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For the Love of Here is a podcast about Dalton, Georgia and life across Northwest Georgia—from local businesses and entrepreneurship to community leadership and hometown pride.
Hosts Erika Mosteller and Lauren Sneary sit down with founders, civic leaders, creatives, and neighbors from Dalton, Chatsworth, Ringgold, and Calhoun to talk about the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping our region.
If you care about small-town business, local culture, economic growth, and building a life where you live, this podcast is for you.
Because you don’t need a bigger city. You just need a better lens.
Produced by Here Local Media.
Ep11
===
[00:00:00]
Lauren Sneary: Hi everyone and welcome to the latest episode of The Love of Here Podcast. I'm Lauren Sneary, here of course with my cohost Erika Mosteller. Erika you look great today. How's it going?
Erika Mosteller: It's going great.
Lauren Sneary: I feel really ~like ~inexplicably joyful about today's podcast. Yeah. Maybe it is explicable. Yeah if that's a term because this is somebody who just lights up my life. I know a lot of other people's life. Like I feel so joyful about this podcast so I have nothing to say to you other than let's get started because I want [00:01:00] the audience to hear this wonderful person that we get to call a friend. ~Um~ and so today we have with us Allyson Coker and Allyson has so many connections to Dalton. She's got really cool kind of family connections and stories. She also has served as the executive director of Believe Greater Dalton which is doing incredible work in development and opportunity in our community ~um ~and is currently serving as the executive director of the Whitfield Health Care Foundation. So she's just out here doing good and that is just a cool story in and of itself but I don't wanna get too deep into her background cause we're gonna talk about all of it today. So Allyson thank you so much for joining us. I am so excited that you're here.
Allyson Coker: I'm so excited to be here and you're gonna make me cry before we ever get started. I was already tearing up thinking about things on the ride over here and just so much to ~you know to~ be thankful for and I'm just blessed and honored to be a guest with two of my favorite people and that are doing amazing things for Dalton so.
Erika Mosteller: Fellow criers unite. I know Allyson and I we love to [00:02:00] cry together. The empaths in the room right.
Lauren Sneary: Yep. So Erika where do you wanna get started. There's so much to talk about here.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Why Dalton Matters
---
Erika Mosteller: I think I would love to start with ~like where.~ Tell us about your intense love and commitment to Dalton. ~Like ~I just have never met someone who you don't only love the place you love the people you see the potential. You just see the good in the people and the place in a way that is really unique and I'd love to hear kind of I think I know where you might go with some of your answers cause of your dad.
Allyson Coker: Yeah.
Erika Mosteller: ~But um~ but yeah I'd just love ~to n~ to kick off there. Just like what propels that intense love of these people and this place.
Allyson Coker: Well there's a lot. I mean there's a lot of things that propel it. ~Um ~walking in this building again. Get teared up thinking you know my dad was mayor of Dalton for 12 years from 1988 to 2000 and during that time this was City Hall. Mmhmm. And ~um ~there's ~um s ~s- a framed article and photo of my dad that hung in my old office and ~um ~he's standing on the [00:03:00] steps of Pentz Street. And ~so um you know just a lot of~ a lot of that comes from them. My mom and dad ~um ~met at Dalton High School and. Oh ~um ~they got married in 19 like 52. So their whole history is rooted in Dalton. My dad played football and baseball and basketball and~ um you know~ just those roots I think you c are kind of undeniable ~from ~from that end. ~Um~ so it starts there ~I guess.~ And then I just in thinking about joining y'all today I think so much of it just comes back to the people and the shared experiences and the things that the wonderful thing that you're trying to do through the magazine and the podcast and ~um you know~ just connect to people to that. And ~um ~really I think at that the core of it is the people and shared experiences that we all have. ~Um yeah.~ yeah so that's sort of where it starts for me. Mmhmm. I can go in a lot of different directions.
Yeah ...
Lauren Sneary: ...from there. There's something about kind of buckling down and doing the work with a group of people who kind of have equal passion for the work and figuring things out and. So I know that you were a key driver in a lot of good work that has [00:04:00] happened in Dalton over the last decade specifically through your work with Believe Greater Dalton. So I know before that you were kind of in a totally different realm careerwise so can you tell us kind of that path and how you came to believe in Dalton in that way and then participate in a project that was so central.
Allyson Coker: Yeah. It was ~um yeah~ my resume ~if you~ if you look at my resume you're like What. It's like ~like ~a pinball machine kind of all the different things ~that um ~that I've been blessed to be a part of in my career. ~Um ~
Career Journey to Believe
---
Allyson Coker: started out with a love of politics when I was in college and I my first job was in Washington DC. And ~um ~from there. My husband at the time we moved to Michigan and I worked for the governor of Michigan and the first lady up there so a lot of political work. And then when we left Michigan I got involved with ~um ~a little startup bottled water company called Fiji Water. Um yeah. Stop.
