, Norma Brown, Georgia

# 244:

4:29 am PDT, Jul 22, Fred Samuels, Georgia

# 243:

9:31 pm PDT, Jul 21, Carol Ellis, Georgia

# 242:

8:25 pm PDT, Jul 21, Gail Daniels, Georgia
I agree.

# 241:

8:12 pm PDT, Jul 21, Theresa Lambert, Georgia
I am in agreement to to name the South Dekald Fine Arts Center in honor of the distringuished Porter Sanford III

# 240:

7:59 pm PDT, Jul 21, Rick Roseberry, Georgia

# 239:

7:57 pm PDT, Jul 21, Francena Foster, Georgia

# 238:

7:35 pm PDT, Jul 21, Stanley Willliams, Georgia
Porter served Dekalb and metro Atlanta with intergrity, ability and positive impact. He earned and deserves this honor to give his legacy immortality. I totally support naming the new fine arts center after Porter Sanford III

# 237:

7:08 pm PDT, Jul 21, Lawrence Batiste, Georgia
Honor a man who honored his city ,state ,and country

# 236:

7:08 pm PDT, Jul 21, John Smith, Georgia

# 235:

7:05 pm PDT, Jul 21, Porter Julian Sanford, Georgia

# 234:

6:54 pm PDT, Jul 21, Idella Grimmette, Georgia

# 233:

5:48 pm PDT, Jul 21, William Little, Georgia
I feel strongly that this an honor that is well deserved and very much overdue .

# 232:

5:22 pm PDT, Jul 21, Betty Dixon, Georgia
Porter Sanford loved and did so much for DeKalb County. He leaves a lasting legacy of service to this community and this tribute to him would ensure that his legay is everlasting.

# 231:

5:20 pm PDT, Jul 21, Jerry Cannon, Georgia

# 230:

4:41 pm PDT, Jul 21, Charla Tate, Georgia

# 229:

4:41 pm PDT, Jul 21, Ronald Branch, Illinois
Porter Sanford III was an amazing and wonderful gentleman who possessed the high level of intellect, commitment and character that it takes to be a successful leader. He was well respected and loved not only in the Atlanta metropolitan area but also throughout the entire country. It is only fitting that Porter's name and legacy continue by having the South Dekalb Fine Arts Center named in his honor. Porter's positive spirit lives on!

# 228:

4:32 pm PDT, Jul 21, Keith Hatcher, Georgia

# 226:

3:05 pm PDT, Jul 21, Ronald Frieson, Georgia
I lived in Dekalb County for a number of years and witnessed the impact that Porter Sanford had on the community. PLEASE take this opportunity to recognize one of South DeKalb's most influential residents.

# 225:

2:51 pm PDT, Jul 21, Carol Dahlquist, Georgia

# 224:

2:46 pm PDT, Jul 21, Name not displayed, Georgia

# 223:

2:46 pm PDT, Jul 21, Nicole Harris, Georgia

# 222:

2:08 pm PDT, Jul 21, Christopher Sanford, Georgia

# 221:

1:15 pm PDT, Jul 21, Shari Hairston, Georgia

# 220:

1:10 pm PDT, Jul 21, Demetra D. Abraham, Georgia
I am so happy to support the Art Center in honor of Porter Sanford III.

# 219:

12:31 pm PDT, Jul 21, Patty Azar, Georgia
Of all the people in Dekalb, I believe Porter Sanford is truly the most deserving to have this honor.

# 218:

12:24 pm PDT, Jul 21, Name not displayed, North Carolina

# 217:

10:27 am PDT, Jul 21, Tunde Akinyele, Georgia
I hope this becomes a successful endeavor.

# 216:

9:50 am PDT, Jul 21, Ann Bowers, Georgia

# 215:

9:33 am PDT, Jul 21, Earnestine Pittman, Georgia

# 214:

9:29 am PDT, Jul 21, Janet Pierce, Georgia

# 213:

9:05 am PDT, Jul 21, Harriet Chaney, Georgia

# 212:

9:04 am PDT, Jul 21, RUSSELL DUNN, Georgia

# 211:

7:32 am PDT, Jul 21, Charis Johnson, Georgia

# 210:

6:51 am PDT, Jul 21, Rom eo Stockett, Georgia
Important facilities in any county should represent the quality of it's citizens and Porter Sanford, III was the quality citizen deserving of preservation in the naming of the Fine Arts Center in his name.

# 209:

6:44 am PDT, Jul 21, Bobby Howard, Georgia

# 208:

6:39 am PDT, Jul 21, John Hollins, Georgia
A man who has always had a presence in our community, He is well deserving

# 207:

6:34 am PDT, Jul 21, Moses Brown, jr., Georgia

# 206:

6:24 am PDT, Jul 21, Sylvester Hopewell, Georgia

# 205:

5:19 am PDT, Jul 21, Melissa Perez, Georgia

# 204:

11:12 pm PDT, Jul 20, Lydia Walker, Georgia

# 203:

8:39 pm PDT, Jul 20, Skyler Sanford, Georgia

# 202:

7:32 pm PDT, Jul 20, Gaynell Anderson, Georgia

# 201:

6:14 pm PDT, Jul 20, Doug Bryant, Georgia

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