Waleska Veteran elected American Legion State Commander

Lynne S. Rollins, of Waleska, Ga. became the 96th Department Commander of the Georgia American Legion on Sunday, June 23, 2013. She is a member of Thomas M. Brady Post 45 in Canton where she has been a member for 22 years. She served fifteen years in the U.S. Army Reserves with one year on active duty during Desert Shield/Storm. She was a Captain in the Army Nurse Corp. She is the fourth female to become Department Commander of Georgia.

Rollins served many offices in Post 45 and became the first female commander in 1998 and served three years. She served as Ninth District Commander for two years and was awarded Second Place in the Race-to-the-Top, a national membership race for District Commanders, in 2008 and First Place in 2009. The district also received “The Most Outstanding District” award both years. She also served as Department of Georgia Historian for six years (1997-2000 and 2006-2009). She received both first and second place awards for history books she prepared during those years.

She became a Department Jr. Vice Commander in 2009 and served for two years. Then Rollins moved to Public Relations Officer for one year, before assuming the duties of Senior Vice Commander and Membership Chairman for the Department of Georgia. Georgia rose through the ranks and ended the current membership year with 102.5%, second place in the national organization. This was the first time the Department reached goal in many years.

Lynne Rollins was installed as the new Department Commander at the 95th Annual Convention of the Department of Georgia. She is a retired Family Nurse Practitioner and former member of the Waleska City Council. She is a Cherokee County, Georgia native and married to Raymond C. Rollins, also native to Cherokee County and an active Legionnaire. The Rollins have four grown children: Jimmy Bell of Canton, Rana (Frank) Hilton of Canton, Beth (Jimmy) Gayton of Waleska and Joni (Jay) Tenney of Tunnel Hill and twelve grandchildren.