2007 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner
Darlene McDonald

Darlene Johnson McDonald grew up in Gwinnett County and moved to Lamar Co. in the summer of 1985. She began attending Monroe Academy in the fall of 1985. While at Monroe, she was involved in numerous activities including cheerleading, tennis, and yearbook. After graduating from M.A. with the Class of 1988, she headed to ABAC to pursue my passion for the great outdoors. While pursuing her Associates Degree in Wildlife Technology, she was elected an On-Campus Senator for the student government and served as an ABAC Ambassador. She was also the Public Relations Director for the ABAC Rodeo team. After graduating from ABAC, she took a year and worked in wildlife as an Interpretive Naturalist for Dauset Trails Nature Center. In 1992 she headed to Athens to study Forestry at UGA. While at UGA she served on the Ag Hill Council. She was also a Georgia Girl.

In December of 1995, she married Scott McDonald from Plano, Texas and they moved to Perry where she went to work for Tolleson Lumber Company. She found that she had a real passion for the forest products industry and began working for Quality Forest Products in Forsyth as an office manager. Her duties allowed her to see the inner workings of a good logging operation and to interact with all aspects of that operation. It also provided an opportunity for her to identify some needs across the industry. Specifically, she knew there was a need in the areas of safety and OSHA compliance. She began her company, Safety on Site, with these needs in mind.

Since October 1997, Safety on Site has grown to provide safety training, OSHA and DOT compliance assistance to clients in Georgia and 4 other Southeastern states. Their client base has expanded to include not only logging but other agriculture related industries as well.

Certifications/Affiliations: First Aid/CPR Instructor/Trainer, Certified Playground Safety Inspector, Defensive Driving Instructor, Certified Master Timber Harvester, Member Southeastern Wood Producers Association, Member National Safety Council

They have two children Erin, 7 and Travis, 5; they attend The Westfield School in Perry, Georgia. They are members of First Baptist Church in Fort Valley.