Shepherd Center Board Member and Vice President Emory Schwall Receives the Georgia Planned Giving Council’s Greater Good Award

ATLANTA - (April 30, 2009) - Emory Schwall, Vice President of Shepherd Center's Board of Directors, today was awarded the fifth annual Georgia Planned Giving Council (GPGC) Greater Good Award at a luncheon at the InterContinental Hotel Buckhead.

Schwall is also a Trustee of the Shepherd Center Foundation. The GPGC Greater Good Award is an annual award to recognize exemplary service among Georgia's charitable advisors.

Nominees have served at least ten years in the field of planned giving and uphold superior standards in the field, increasing the quality and quantity of planned gifts to charities in Georgia. The selection committee cited Schwall’s work helping his clients meet their charitable goals and benefiting scores of Georgia charities in the process.

The winner receives a $2,000 gift which is donated to the recipient’s charity of choice. Schwall selected Shepherd Center to receive his gift.

Ty Tippett, Director of Planned Giving for the Shepherd Center Foundation, remarked “Emory has donated countless hours of his personal time, as well as his considerable legal expertise, in making the consummation of philanthropic transactions for the benefit of charitable organizations in Georgia possible."

In addition to his roles on the Board of Directors and as a Trustee, which he has served since 1987 and 2005, respectively, Schwall served in a leadership role for the Center’s 25th Anniversary Capital and Endowment Campaign and was instrumental in creating the Shepherd Center Foundation.

In 2000, he established the Peggy and Emory Schwall Assistive Technology Endowment Fund, named in honor of his now late wife. In May 2005, he arranged for her estate jewelry to be sold at Laura Pearce Ltd., resulting in substantial donations for the benefit of the patients of Shepherd Center.

Schwall was named Shepherd Center's Angel of the Year in 2001 and served as Honorary Chairman of the 2005 Legendary Party. He has practiced law in Atlanta for over 50 years, is a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia representing the Insurance Commission, a certified Estate Planner, a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council, Atlanta Bar Association, Georgia Bar Association and the American Bar Association.