Three Treutlen Residents Honored on MLK Day
During their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on January 19, 2026, the Concerned Citizens of Treutlen County and the Unique Community Women’s Club honored three local residents for their service and impact in the community.
The 2026 award recipients were continued from page
Rachel Mills, Woman of the Year; Takyla Wadley, Youth of the Year; and Johnnie B. Johnson Sr., Man of the Year.
According to award criteria recipients must reside in Treutlen County and be recognized for their community impact and church involvement. Members of the nominating committee presented each award, sharing remarks highlighting the recipients’ contributions.
Rachel Mills was named Woman of the Year for her dedication to serving others. She was praised for her Christian compassion and generosity in meeting the needs of those around her. Active in her church and her community, Mills is known for her friendly and helpful personality. She is well known for delivering food and essential supplies to elderly residents, supporting families during difficult times, offering help wherever help is needed. Through years of her selfless actions and service, Rachel Mills has touched countless hearts and lives throughout the community.
Youth of the Year recipient Takyla Wadley is a senior honor student at Treutlen High School whose accomplishments include academics and extra-curricular activities. Takyla has ranked in the top 10 percent of her class throughout high school and received the University of Georgia Certificate of Merit. Her honors include Senior Superlative and Homecoming Representative. As well as receiving a Daughters of the American Revolution Award, Outstanding Junior Award for Football Cheer, and Most Valuable Cheerleader Award for Basketball Cheer. Takyla serves as captain of both the football and basketball cheerleading squads and is actively involved in the Beta Club, Student Council Board, FCCLA, and the Georgia First Bank Youth Advisory Board. She is also the only Treutlen High School student ever accepted to the Meadows Youth Advisory Board and also takes part in the Work-Based Learning Program. Outside of school, Takyla is an active member in her church where she participates in the youth ministry, serves as Sunday School secretary, and sings in the youth choir. Johnnie B. Johnson Sr. received the Man of the Year Award for his personal and public service. Johnson, a retired masonry contractor, has served the community in numerous roles, including past president of the Concerned Citizens of Treutlen County, school bus driver, truck driver, and member of the Soperton City Council, where he also served as Mayor Pro Tem. Johnson has dedicated more than four decades to ministry, pastoring Adams Chapel Church of God in Christ in Louisville for 40 years and serving on the Soperton City Council for the same length of time. He has also served as superintendent of five churches and as assistant chairman of the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. For the past eight years, Johnson has pastored the First Church of God in Christ in Soperton.
The 2026 Annual MLK Day Celebration was an opportunity to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as community members whose lives reflect Dr. King’s values of service and leadership.
