MOULTRIE — The Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce named Regina Dismuke as the 2021 Woman of the Year during its annual community awards banquet Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Regina Dismuke, the executive director of the Hero House, has served and advocated for Colquitt County’s children for more than 20 years.

Her nomination was a collaboration of Jessica Sullivan of Colquitt County Department of Family & Children Services, Colquitt County Sheriff Rod Howell and Hero House Board of Directors Chairman Shawn Bostick, who all praised Dismuke’s advocacy in personal letters that accompanied the nomination.

Prior to her current position, Dismuke’s career anchors at the Colquitt County DFCS office.

“Ms. Dismuke’s unwavering dedication displays her passion to serve her community. Much of her work over the years has gone unnoticed as child protective services agencies are deliberate in remaining private to protect those they serve,” Sullivan wrote.

Howell and Bostick said they’ve known and served with Dismuke at various agencies and boards for over 15 years.

She is considered of the top forensic interviewers in the Southern Judicial Circuit, according to Howell.

“Throughout the years, there was never a time that Regina failed to answer the call,” he wrote.

Bostick supported Howell’s statement writing, “I cannot recall a single time of her being aware of a need and her not responding. It did not matter the time or obstacle; she would ensure that children in need would be safe.”

When Dismuke retired from the DFCS office, Bostick said she was an obvious choice to fill a vacancy in the Hero House’s director position. The Hero House is a non-profit organization that serves children who have been abused physically, mentally or sexually and provides a safe environment for a child victim.

In October 2020, Dismuke opened a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E) center known as, The June Cottage.

Sullivan wrote, “She was able to make the cottage a child-friendly environment and have the newest and best equipment for the exams by working hard to obtain donations and help from the community.”

She also recruited five women who pursued certifications to conduct the examinations. s

“Teaming up with Regina’s passion for children, it took less than a year to come to fruition,” Bostick wrote. “This service now prevents children the burden of having to go into the public setting of an [emergency room] or [an] out-of-town S.A.N.E. center to have the intrusive, but necessary, personal examination conducted.”

Sullivan and Bostick agreed they never witnessed Dismuke experience burnout or appear tired of her work.

Dismuke serves as a Bluebird svolunteer at Colquitt Regional Medical Center and is a member of the Toy Shop Board, Child Fatality Review Committee, Child Abuse County Protocol Committee, and Southern Regional Technical College’s Criminal Justice Advisory Committee.

She participates in local events with United Way, Teen Challenge and the chamber.

She has a bachelor’s degree sin criminal justice and is pursuing a master’s degree in social work.

“She does not hold back and says often what needs to be said when others may choose to stay silent. She speaks up without fear and has never hesitated to speak up on behalf of a child or any person in need of help. She is not one to cut corners or skip steps. It is all or nothing,” Sullivan wrote.

Dismuke is a wife, mother and grandmother and is supported by her family “who learned a long time ago to let her do her thing and get out of her way if there is a child in need of help,” Sullivan concluded.