Erika Mosteller: Which is why she always has a bottle of Fiji
Allyson Coker: water with her. Wait I didn't know that. Yeah. So yeah that's why. Wow I've always got it. So I literally was like the fifth person ~um ~to join the company and I mean we didn't even have I [00:05:00] could show people a bottle but I couldn't give them one. ~Um ~so really involved in that from ~obvious-~ obviously the ground floor and then to just walk in and see it in anywhere and you know.
Lauren Sneary: Um,
Allyson Coker: yeah. That is
so cool. I can't believe
Lauren Sneary: I didn't know that.
Allyson Coker: So it that that probably was the coolest thing I've gotten to experience. ~Um ~but then you know leading up then I spent a lot of time in pharmaceutical sales so that's kind of where my passion ~for ~for healthcare grew. ~Um ~and then ~you know~ after that I spent when my son was in high school and ~um ~very ~you know ~committed obviously ~with ~with Dalton football and baseball and so to have some flexibility I spent those years working at Rockbridge alongside Matt Evans. And in 2017 ~um ~he had just been elected to the school board and ~you know~ I just sensed this change and honestly this burden that. ~You know~ our genera my generation ~you know~ we have really ridden the coattails of our ~famil our you know~ parents and ~that there~ that it was really time for us to step up and ~ ~embrace who we are as Dalton today. And so something kinda started stirring [00:06:00] within me and I'd heard about this Believe Greater Dalton thing that had just launched and so I signed up to receive like the newsletter and. or emails from Believe Greater Dalton. The next thing I received was this job description for what was at the time ~um ~a project manager which is pretty comical that that was ~the ~the title
at the beginning
just a small project
Six different areas.
that touch every single part of the community. ~Um ~and I remember I forwarded it to my husband and it was my son's senior year in high school and this was November of his senior year and I s immediately sent it to James and I said Wow this looks like something I would love to do but the timing's just not right because I don't wanna do anything full time until JP's gone. And he immediately wrote back and he was like I beg to differ. The timing is perfect because he knew I was gonna be like Ah what do I do with myself.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah
Allyson Coker: Mmhmm. Empty nest sorta thing and ~um you know~ kinda the rest is history. I went and interviewed for the job and ~um ~Chuck Dobbins and Brian Hair were the cochairs of the overall effort at the time and I think they [00:07:00] thought ~um ~We need to find~ a you know ~someone nationally you know e experienced in economic development and that kinda thing. So I ~you know~ proudly told them. I think my closing line at the interview was like ~You know I ~I probably don't bring the experience that you might be looking for but the heart and passion for Dalton and you know I was captain of the Dalton High Cheerleaders in 1986 and 87. So I claimed that to be my big you know that was my claim ~to uh ~to what I was bringing ~to the~ to the table. But ~um you know I~ I think it all it all worked out just as it was supposed to and. Absolutely.
Building Believe Greater Dalton
---
Erika Mosteller: Well and it's interesting to me that really you it's very entrepreneurial what you did with Believe. Mmhmm. And I mean you had to go and raise the funding. It's a publicprivate partnership. ~I don't~ you know for our listeners Believe Greater Dalton is the strategic arm of the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce but they had to have funding to do all of the research and the visioning and the collaboration and some of the original projects and applying for grants and all these things. So I would love like you're kind of an entrepreneur at heart really even though you haven't had your own business. So I'd [00:08:00] love for you to ~kinda ~talk about just that that drive to ~you know~ go fundraise share the vision cast the vision build something. Yeah cause I think you're a builder.
Allyson Coker: I was actually thinking about this morning thinking about that this morning as well ~um ~even going back to the Fiji Water experience.~ I mean the~ the gentleman who started that company was very much an entrepreneur and so ~um you know it~ it was I ~I ~think where I've found the most ~um. You know~ the most fulfilling things that I've done in my life have been entrepreneurial with from ~you know~ building a brand from the ground up and it was no different with Believe Greater Dalton. I mean that was truly building a brand and the whole community pride aspect of it. ~Um ~you know so I think that is you're onto something there. ~Um ~that is ~you know~ just ~the f~ the rewarding part of ~of ~taking something from nothing ~and and~ and seeing what it can become. That's been a par bigger part of my story I think than I've realized. Mmhmm.
