Ruth Bruner, a former Gainesville City Council member, was named woman of the year and R.K. Whitehead, a local businessman, was named man of the year Monday night by the Gainesville Rotary Club.
The honorees were announced during the club’s annual banquet.
Bruner, who served on the city council for 16 years before deciding last year not to seek re-election, was presented the award by longtime friend Marsha Hopkins.
“I know no one more deserving,” Hopkins said. “She’s caring, smart, witty, talented, a public servant, a leader and a loyal friend.”
Bruner has served on numerous board and organization over the years, including League of Women Voters, Beulah Rucker Center, Georgia Municipal Association, Guest House and Gateway Domestic Violence Center.
She was previously named Outstanding Volunteer for Gainesville State College and the Girl Scouts’ Gainesville Woman of Distinction in 2015.
She employed for 10 years as a caseworker for Family and Children’s Services in Fulton County. She then earned a master’s in social work from the University of Georgia. After serving in medical social work positions for several years, she and a friend established and operated Nursing Care, Inc., a private home care agency for 18 years.
Whitehead, the second-generation owner of Whitehead Die Casting Co., was presented his award by former Gainesville State College President Martha Nesbitt.
“He is a man who has served this community immensely and always graciously,” Nesbitt said. “He does not seek attention, but he attracts it because of his service and commitment to make our community a better place.”
Whitehead is a native Atlantan where he attended high school and later graduated from
Georgia Tech. There, he was president of his fraternity, served on the Interfraternity
Council and was inducted into three honor societies.
He began a graduate degree at the Wharton School of Business but had to cut it short due to the death of his father who owned the business. After taking over the business in 1990, he began to get involved in the community.
He has served on the boards at Elachee Nature/Science Center, the Chicopee Woods Area Park Commission, Lakeview Board of Trustees, the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Committee of Vision 2030, the United Way of Hall County and the Quinlin Visual Arts Center. He is currently chairman of the Northeast Georgia Health Systems Board of Trustees.
In 1996 he was named an Outstanding Young Engineer by Georgia Tech. In 1998, he participated and graduated from Leadership Georgia.
The Rotary Club also presented three other awards at its banquet:
- Jerry Ward received the Sidney O. Smith Fellowship Award.
- Ron Quinn received the W. Lee Arrendale Vocational Excellence Award.
- The Rev. Tom Jones received the Guardian of Ethics Award.
