Gainesville High School (GHS) this week announced the three recipients of honorary diplomas to be conferred on May 13.
2017 marks the ninth year the high school has selected outstanding citizens to receive the honorary diplomas.
Heyward Gnann, David Shumake and Judge J.D. Smith were selected by the school’s Governance Council as 2017 graduates based upon their commitment and support of the school’s mission. The diplomas will be conferred prior to the baccalaureate ceremony on Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church. The GHS Baccalaureate Service begins at 11 a.m.
Gnann is a retired educator who taught at GHS and Gainesville College for a combined 30 years. He went on to teach 20 additional years for the BULLI program of Brenau University.
Shumake was named principal of GHS in 1999 and later became Assistant Superintendent, then Associate Superintendent, of the city school system.
Smith earned his law degree from the University of Georgia then returned to his hometown for the private practice of law. Formerly the chief judge of the Superior Court of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, he became the only Hall Countian named to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1993 where he served until 2011.
The honorary diploma program, conferred by Gainesville High as first in the nation, began in 2009. Under the requirements, recipients may not have graduated from a Gainesville City high school, must be living and must support the mission of the school. Gnann, Shumake and Smith bring the total number of recipients to 30.