Dot Connector Mindset
---
Lauren Sneary: So one of the first times that we met was in kind of conjunction with Believe Greater Dalton. Mmhmm. And you told me something that I've thought about ever since [00:09:00] was that you saw your role and it was a very humble perspective I think on your role but you saw your role as a dot connector. Yeah. Not necessarily like a generator ~or you know ~but that you wanted to make sure that all the good work and the good people all the things that were already happening. Mmhmm. were connecting together in productive ways to create more ~than ~than what we have today. Yes. And so that dot connector philosophy has really stuck with me cause it requires that right. People can be doing a lot of cool things in isolation but to build this kind of community sentiment and growth and opportunity that we have ~it ~it has to all be connected. So I was wondering if you could just share a little bit more about that perspective being a dot connector maybe some of the dots that you're most proud of connecting.
Allyson Coker: Yeah. Well I think it ~was ~was born out~ out of~ me trying to explain what I do and so I would often tell my kids I'm just a professional dot connector. Mmhmm. That's what I do. Like dot connecting is important. You get some shortterm wins but it's truly a long game.
Housing Win Walton Fields
---
Allyson Coker: And I think probably [00:10:00] the most rewarding thing ~um ~or one of the most ~remor-~ rewarding things ~um ~Carl Campbell and I with the Joint Development Authority we went over to Gainesville for a day to ~um ~to just look at all the things that their city that the city of Gainesville had done ~um ~to spur housing development ~um ~especially in their downtown ~um ~corridor. And so you know we spent a day and I was like gonna get ~the the ~the person at ~the at~ the city of Gainesville to kind of help us and Carl's like Don't do that. Just let's. You print the presentation and let's just drive over there. And. And so we did ~and we we.~ Our first stop was at a place called Walton Summit and it's a low-income housing tax credit project ~um ~but you would never know it. And we walked in and this ~this ~vibrant young lady named Gracie gave us a tour of the property and ~um ~it had this adventure center for kids that was an afterschool learning center. It had a senior living component. ~Um~ you would never know that this was ~you know this was~ incomebased housing. ~Um and~ it was just ~you know~ beautifully done and ~um you know so~ we saw a lot of things that day and driving back home you know Carl looked over at me and he was like You know if we could [00:11:00] bring Walton. If we could get Walton to Dalton that would probably be the greatest thing we could ever do for this community. And Carl's as passionate about Dalton as I am. And so now when I come down Underwood and I see Walton Fields ~um you know~ very much out of the ground and growing I I think that one just. ~That's one ~that's one of the biggest moments but I think it was all the pieces before that. It was the housing study the baseline housing study that we did ~um ~in 2018 and ~um ~the subsequent followup ~you know~ study in 2023 and having all those pieces in place that then allowed a developer like Walton Communities to come in and take all that work that had been done and then make it happen. ~So um you know~ so housing for all of our community ~um ~and the progress that had been made again while it's a very long game and a challenging game ~um ~that that's one that I think ~when I ~when I drive. Cause I don't go that way very often and the first time I ~I ~saw when it was really out of the ground I again tears I'm like Wow this really happened. And I remember the [00:12:00] day that ~um ~when they were submitting the application to the Department of Community Affairs for ~the ~the tax credit program ~um ~Philip one of the folks in charge she called and she's like We need a name. Like we're down to two and she's like I really want you to decide it. And so I was like Walton Fields. I like Walton Fields. And so then to see it all and it was just ~so ~so rewarding and just so humbling to even have had a very small piece in it. ~Um.~
so.
Erika Mosteller: ~Yeah. I don't. You know~ maybe other people can relate to this but before I got into the line of work that I do now which I work predominantly with civic organizations I would just go to towns and be like Oh this place is so cool and you like look at all these innovative concepts that they have for housing or retail or walkability or you know like gathering third spaces or green spaces or whatever and you just like feel the sense of Oh this is a cool place to be and live. But I never really thought of all the work that had to go into creating that type of community. Mmhmm. And I think a lot of people take that for granted ~and ~and the fact that it is a long game and that it does require research and you have to [00:13:00] do all of these studies to see like what can our community hold from like a demographic perspective from an income perspective from a even the land studies and ~you know~ infrastructure all of these things. And so it is a long game. We had Barry Gentry from Murray County and he was saying the same thing that you know you can't really see any results ~f ~at three to five years. Yeah is kinda what you're looking at. ~Um ~so I think it's really cool that you were part of a lot of this groundup work and then ~like ~now we and our families are getting to enjoy the fruits of that labor ~and ~and see it continue forward so.
