Click to Hear: Georgia on My Mind
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My Fayette Story 
My family and I did not exactly come over on the Mayflower, ‘though it may seem to some we greeted John Alden when he landed on Plymouth Rock!
42 years ago, on Father’s Day, 1970, with Mom and Dad and my brothers, Paul and Warren, we “landed” at what came to be known as Storybook Acres, our homestead and the new headquarters for our family publishing business. At that time the population of Fayette County barely exceeded 11,000 people! Highway 85 was a two lane road. Fayette County High School was THE high school. And it seemed like most folks were on a first-name, handshake, basis . . . even our public officials! My how times have changed. In 1973, after much hard work, the support of my parents who imparted to me their love of learning, and a lot of help from the Good Lord above, I was fortunate to graduate from Fayette County High School as my class valedictorian, a humbling honor among many worthy classmates. And then it was on to Georgia State University where I became president of Blue Key Honor Fraternity and participated in Pi Sigma Epsilon, a professional marketing fraternity, and Golden Key Honor Fraternity. I received my BBA cum laude and subsequently found myself in a position with NCR Corporation . . . but not the Peachtree City office. Instead, I commuted early, each and every morning to the Atlanta office, then on North Druid Hills Road. |
But working for myself was in my blood, and I soon returned to the family publishing business where two of our children’s books were honored with prestigious awards for patriotism (Uncle Sam and the Flag and Bobby Bear and Uncle Sam’s Riddle).
Being the entrepreneurs we were, my family and I later simultaneously operated Oddo Publishing, Oddo Brothers CPAs, raised cattle and cultivated Christmas trees. In 1995, we added GTO’s Fabulous 50’s Drive-in Restaurant to our family enterprises. GTO’s is still remembered fondly by locals for its one-pound hamburgers, great milkshakes, and classic car shows. While managing GTO’s, my beautiful, Colombian wife-to-be entered my life. Upon graduation from her University with a degree in Economics, we wed. Now my lovely wife of 10 years, Pily is proud to also be an American citizen, and she’s looking forward to voting for her husband for county commissioner. Could it get any better? Well, yes! Our anniversary is the 4th of July! Today, our primary focus is Oddo Brothers, CPAs. In Fayetteville, and in our new office in Atlanta, you’ll find my brothers and me, my wife, Pily, and the latest addition to our family, Paul’s wife Nohemí, burning the midnight oil. And oh yes! We still have our cows! Many folks, strolling along Redwine Road, have discovered the pleasure of the rural vista of our cows peacefully grazing the pasture, much as it appeared 40 years ago! |
