Dr. Deidre Martin was recently named an Honorary Alumnus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

TIFTON — Two Colquitt Countians were recently honored during the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Homecoming festivities.

Dr. Deidre Martin was awarded the Honorary Alumnus Award, and Kristoff Cohran received the Outstanding Healthcare Professional Award. They were among 10 people honored for their accomplishments at the annual ABAC Alumni Association awards luncheon April 5.

The Honorary Alumnus Award goes to an individual who — although they did not attend ABAC — has made a profound and lasting impact on the institution, according to a press release from the college.

Martin grew up on her family’s row crop farm in Colquitt County. She often says that this rural upbringing shaped her into the person she is today with a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Berry College, her master’s degree from Georgia State University, and her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina. Martin has worked in higher education for nearly 40 years at several institutions and now serves as the South Georgia Gifts Officer for the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s campus in Moultrie. Throughout her career, the consistent theme is her dedication to building authentic and meaningful relationships while being an outstanding results-oriented ambassador for her institutions.

At ABAC, she served in the Office of College Advancement from 2015 until her retirement on Jan. 1. As Chief Advancement Officer, Martin dedicated herself to seeking support from alumni and friends for the betterment of ABAC, and she is a Lifetime member of the ABAC Alumni Association.

Under her leadership, fundraising at ABAC increased 486 percent from $648,000 to more than $3.8 million annually with the addition of new scholarships, new facilities, and programs such as Destination Ag at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture. During her tenure, ABAC consistently led the University System of Georgia State College sector in overall fundraising. She was recognized by ABAC with the 2020 E. Lanier Carson Leadership Award for excellence in administrative leadership.

The Georgia Education Advancement Council recognized her with the Excellence in Educational Fundraising Award in 2018 and the entire staff was recognized by GEAC with the Overall Institutional Excellence in Advancement Award in 2023.

The Outstanding Healthcare Professional Award was established in 1995 to recognize those who have made a significant impact in the community through leadership, community service, dedication to their field, and service to the college. This award is designed to recognize individuals in the various areas of healthcare.

Cohran attended ABAC from 2011 until 2015 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business. He is currently the program administrator for the Georgia South Psychiatry Residency Program as well as the CEO & co-founder of M3E, Inc., a nonprofit that delivers character, leadership, and life-skills training and resources to help individuals and organizations impact the lives of young adults in a transformative way.

Upon graduating from ABAC, his first job was serving as the program coordinator for the Stafford School of Business. Later, he moved to Colquitt Regional Medical Center as the executive assistant to the president and CEO.

While at ABAC, Cohran was involved with the music program, serving as principal chair in the concert band and brass quintet and as second trumpet in the jazz band. During his time in the business school, he was in Alpha Beta Gamma Sigma, a member of the Student Government Association, PR director of the ABAC Revolutionaries Club, a member of ENACTUS, president of the African American Male Initiative, co-host of two radio shows in ABAC’s radio studio, and was a frequently recognized student in the Stafford School of Business.Cohran was named to Georgia Trend Magazine’s 40 Under 40 for his work in healthcare and in the nonprofit sector. He has also received recognition from Health Resources and Service Administration for innovative experiential recruitment and program development strategies.

In addition to serving on the ABAC Foundation Board, he has been involved with the Colquitt County Educational Foundation; the Bethlehem International School Foundation; the Stringfellow Elementary School Governance Committee; Serenity House; the Healthy Colquitt Coalition, the Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce; the United Way Allocations Panel; the UGA Archway Executive Committee; Family Connection of Colquitt County; and the Colquitt Regional Employee Committee. Cohran also works with an international sponsorship organization called Children International and sponsors a child in Zambia.