Dalton Getting Cooler
---
Lauren Sneary: Yeah and I think to your point you know the visitors that come through Dalton now have that experience. Mmhmm. with Dalton. Mmhmm. Like there is cool stuff here. Yeah. Like look at Burr Park. Mmhmm. Look at what they're doing in housing. You know. That's a really neat. Yeah that we get to become one of those communities.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah
Allyson Coker: ~We w I think~ I think the Dalton that I grew up in is you know it was cool. I remember going away to college and just thinking I guess I wasn't thinking in these terms at that time cause you don't when you're 17 years old. Mm and going off to college six hours away from home. [00:14:00] But ~you know like ~wow I've I've had a great. You know like I loved this place. I was ready. ~You know ~it was kinda one of those at that point in time it was all like Oh I'm leaving here and I'm never coming back. Yeah. But yet I did hold so fondly all the memories and ~um ~again just it was cool for those reasons of the people and the connections. But now like it really is cool. I mean there are so many things. ~Um so.~
Erika Mosteller: Yeah we're actually writing so a little teaser for our September issue we're doing a ~um ~spread on cocktail hopping in Dalton.
Lauren Sneary: Ooh
Erika Mosteller: So when I moved here 12 years ago I think Longhorn was probably the only place. Oh. Maybe Applebee's. Applebee's. Yeah.
Lauren Sneary: Chili Chili's two for one which I heard they did away with by the way.
Erika Mosteller: Oh probably.
Lauren Sneary: Really disappointing.
Erika Mosteller: Inflation.
Lauren Sneary: Chili's shout out. Bring it back.
Erika Mosteller: Uh but yeah it is it is a cool. I mean it's. Yeah the fact that we can even write that. Yeah. ~Um ~and one of our ~our ~account manager Karen Watts is she was like Do you mind if I write this. And she's not from here. She moved here. And anyway it's just neat that she sees something that maybe we take for granted or that. Yeah we don't even recognize like [00:15:00] oh this is new and we couldn't have written about this even five years ago.
Allyson Coker: Right. Right. I think that's so true and I think it ~you know~ we don't see ours that we're. I mean I think Dalton has always had such high expectations ~um ~of ourselves as a community that oftentimes we internally don't see what visitors see what people come coming from.
Lauren Sneary: Mmhmm
Allyson Coker: you know ~out of~ out of town for the weekend or for a visit that they walk away like Wow.
Lauren Sneary: Mmhmm. Yeah.
Coming Home for Family
---
Lauren Sneary: So I wanna go back really quickly to something that you kinda brought up earlier which was the concept of leaving Dalton and then coming back.
Allyson Coker: Mm-hmm
Lauren Sneary: ~Um ~and so you had you know gone to Michigan and you had been in DC and you'd been in all these places. By the way was Michigan really cold.
Allyson Coker: Yeah
Yeah
Winter's terrible but it's a great place. I I I love Michigan. It's beautiful but winters are long. Mm. I had to listen to Jimmy Buffett all the time. All the. On winter
time. Oh.
Lauren Sneary: Jimmy Buffett
Just
Allyson Coker: on repeat. Oh oh to make yourself. In the winter
feel
Lauren Sneary: good. to make you feel warm about it. Yeah I was like do they love Jimmy Buffett
I
Allyson Coker: I do love. I think they do love Jimmy Buffett there because he [00:16:00] gets their mind out of the
Lauren Sneary: Oh. That's cool. Yeah. S- so all that to say I don't think we actually touched on though why you did come back. ~You know what the~ what the trigger ~to ~to say I actually I wanna build my life ~and ~and my family. Mm-hmm ...specifically here in Dalton. So how did you get back.
Allyson Coker: Well there was a life event that occurred so I I actually ~um ~was going through a divorce and ~um ~but knew at the time ~I I wanted you know~ I wanted to bring my kids back here to be close to my mom and dad. Yeah. And ~um ~so we came back in 2002 and my daughter we flew in the weekend on right before she started first grade at Brookwood that following Monday.
Lauren Sneary: Wow
Allyson Coker: Yeah
Lauren Sneary: Jumped right in.
Allyson Coker: Yep and You know it was ~kind of not~ not in the plan.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah
Allyson Coker: But it was the
plan. But it was a
Lauren Sneary: safe landing.
Allyson Coker: Yeah it was a safe landing and ~um ~I'll never forget my mom and dad picked us up from the airport in Atlanta and you know in the Daily Citizen then you could submit photos. Yeah um of the kids going back ~to s-~ to school like as a little. And my mom had done that and my daughter just was like I'm in the [00:17:00] newspaper. Like you know just ~like ~tears ~like ~in her eyes. Like she thought it was so cool. Aw. And ~um.~ It is so cool so it was very special. But yeah I mean I came home to a very ~um ~different Dalton than what I'd left. Yeah. And so you know I'd been gone since essentially since 1987 and came back in 2002 so a lot had changed in that time and ~you know~ there was a lot of kind of reacquainting myself ~with ~with my home ~um in a different~ in a very different way but ~um ~ultimately in a~ in a ~very good way.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah
Allyson Coker: ~Um ~but ~that was~ that was the catalyst.
