By Michelle Graff
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer

POWDER SPRINGS - Powder Springs resident Lori Morson, winner of the Cobb County Community Services Board's
first annual Executive Director's Award, isn't much for public recognition. But she doesn't mind sharing her story, if she
thinks it will help others. A 22-year resident of Cobb County, Ms. Morson came to the board seven years ago after utilizing
the services of the board at a county halfway house.

The board provides mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse services to more than 11,000 residents of
Cobb and Douglas counties annually.
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She started out working part time for $6 an hour, keeping medical records at the board's George W. Hartmann Center, a
drug treatment center for teen-agers on Powers Ferry Road in Marietta. Next, Ms. Morson came to work in personnel and human resources at the board's administrative offices on North Marietta Parkway. Now 40, she has progressed to program operations manager, a position that presented her with her biggest challenge so far.

In 2001, the state ordered that the department of human resources unify its transportation program within Cobb County.
Though the state set no deadline for the program, the Cobb CSB decided to get ahead of the game. "We stepped up
to the plate to become the unified transportation provider," said Ms. Morson. The Cobb CSB provides 85 percent of the
trips in the county among DHR agencies, with more than 35 sites designated as treatment or administrative facilities.

Ms. Morson, along with the rest of the Cobb CSB staff, worked non-stop for three months in order to transform their random
8 to 5, Monday through Friday system into an agency with specific routes that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The unified transportation system run by the board, which stores its 116-vehicle fleet at the public health building on Love Street in Austell, opened for business Oct. 15.

The board now also serves the Department of Family and Children Services with more than 600 trips a day to destinations as far as downtown Atlanta.

"It's probably doubled," Ms. Morson said of the board, which formerly made only about 300 trips a day. And though the quantity of trips has increased, she said the quality has not suffered. The board allows drivers only a 20 minute window
of time when called to transport a client. "You'll be there at 9 o'clock if your appointment is at 9 o'clock," she said.
David Williamson, the DHR's regional transportation coordinator for region 3B, the metro Atlanta area, agreed. "We haven't gotten any complaints from any people she has transported," he said of Ms. Morson. "It's working and it's a better use of the funds."

Ms. Morson received her award from Cobb CSB Executive Director Tod Citron on Dec. 17 during the once-a-year staff
training day and awards ceremony. "I had no clue," she said. But co-worker Gina Cogswell, assistant director of administration, said once Citron spelled out the criteria for the award, it became clear who the winner would be.
"There was no question Lori was going to receive it," she said. "I know how hard she works," Ms. Cogswell said. "I've seen her do more work that two people in this agency. "All of the hard work has paid off." As someone who started out utilizing
the services the board offers, Ms. Morson said there are no words to describe how she feels about winning the award.
Her only hope is that her story can serve as inspiration to somebody else, perhaps one of the people on the bus routes she organized. "My story could help someone else out there," she said