CANTON, GA (June 4, 2026) – The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is honored to announce the 2026 Cherokee County Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals to Watch.
“The Top 10 in 10 initiative is designed to cultivate and showcase exceptional Cherokee County young professionals,” said Pam Carnes, Chamber President and CEO. Coordinated by the Chamber, this initiative celebrates outstanding young professionals who are making a measurable difference in Cherokee County today. This recognition honors residents ages 20–40 whose leadership, service, and professional achievements are strengthening our community now and will continue to shape its success for years to come.
“We were extremely pleased with the number and caliber of candidates for this year’s recognition. As we have grown accustomed to since this program’s inception in 2012, far more than 10 nominations were received and likewise, there were far more applications than honoree slots. Each application was carefully reviewed by a panel of judges that found the task of only choosing ten honorees challenging,” shared Chamber Board Chair Debra Williams, Office Leader/Senior Vice President, Synovus. Judging criteria included leadership growth and impact, volunteer and community involvement, as well as each individual’s motivation outside of title, paycheck, or recognition. Besides being recognized during the Chamber’s June Good Morning Cherokee breakfast meeting, the honorees who will be under the age of 40 on October 1 have been nominated for the prestigious GeorgiaTrend Magazine 40 Under 40 recognition.
The rising stars recognized as Cherokee County’s next generation of community leaders include (front row, l to r): Laura Rollins Derrick, Partner, Dyer Rusbridge Argo PC; Mallory Woernlein, Radiology Manager, Northside Hospital Cherokee; Emily Johnson, Assistant Solicitor General, Cherokee County Office of the Solicitor-General; Abigail Cuneio, Senior Assistant General Manager, Chick-fil-A Canton; Elise Holcomb, Communications & Project Manager, Cherokee Office of Economic Development.
(back row, l to r): Dakota Botts, Community Liaison, Comfort Keepers; Juan Valencia, Owner, V&V Printing and Apparel; Dr. Josephine Sagoo, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Northside Cherokee Pediatrics; Brian Golson, Engineering Supervisor, Georgia Power Company; Jacky Cheng, Digital Content Specialist, City of Canton/Explore Canton.
The mission of the Cherokee County Chamber, a Georgia Certified Chamber, is to support and connect businesses to create economic success. To learn more about the Chamber, visit CherokeeChamber.com.
