Meet Baya Pruitt! She is married to Matt Pruitt and has four boys; Parker, 19, Carson, 16, Quinn, 12, and Cameron, 10. She was born in Hall County and has lived here for her whole life. Baya works at Conditioned Air Systems, which was started by her father in 1983. Mrs. Pruitt now serves as the Vice President of Internal Operations.
We want to thank Baya for sitting down with us and telling us more about her life and love of Hall County. 

Please tell us a little bit about your family.

A: “I am married to Matt Pruitt for 24 years now. We have four boys. Parker, he’s 19, a senior student; Carson just turned 16, he’s a freshman; Quinn is 12, he is a 6th grader; and Cameron is 10, he’s a third grader. They’re all studying at Lanier Christian Academy. “

Q: What led you to your current career?

A: “I’ve pretty much always been involved in this career, in the heating and air business. When I was a little girl, I would go with my dad on Saturday mornings to work at his company. And when he started Conditioned Air Systems in 1983, I started working part-time after school…so I’ve always worked here.”

Q: Please tell us about what you do?

A: “I’ve done pretty much everything in the business. I serve as the Vice President of Internal Operations.”

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community? And what do you love there?

A: “I’m weird about food, so I get stuck on one thing and basically I eat that same thing every single day until I’m tired of it. So, right now I have been eating grilled lemon pepper chicken tenders from Huey Magoo’s. I also eat the chicken salad from the Inn- Between.”

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?

A: “I would say Eddie Staub. He is such a humble man with more faith than I’ve ever seen. His vision to help children realize the hope and future that God has in store for them is amazing. He has done so many things with young people while he and his wife have raised a family of their own, who would’ve ever thought I would like a person from Alabama.”

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

A: “I’m pretty much a home body. I know that sounds crazy but I don’t like have to go a lot of places… anywhere that we can spend time as a family is good.”

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?

A: “I don’t watch a lot of movies and TV shows. I always like to watch ‘Good Morning America.’  I’m an avid Georgia football fan, so we enjoy watching sports as a family. We watch and attend all the football games in Athens.”

Q: What advice would you give to people?

A: “Live for today, love others and have no regrets because you are not promised tomorrow.”

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?

A: “I would have to say that it would be our business, Conditioned Air Systems. My dad is pretty old fashioned when it comes to running a business so he doesn’t really believe in working from home, he wants everyone to be involved in the community and he believes the best form of communication is picking up the phone to call someone.”

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?

A: “That we’re close knit community. I think when push comes to shove, we step up when others are in need. And I think everybody tries to do as much business locally as they can.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?

A: “A I said before, we have four children so in five years we will have one son graduating from college, one son in college, one 11th grader and one eighth grader. So, in 10 years we will still have boys in college, but hopefully at least one will be married and possibly we will have a grandchild.”

Q: What is something on your bucket list?

A: “As far as one of my favorite places to go is New York. My sister and I went there last December before COVID hit, so something I would like to do is take my husband back now that things are kind of more normal.”

Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?

A: “I like the smell of coffee brewing first thing in the morning.”

Q: What three words mean ‘HOME” to you?

A: “God, family and friends.”