Neighborhood Ambassadors
The Neighborhood Ambassadors provide a local presence to the River Line Historic Area nonprofit by serving as a liaison between their respective neighborhood and the 6-mile Historic Area.
Neighborhood locations containing historical assets can be found on the Neighborhoods Page
Brookmere
Farmington
Oakdale Bluffs
Vinings Crossing
Buckner Road
Michael A. Jones, Buckner Family Patriarch
Park Avenue Homes
Woodland Preserve
Vinings Estates
The River Line Historic Area, Inc.
A 501c3 IRS approved nonprofit
Board of Directors
Roberta Cook
Executive Director
& President
Roberta is a land conservation and historic preservation activist who conceived the River Line Historic Area in the year 2000 to balance a development boom in SE Cobb County. The historic area progressed from concept to a working Master Plan with assistance from neighbors, government, land developers, the RLHA Master Plan stakeholders, the Georgia Battlefields Assn., the Sierra Club, a variety of interested parties, and particularly the Mableton Improvement Coalition, Inc.
Wayne Waldrip
Vice President
Wayne Waldrip is a retired Smyrna resident whose interests align with the RLHA mission of preserving historic and natural resources. He is a former member of the Ft. Daniel Foundation Board of Directors, which embraces the War of 1812 Standing Peachtree Fort, an area of historic significance on the Chattahoochee River at Atlanta Road, once known as an Indian Village and trading center. Wayne is responsible for the RLHA's Neighborhood Water Watch Program and is advocating for the Silver Comet Trail connection to Atlanta’s BeltLine through the Connect the Comet group.
Susan Kendall
Secretary
Susan Kendall spent early years in the North, but relocations became normal with her Navy family and husband’s corporate career. In 1990 Susan and husband, Steve, settled in Cobb County where Susan managed the Vinings Library before retiring from 25 years employment with Cobb County Libraries – a portion of her 40-year librarian career spanning 4 states. She gained appreciation for The River Line Historic Area while researching Vinings history for the publication of her IMAGES OF AMERICA: VININGS book and contributes her time to historic preservation as an active RLHA Board Member.
Chuck Hoskins
Treasurer & Waterways Program Mgr.
Prior to moving South, Chuck was exposed to history in an area rich with Revolutionary War sites. Chuck credits his neighbor, Wayne Waldrip, for expanding his interests to Civil War history, Smyrna’s recycling program and participation in the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Neighborhood Water Watch Program. Chuck is Treasurer and Waterways Program Manager for The River Line Historic Area, He submits monthly water samples collected from Nickajack Creek to the Riverkeeper for analysis, enjoys exploring local trails and is inspired to help preserve nature for future generations.
Margaret Jourden
Waterways Program
Lindsey Sieber
Media Outreach
Margaret Jourden and her family relocated from Michigan in 2003 and recently moved to Smyrna. She and her husband volunteered for the American Battlefield Park Day at Shoupade Park and found a new curiosity for the Civil War and preservation of the land along the River Line. She enjoys collecting monthly water samples from Nickajack Creek for the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Neighborhood Water Watch program. "To do good, you actually have to do something" - Yvon Chouinard
Lindsey Sieber moved to Georgia in 2014 and has been exploring the South’s history and culture ever since. She can be found kayaking, biking, or hiking the natural resources of this area. Lindsey leads media outreach for The River Line Historic Area, publicizing the group’s work on social media.
Harold Smith
Honorary Board Member
Harold Smith, a Smyrna area native, is founder of The Smyrna Historical and Genealogical Society that established and supported the Smyrna Museum operations. He once served the City of Smyrna as Mayor and spent over 30 years as volunteer Director of the Smyrna Museum. Along with exercising his musical talents, church activity, and senior group, he supports The River Line Historic Area within the fabric of Smyrna.
AFFILIATED SUPPORTERS
Michael K. Shaffer
Civil War Consultant
Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, newspaper columnist, lecturer, instructor and author of Washington County, Virginia in the Civil War. His memberships include the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians.
He serves The River Line Historic Area and The Friends of Camp McDonald as a Civil War consultant. Michael holds a BA and MA degrees in Military History and currently teaches Civil War courses at Kennesaw State University's College of Continuing and Professional Education.
Barry Brown Heritage Tourism Specialist
Barry Brown held the position of Heritage Tourism Specialist with the Georgia Department of Economic Development for 10 years. He received his M.A. in Heritage Preservation and B.A. in History from Georgia State University.
During Mr. Brown's 6 years with the Georgic Civil War Commission, he supported the evolving River Line Historic Area with preservation efforts of Cobb County's Johnston's River Line and other projects such as: Cobb County's Wallis House, Gordon County's Resaca Battlefield acquisition and Fulton County's Cascade/Lionel Hampton Park acquisition. Mr. Brown is the co-author of the recently published Crossroads of Conflict: A Guide to Civil War Sites.