Lauren Sneary: This is a question we always ask our guests ~um~ and it feels ~r ~the right timing now. Since you've been back have you ever thought about leaving again.
Allyson Coker: No.
Lauren Sneary: No.
Allyson Coker: No.
Lauren Sneary: This is your place.
Allyson Coker: Yeah. This is my place.
Remembering Peoples Stories
---
Erika Mosteller: So one thing that I appreciate about you Allyson there are lots of things but one thing is you remember people's stories unlike anybody. ~Yeah. I mean like~ I'm a storyteller but I don't remember people's stories like you remember people's stories. So I will just get random texts from Allyson or like if we're on a walk you'll be telling me or if we're catching up. You just have [00:18:00] story ideas all the time. It's like you are so good at ~at ~seeing the human component and potential of something and then looking for the connection point which kinda goes back to the dot connector. Ooh that's well said. Yeah that's well said. ~And ~and like one of my favorites is the sweet man who worked at Walgreens.
Lauren Sneary: Mm
Erika Mosteller: ~Um ~and when he passed ~and the~ and Walgreens had put a picture of him on the door and people had written g well wishes to him. I mean I don't remember his name but he was the Jack. Jack thank you. Mmhmm. And and I remember you were like Oh my gosh we have to put this on Believe social media. And it was like one of our top performing posts because you saw somebody who we all appreciated and loved and like he brightened our days. But it's like you were able to see his value to the entire community and your life and you connected that and then you allowed other people to celebrate it. Mm. And I just think that's really a really beautiful thing. Mm. And I appreciate that about you. ~Um ~and now you get to do it.
Foundation Role and New Stories
---
Erika Mosteller: We've been talking a lot about the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation and your new role.
Lauren Sneary: Great [00:19:00] segue.
Erika Mosteller: And now you're finding all these beautiful stories. ~Like ~another teaser for September is Allyson connected us with some doctors at the Peeples Cancer Institute. And so we have interviewed them and like I cried. Patton was in those interviews too. It was beautiful to hear these stories of these people who are serving other people in Dalton. Yeah. So I'd love for you to talk a little bit about ~like~ your work at the foundation and just ~like ~the stories ~that you're~ that you're uncovering there.
Allyson Coker: Yeah. ~Well um.~ Yes I've been there. June 18th was the oneyear mark which is hard to believe. ~So we've had a lot of um we're~ we're going through a lot of change and a lot of new ways of looking at things with the foundation. ~Um ~but I think that storytelling that I love is going to be a big part of it moving forward. ~Um ~and ~so you know I~ I have a very strong faith.
Mobile Mammography Mission
---
Allyson Coker: Obviously that's a huge part of who I am and so I believe everything happens for a reason and no coincidences in the fact that the first ~um kind of~ mini campaign that ~um ~I have gotten to oversee since coming to the foundation ~was f~ is for a mobile mammography unit ~um ~through the Peeples Cancer Institute that will be taking [00:20:00] that same 3D mammography ~um ~imaging out into the community meeting people where they are ~um ~that someone can get when they go for a mammogram at the Cancer Institute. ~Um ~so very exciting I think and through from my previous role I'm acutely aware of the transportation needs in our community and ~um ~obviously ~the um ~the early detection and what that means and I can speak personally to that. ~And and just~ in late 2023 I had a stage zero ~um~ breast cancer that was caught very early and ~um ~then because of that it was a very simple ~um ~process of surgery and some radiation and my story's very different from others but I attribute that to the early detection. And so the fact that I'm now getting to be a part of bringing this mobile mammography unit ~um uh~ to life and tomorrow night we will actually unveil it at the Peeples Cancer Institute ~at um ~at 530 tomorrow night on July 16th. We'll be unveiling that and celebrating with the community and the donors who have helped make it possible and just ~um ~excited about their. I think [00:21:00] the I think between 40, the women there are 10000 women estimated between the ages 40 and 64 in Whitfield and Murray Counties that are currently not receiving screening mammograms. And~ so you know~ this is gonna has the potential to save lives and ~um.~ so really great to be a part of it but ~um ~just to be able ~to ~to share these stories of the great things that are happening at Hamilton. I mean we I talked a lot about it in my previous role when we would talk about economic development and all the things that Hamilton has done through the Anna Shaw Children's Institute the Peeples Cancer Institute the residency program and ~um and ~family medicine and internal medicine and bringing ~these ~these young ~um ~aspiring doctors to Dalton to train and ~um ~there are actually two in this current residency program that are from Dalton. Well one that is that was born and raised here wanted to come because of his hometown roots and then another one ~that who ~who is married to ~um ~a Daltonian. So that it's really cool to ~uh ~see that happening. Mmhmm. And also you know it's again it's just bringing young people [00:22:00] into our community. Yeah. ~um ~that are getting to experience it in a unique way ~so.~
Erika Mosteller: Yeah.
