Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern and Gainesville High School senior Philip Mady
Meet Sarah Bell! Sarah serves as the President of Elachee Nature Center, is married to Robert Bell and has three children and a daughter-in-law.
We want to thank Sarah for spending time with us recently and telling us more about her life and love of Hall County.
Question: Would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself?
Answer: “I am honored to serve as President of Elachee Nature Science Center and have been on the job for seven months now after retiring from the Gainesville City School System. I am married to Robert Bell, who works for Abernathy Cochran. I have three wonderful children, and the best daughter-in-law around.”
Q: What inspired or led you into your current career?
A: “I was a teacher and administrator for 29 years, so education is important to me. My favorite role over the years was teaching science, and working at Elachee has provided me with the chance to revisit something I really love. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to develop other skills during my administrative career that help me in many ways now. Plus, I have the best office in Hall County!”
Q: How long have you lived and worked in Hall County?
A: “I moved to Hall County the summer before my freshman year at Gainesville High School and have lived and worked here since then, other than my college years.”
Q: What has kept you in Hall County?
A: “I love the diversity of cultures we have here. I love our location. We have access to so many things that people can take for granted – whether it is the excitement of Atlanta, the beauty of the mountains, or the recreation of the lake. I am also always amazed at the offerings we have right here at home. We are blessed to have so many quality organizations here, and the support of our community for those makes all the difference. We also have amazing friends here, and I can’t imagine life without them.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you have met in Hall County?
A: “That one is a tough one, so I will pick an interesting person I have spoken to most recently – Rosemary Dodd. She is one of the founding mothers of Elachee. Her history here is incredible, and in addition to all of the things that she has done for Elachee, her work as an artist is a beautiful legacy in our community.”
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant?
A: “I have lots of those, but Two Dog never disappoints!”
Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you want to go?
A: Walking the Camino de Santiago is on my bucket list, but really I’d like to go anywhere that I could stay for a while and get to learn the culture.”
Q: What is some advice you would give to a crowd of people?
A: “Spend time outside as often as possible. Always believe that people are doing the best they can with what they know at the time. And my kids will appreciate this one – ‘kindness is the rule.'”
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “In college, I ground and tested poultry meal at one of our local facilities. The people I met there were some of the finest people I have ever known. The work was hard but taught me a lot. Also, I was Miss Gainesville High School back in the day. My mom kept my trophy and now my grown children like to hide it and bring it out at the most inappropriate times.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five to 10 years?
A: “I hope to still be at Elachee and am excited to think about how it will continue to grow. I plan to still be enjoying spending time with my kids (and maybe their kids!) and traveling with our friends.”
Q: What three words really mean home to you?
A: “Family, dogs, and mashed potatoes!”