ATLANTA,GA, December 4, 2006 –  Every year the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter bestows the honor of  Chapter Volunteer of the Year to a distinguished, long-term volunteer who goes above and beyond his or her defined role to exhibit passion, creativity and service in more than a single capacity.  For 2006, the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter has selected Terri Bunten, Senior Vice President and Community Executiveof Bank of North Georgia.

A volunteer for more than 12 years, Terri Bunten has volunteered for every level of fundraising for the Northwest Georgia Division of the Georgia Chapter. Bunten began her March of Dimes volunteer career by serving as a team captain for the Douglas County WalkAmerica and then proceeded to serve on the Douglas County WalkAmerica committee and was Chair of the committee in 1996 and 1997. 

In 1996, Bunten was invited to join the Northwest Division Board and in that role has also been a member of the Division Communications Committee and Chefs Auction Committee while continuing her support of the Cobb County WalkAmerica. 

In 1999, Terri became Division Board Chair for the March of Dimes Northwest Georgia Division.  During her tenure as Chair, WalkAmerica revenue growth in Cobb County and the outlying communities reached new heights and Bunten led the board structure redevelopment to create a more efficient and effective volunteer board. .

In 2002, Bunten was crowned Mrs. Georgia International and used this platform to spread the word about the March of Dimes Folic Acid campaign.  Through speaking engagements and educational opportunities, she gave countless hours of time to educate the public about the importance of taking folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.

In 2004, Bunten became a member of the Georgia Office of Volunteers (GOV), a group of volunteer leaders providing training and support for each of the division boards across the Chapter and in 2006, she was appointed chair of the GOV and named as a member of the Georgia Chapter Board of Directors.

Bunten often serves as a speaker at Leadership events and WalkAmerica kickoffs to encourage corporate involvement within the community.   Her personal enthusiasm has inspired many others to become involved with WalkAmerica, the March of Dimes largest fundraiser. Her profound passion and energy for the work of the March of Dimes strengthens staff and volunteers’ commitment to keep working to improve the health of babies.

In her professional life, Bunten is the Senior Vice President and Community Executive for the Bank of North Georgia and has responsibility for the lenders and bank operations in the three Galleria market offices that include Powers Ferry, Galleria, and Post Riverside, as well as the bank operations of the Chastain Bank Office in Kennesaw.  Terri has more than 17 years of banking experience and has been with Bank of North Georgia since 2002. Prior to this promotion, she was responsible for overseeing the Powers Ferry and Riverside Offices and served as a relationship manager for more than 100 small business clients. 

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. marchofdimes.com/georgia         

Media Contact:       Brittney Gray Gove, 404-350-9800 x224 or bgove@marchofdimes.com

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