Navigating Screening Barriers
---
Erika Mosteller: And I had no idea ~um ~how ~co ~complex even just early detection is. ~Um I ~I have a history of breast cancer in my family and so when I was 38 my doctor was like You really need to go get a mammogram. And so I went and ~um ~they were like Oh that'll be 1200. And I was like Well my doctors ordered this. You know insurance wouldn't cover it all these things. And so anyway I got it worked out but it was a lot of back and forth. It's emotional. ~You know you're ~you're carrying this oh like I have to have this done. I have this history. Who's gonna who's gonna cover it. How do I navigate this system. And ~um ~so I think it's really amazing after talking to Dr Adrienne Miller and then talking with you just ~this ~this conviction of ~like ~this has to happen for our community. We have to be able to provide this service for people because early detection is so important and it is an emotional moment and we want them to have the access that they need.
Lauren Sneary: Mmhmm
Erika Mosteller: so that they're not overwhelmed and so they feel supported. And that's just really that's [00:23:00] not happening in every community y'all. Yeah. Like it's just not. It's just really. So I would love to hear about that aspect of it. Like Dr Miller said ~that it was kind of something~ that she felt really compelled about and then I know you feel really compelled about it too. Mmhmm. ~Um ~what is the goal for like where will this unit go. Who will have access to it. How do people use it. Like walk us through that.
Keeping Care Close to Home
---
Allyson Coker: So there's been a lot of work on the front end. ~Um ~currently ~um ~industry has been served from with mobile mammography units coming either out of Rome or Chattanooga. ~Um ~and so then what happens if someone does need a followup if there is something that's detected then that patient has to go to Rome or Chattanooga. And ~so um you know~ for me personally when I was going through my treatment I mean the fact that I could go ~you know~ when I had to have 15 days of radiation and you can't miss a day.~ I mean~ you have to stick to that schedule and that was probably my biggest ~like ~oh how do I make this work. But the fact that it was five minutes from home ~um ~or my office to be able to make that work for me. ~Um ~and just thinking about someone who's already balancing ~uh you know~ potentially [00:24:00] working ~um ~a shift job and a family and all those things. So to be able to if there was treatment needed to be able to go to the Peeples Cancer Institute so it's just huge. And and ~um you know~ Hamilton's goal is ~is you know~ this is a community hospital a nonprofit community focused hospital. ~Um you know~ the goal is to keep it that way. ~Um you know~ that's not the trend in healthcare these days.~ Right. Um and so um ~our leadership has really done a lot to ~um ~to protect and to ensure ~um ~that we can stay independent community focused and ~you know~ really expanding in services ~you know~ obviously cancer ~with ~with the Cancer Institute.
Heart Program Growth and Awards
---
Allyson Coker: But ~um ~in recent years in the heart and vascular program ~um ~the dollar the foundation has raised about 7 million for heart and vascular over the last ~um ~probably five or six years. But in that same time Hamilton has invested about 25 million in capital investment in that service line ~um ~and recruited these physicians here. ~We were recently uh ~we recently received from the Georgia Department of Community Health ~um ~we are a level one cardiac emergency care center. ~Um ~that's the highest level [00:25:00] designation that the state gives for cardiac care. ~Um ~and then we were also. Wow. in US News World Report back in March they do a top hospitals issue and ~um ~with the ~American Cardi Ame ~American College of Cardiology Hamilton Medical Center is Georgia's top heart hospital. And that is because of the investment in the infrastructure of a program and bringing these doctors ~these you know noninvasive~ invasive cardiologists cardiothoracic surgeons electrophysiologists that treats patients with AFib. And ~you know~ the trend now is these patients like with someone with AFib they can go in and have an ablation ~um ~done to correct that. That's an outpatient procedure. Which is wild. Which is wild. Yeah. But I don't think the community has any idea unless unfortunately you've had to experience. Right. the service line yourself. ~Um ~people aren't aware ~of ~of all the growth and the wonderful things that have happened and they you know and really to ensure that patients can receive this level of quality care close to home without having ~dis ~to disrupt their life and go you know. Mmhmm. elsewhere for these types of treatment.
Lauren Sneary: Are those accolades and that kind of ranking [00:26:00] is that rare for a community of our size. I have
to assume. I
Allyson Coker: would say so I would. Yeah. ...yes ~I would~ I would say so. ~Um ~yeah.
