SPECIAL AWARD

McMahan, an Atlanta native, grew up in the Garden Hills and Buckhead area and played an instrumental role in starting the Lakeside Sports Hall of Fame. A graduate of Northside High School, he attended college at Georgia State University and Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. His interest in finance helped kick-start his company McMahan Mortgage where he was a broker. Altogether, he worked in the mortgage industry for over 15 years along with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry.Once married to his wife, Susan, he made the move to DeKalb County where he became incredibly active in the public-school system. He was an elected member of the DeKalb County School Board from 2013 until December of 2018, serving six years before stepping down to spend time with his family. As a board member, McMahan focused his efforts on fixing the district’s financial issues as it was heavily in debt.He is the father of two girls, Madison and Nan, who attend Lakeside High School, so creating a suitable place to grow and learn was a top priority. With the SACS pressuring the board, McMahan got the ball rolling and kept it headed in the right direction, using his experiences in finance to take the appropriate steps moving forward. When he retired from the school board, staffers played a tribute video to try to capture the joyous spirit of the man who helped save DeKalb County Schools.Also, McMahan’s involvement in Lakeside High School went well beyond his daughter’s presence there. He spent years on the board of the school’s Foundation and helped turn the Lakeside Hall of Fame into reality in April of 2019 when the school inducted its first class.