Jim Hammond, former head of the theater department at the University of North Georgia (UNG), was having lunch with his son when he received an unexpected phone call from Gov. Brian Kemp's office. Hammond had been recognized with the Governor's Award for the Arts & Humanities.

"To receive this honor at the culmination of a 37-year career in theater education is obviously very humbling and satisfying," said Hammond, who retired from UNG in summer 2020 after 30 years. "I am grateful to the UNG administration for nominating me and to the committee of Georgia theater artists who selected me for this honor."

Hammond said the artists who have previously won this award have inspired him throughout his career. They included Kenny Leon, Pearl Cleage, and Ed Cabell, Hammond's mentor and the architect of the Gainesville Theatre Alliance (GTA). Hammond took over as managing and artistic director of GTA from Cabell in 1990.

He said the desire to work with talented and dedicated theater students shaped his career goals.

"The greatest joy of the job always was seeing those young men and women build extraordinary lives with the skill sets they developed in the study of theater," Hammond said.

Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp announced the 2020 recipients of the Governor's Awards for the Arts & Humanities in a video Dec. 1 via YouTube. The Governor's Awards for the Arts & Humanities honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to Georgia's civic and cultural vitality through service to the humanities or excellence in the arts.