Philanthropy Makes It Better
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Allyson Coker: It was funny going tying this back to carpet somehow. And I was in a lunch meeting ~um ~with one of our board members and we were talking with some ~um ~some donors and we were just talking about. And I went back and said You remember that old you'll probably remember this that old BASF commercial that like we don't make the carpet we make it better. Do you remember that. No.
Erika Mosteller: I don't. All right. I had to look it up. You told me that recently and I was like
Allyson Coker: Y'all are too young. That's a really great marketing
Erika Mosteller: campaign. Y'all are too young.
Allyson Coker: but you've gotta go back you need to go back. Okay and look it up. But it wasn't just for carpet it was just kind of a blanket BAS like BASF ~um ~commercial that that promoted ~you know~ like all the different products that they had a part in and ~they you know~ they didn't make the product but whatever ~you know~ they made it better. Yeah. I can attribute uh, you- I totally buy with that ... Connect that to the foundation and feeling like you know we don't make you know we don't
Erika Mosteller: You're not a doctor.
Allyson Coker: We're not a doctor. We're not a service. Yeah. We're not a doctor. Sometimes I think I am. All my pharmaceutical. You kind of sound like you are my years of pharmaceutical sales then you used a
Lauren Sneary: lot
Allyson Coker: of big
Lauren Sneary: words earlier. So I believe it.
Allyson Coker: ~Um but you know the~ because the [00:27:00] foundation exists ~you know~ it helps enhance ~and ~and makes. Mmhmm. the services that Hamilton is able to provide better. Mmhmm. ~Um you know it it~ it costs a lot of money to operate a hospital. Mmhmm. Right. And it's very complex to even get into those discussions. ~Um ~but the fact that the philanthropy that exists in this community and ~and ~last year in 2025 the foundation celebrated 50 years. Wow. ~um ~which is amazing. And~ um you know the the~ the folks that created it it's had a longstanding history of supporting the great things at Hamilton. I'm blessed to be a part of it and again it all just connects to everything that we're all trying to do. Yeah. It
Lauren Sneary: really does. Yeah. It's all connected.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. Yeah it is. Well I'm excited and I'm excited for the unveiling and I just love your passion for not only healthcare but also connecting people with this vision of a community that is healthy and thriving and has access to good healthcare. Mmhmm. Right here at home.
Lauren Sneary: Yeah
Erika Mosteller: Yeah
How to Book and Give
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Lauren Sneary: And speaking of access can you share just a little bit about how people can find out where the mammography van will be how they can register for it or
Erika Mosteller: Is that in process.
Lauren Sneary: Is that in process.
Allyson Coker: Yeah, it's, It's [00:28:00] um on the website there's. Okay if you just on the ~um the ~vitruvianhealthcom. Mmhmm. website there there's a specific page dedicated to mobile mammography. Okay perfect and it will ~um ~and there's information on how to get connected. Mmhmm. And ~um you know~ there's also still opportunity to ~uh ~if someone is inspired to want to contribute to this campaign. Mmhmm. ~Um~ we have a ~a ~very generous ~um ~donor that has made a matching gift opportunity with this little mini campaign so every gift that's made will be matched dollar for dollar up to 1 million. Wow. to support the ~the ~program and ~um ~it's the launch of all of this. So. Wow again back to the ~the ~generosity of I know this community and um. Mm it just is unmatched.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah. That's really cool.
Favorite Dalton Thing
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Erika Mosteller: Okay so tell us we like to end on this question. What is your favorite Dalton thing. Ooh. So. This is
Lauren Sneary: gonna be such a hard one. I know.
Allyson Coker: Yeah. ~Uh I mean I~ I knew this was coming. Yeah. And I have no idea how to even um. Well
Erika Mosteller: some people say food some people say a certain drink somewhere. Yeah. Some people say a view. No. ...or you know
Allyson Coker: I mean it to [00:29:00] me it just it is the people and the shared experiences. Like what I started out saying I was getting to these ear like this morning these earrings. These earrings are from an artist that has been coming to fes the Creative Arts Guild Festival for years and years and years. And when I was a child that festival took place. Right here on Penn Street. Right. I mean and so those memories that I have that are shared experiences. ~I mean~ when y'all had the the Spence home on the cover of the magazine. Ugh and the whole Brookwood. Yes riding to school. Oh that was so sweet. Going to school from Brookwood. I mean it's just I I don't really have the words to capture. I mean it's not there's not one you know. Yeah one single thing that can capture it.
Lauren Sneary: I
Allyson Coker: have. I don't wanna give a ba I don't wanna give a bad answer to that question but
Lauren Sneary: I I have an Allyson story I just wanna share. Yeah since ~since ~she opened the door and this is such a selfish story but I think it captures who Allyson is and how clear that is to everyone who meets her. And so this was I think before you had even actually met my kids right. So my kids are ~um ~at a daycare in town and you [00:30:00] were going there to tour as a part of I think Believe's work. or maybe United Way. It was one of the two. And ~she ~she goes in and she's walking through the building and my son who's just turned two at the time literally sprints to her. The teachers told me about it when I came. They were likewe can't believe this happened. He ran across the whole playground to her with his arms open and basically leapt into her arms.
Allyson Coker: We have photos to prove
Lauren Sneary: it. Because he just ~he just~ sensed it. what I get to feel every day and I ~just I~ think ~there's ~there's just an energy there and that you can't duplicate and you can't. You know it ~you just~ you just shine. And I just. Thank you I so that's a selfish story because it's ~you know it's ~about my son. But I just when they told me that I was like Yeah that makes perfect sense to me. I love it. Of course of course he did.
Erika Mosteller: Wait I do have. One more.
Balancing Family and Calling
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Erika Mosteller: I do have one more question for you. . I appreciate what an involved mom and sister and daughter and wife and friend and just very committed to your people but you're also very committed to our community. So I would love to hear how do you have that balance. how do you have [00:31:00] balance between like feeling so passionate about your career and your civic work but also feeling so passionate about your family and serving your family.
Allyson Coker: ~Uh~ well first I think you know the timing. Timing is everything. So God blessed me with the perfect timing when I launched into Believe Greater Dalton and it was right as I became an empty nester and ~um you know~ was what was I gonna do with myself. ~And um you know~ but I'd always I've always worked and I've always wanted to work. ~Um. ~. and so I've always ~you know~ tried to find that balance. But ~um you know~ I think the cool thing about it I think is ~like as ~as my kids have gotten older I mean they've been proud of the work too. Yeah I mean that's been ~um ~something exciting to celebrate and you know I think probably my greatest accomplishment in life or ~what ~what brings me the most joy is our blended family. James and I have been married for 21 years and we blended a family that we're JP was going into kindergarten or preK and Morgan and Susanna were like third and fourth grade. Reeves was gonna be a freshman in high school. And so now we have this big blended Brady Bunch family that [00:32:00] loves spending time together. But they've really ~you know~ been right alongside ~cheering ~cheering Dalton on. And ~um you know~ JP lives here with his wife and so two of them are you know some of them are here. But the others are just thrilled to come home and see the fun ~the ~the great things that have happened. And ~so um you know~ I think it's just again collaboration and . Mmhmm. just their support's meant a lot though.
Erika Mosteller: And lots of prayer. Yeah. Allyson consistently talks about her prayer time in the mornings and her journaling and
Allyson Coker: Yeah
Erika Mosteller: yeah ~so ~
Allyson Coker: Can't really don't really function well without it. Highly recommend it.t
Lauren Sneary: Highly recommend
Allyson Coker: Yeah
Erika Mosteller: Well thank you. I just I've always admired that about you and I was like I bet other people would love to hear that answer too. Yeah. ~So ~
Allyson Coker: Thank you
Lauren Sneary: Well you you are a blessing to this community and we're proud to have you as our friend and proud to watch what you do and ~and ~will continue to do in our community. And ~and ~thank you for joining us today and telling us all about it.
Allyson Coker: Well I'm honored and humbled and I'm so proud of the two of you and the magazine and you know I know it was such a leap of faith that Erika took. ~Um ~and I always love to think ~you know~ the whole you know. If Believe Greater Dalton's [00:33:00] community pride efforts. I mean it was just wow to think that if that spurred it on in any way and just the excitement that the whole community has felt around the work that the two of you are doing and juggling with all that you're doing with Young Families. And so I'm so proud of y'all and thankful for your friendship and this has been fun. Thank you.
Erika Mosteller: Yeah I mean our origin story probably starts with Believe honestly I think it does yeah. Because I was working in the marketing realm for Believe and Lauren ~um ~was very involved. Mm-hmm. ...in the community pride chair. Lauren. You were the chair of. Yeah. the community pride. Me and
Lauren Sneary: Juan who was a
Erika Mosteller: Yeah previous
Lauren Sneary: podcast guest.
Erika Mosteller: That's right. yeah. Yeah I know and so here we are.
Allyson Coker: Here we are. It's all about telling the story.
Erika Mosteller: That's right
Allyson Coker: ~Um and so ~
Erika Mosteller: Good stories to tell.
Allyson Coker: Yeah
Erika Mosteller: Well thank you friend.
Allyson Coker: Yeah. Thank y'all. So fun.
[00:34:00]