Young Harris College names Lydia Sartain to Board of Trustees
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. — A native of Blairsville and nine-year District Attorney for Georgia Northeastern Judicial Court, Lydia Jackson Sartain ‘79, has been named to the Young Harris College Board of Trustees. The alumna was voted in at the Fall meeting of the College’s Board of Trustees Nov. 3.
Sartain, who also served as Solicitor for the State Court of Hall County, graduated from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. She earned her associate of arts degree at Young Harris College and bachelor’s from Mercer University.
“We are very pleased to have Lydia on the Board. She brings a great family heritage as well as experience as a Trustee, “ Dr. Drew Van Horn, Young Harris College president, said. “Her life and business experience and connection to Young Harris College and the community will be a valuable addition to the College.”
In 1998, Georgia Trend magazine listed Sartain as one of the state’s “Forty Under Forty” leaders, and in 2006 she was named one of Georgia’s top trial lawyers. Launching her own practice in 2019 provided her the opportunity to focus on Family Law and Mediation.
Prior to her appointment as DA, Sartain acted as Director of Georgia’s Children and Youth Council under Gov. Zell Miller. In this position she oversaw grant programs to prevent juvenile delinquency and monitored all of the juvenile detention facilities across Georgia as part of the Department of Justice. In 1999, Gov. Roy Barnes appointed her to serve on the State Board of Public Safety where she supported the efforts of all public safety agencies to reduce crime, apprehend those who commit them, and respond to disaster.
Sartain has served at Young Harris College in the past, as president of the YHC Alumni Association in 2006, on the Presidential Search Committee in 2006 and as a Commencement Speaker in 1999. Her father, Robert “Bobby” Jackson, and her sister, Lisa Jackson Mashburn, are also alumni of Young Harris College and current residents of Blairsville.
Her community involvement includes serving as founding member and past board chair for the Edmondson-Telford Child Advocacy Center, on the Executive Leadership Board for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women, a member and past president for the Rotary Club of Gainesville, as pro bono attorney and advocate for Rape Response, sustaining member for Junior League of Gainesville-Hall County and a past trustee at Brenau University.
About Young Harris College
Young Harris College is a private baccalaureate and master’s degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires, and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has four academic divisions: Fine Arts; Humanities; Mathematics, Science, and Technology; and Professional Studies. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the Conference Carolinas. For more information, visit yhc.edu.
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