Board of Directors
"The Monroe Museum is governed by a volunteer board of community leaders."
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President / Historian
Steve Brown retired from Berkmar High School in 2000 after 30 years of teaching and coaching. A graduate of Monroe Area High School in 1965, he earned an Ed.S. in Physical Education from the University of Georgia. Since his retirement and return to Monroe, Steve and his wife, Susan, have been actively involved in the community. They were both founding members of the Monroe Museum and serve on the board of the Historical Society of Walton County. Currently, Steve is the museum's President and Historian.
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Treasurer
Stuart Smith is a commercial banker with Synovus Bank based in Monroe, Georgia, with over 15 years of experience in commercial banking. Mr. Smith specializes in advising business owners on financing trategies, risk management, and long-term capital planning. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with local entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to support sustainable growth and financial stability.
In addition to his professional work, Mr. Smith is actively involved in the Monroe community and has a strong interest in preserving local history and supporting organizations that enhance the cultural and economic vitality of the area. His service on the Monroe Museum board reflects his commitment to community stewardship and education. He is also involved with the Monroe Rotary Club, First Baptist Church of Monroe, and United Way of Walton County.
Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia Southern University. He has also completed the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
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Board Member
Crista Carrell is co-owner and operator of Wayfarer Hotel & Events, a boutique hotel and event venue in downtown Monroe. She and her husband share an interest in historic preservation and have renovated several historic commercial buildings and residences in town. They also own and operate Mountain Creek Farm, selling grass-fed beef. Prior to managing Wayfarer Hotel, she worked for Down to Earth Energy, a renewable energy company based in Monroe.
Mrs. Carrell is a co-founder and executive director of Down to Earth Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to agricultural and environmental education. She serves on The Carter Center's Board of Councilors. She holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from University of Georgia.
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Vice President
Debra Smith is currently the Owner/President of Allen-Smith Consulting, a 32-year-old private company specializing in local and state government grant writing and grant administration in the State of Georgia.
Smith is a 28-year resident of Walton County, having been born in Dallas, Texas and moved to Alma, Georgia at the age of 9. She grew up there and graduated from Bacon County High School. Smith attended Troy State University (now Troy University) on a full scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She began her grant writing career in 1987 in her hometown of Alma.
Smith has served on several local non-profit boards and was a founding member of the Walton County Boys and Girls Club. She has served on the McDaniel-Tichenor Board, Family Connection Board, FISHAdvisory Board and led multiple teams at First Baptist Church of Monroe, Georgia. She currently serves on the FBC Monroe Missions Team. She is a Nudge Ministries Board Member and travels to Ghana, Africa with Nudge to assist and encourage the Ghanaian pastors and leaders under Nudge Ministries' Leadership.
Smith enjoys ministry/mission work, playing golf with her husband, telling and listening to stories, snuggling with her dog, Dory, and being together with family and friends. Debra is married to Ron Smith who works for Walton County Planning and Zoning, and they have one daughter, Hanna
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Former President
Thomas "Tom" Moore is a graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology (now DeVry University) in Atlanta, being awarded a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems. Tom also holds two Master of Science Degrees from Keller Graduate School of Management: Network and Communications Management, and Network and Information Systems Management.
Tom served as a Director for the Walton County Music Guild in Monroe for 8 years. During that time he was instrumental in leading the Guild's annual scholarship program, which provided funding toward the student's musical education. Many of those students have gone on to higher education with focus on music.
Tom is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he spent more than 10 years as a trustee and leader at Lower Dublin Baptist Church. This historically significant church was founded in 1688 and continues to operate as the oldest Baptist church in Pennsylvania.
Tom works as a solution design architect for Marlette Funding, a leader in financial technology. When he's not at work, Tom can usually be found seated at the organ bench at a nearby church.
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Board Member
Coleman Fisher is an insurance agent in Georgia Farm Bureau's Walton County office, located in Monroe.
He started his career with Farm Bureau just two weeks after college graduation and has worked there ever since. He is a native of Walton County, with family roots in Loganville dating back more than a decade.
Coleman attended George Walton Academy in Monroe for many years before graduating from Archer High School (class of 2015). His college years were spent in Macon, at Mercer University, playing football for the Bears while earning a degree from the Stetson School of Business & Economics (class of 2019).
Coleman is an avid outdoorsman. His hobbies include just about anything you can do outside, from huntingyear-round for whatever is in season, fishing (freshwater and saltwater), to pickleball and working in his yard. He and his wife Lily live in Monroe with their dog, Fred. They enjoy spending time with their family and friends, golfing, and attending college football games in the fall.
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Board Member
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Board Member
Jared Campbell is a litigator with the Monroe-based law firm, Benton & Benton, LLC. Prior, Mr. Campbell practiced for a decade with the Georgia Office of the Attorney General, representing the State and its agencies and officers. He began his legal practice in Rome, Georgia, after graduating from the University of Kentucky, College of Law. He is a native of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and has lived in Georgia for the past 20 years.
He has served on the State Bar of Georgia's Committee for Indigent Defense and Leadership Academy. He is a Past-President of the Walton County Bar Association, a founding member of H.O.P.E Monroe, and has been a Board Member of the Monroe Museum since 2024.
Attorney Jared Campbell has been a resident of downtown Monroe since 2020, living in the historic Walton Street neighborhood. His wife Andrea Malcom Campbell comes from a long lineage of Walton County natives. They are raising two sons and strive to foster in their children a love for this community and a deep respect for its history.
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Board Member
Sarah Beth Locke was born and raised in Monroe, Georgia, where she developed a lasting appreciation for the community and its history. She is a Managing Member of Point Source Environmental, a construction stormwater monitoring company that supports clients with environmental compliance, site inspections, and water sampling.
Sarah Beth earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Georgia, where she developed a strong foundation in earth science, environmental stewardship, and problem solving. Through her work with Point Source Environmental, she helps guide company operations and client relationships with an emphasis on responsibility, organization, and dependable service.
In addition to her professional work, Sarah Beth is a wife and mother of two girls. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and pursuing creative projects, including sewing. Her personal connection to Monroe and appreciation for local history have led her to support the Monroe Museum Board and its mission to preserve, promote, and share the history of Monroe and the surrounding community.
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Board Member
Chase Sisk is a Monroe native with a passion for community involvement and local history. Earning his Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from Kennesaw State University in 2020, he later joined the Brown Oil
Company sales team, where he enjoys building relationships across the region.
A former member of the City of Monroe Planning and Zoning Commission, Chase now serves on the Monroe Museum Board, where he contributes his design background and love for the community's heritage. He and his wife, Lauren, married in 2022 and have a Black Labrador Retriever named Riley — who is well-known for riding along on weekday sales calls. When he's not working, Chase can be found fishing, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors.