Georgia (Dockery) Schonauer was born in Byhalia, MS and raised in Chicago, IL. She attended Wendell Phillips High School and after graduation, she attended Central YMCA Community College where she earned an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts; Chicago State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice; and she also attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where she completed several hours towards a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Georgia began her career as a Correctional Counselor with the Illinois Department of Corrections at Stateville Correctional Center, a male, maximum security facility located in Crest Hill, IL. She held several positions during her 26+ years with this agency, they include Inmate Grievance Officer, Correctional Officer Screening Committee, Casework Supervisor, Assistant Accreditation Manager, Audit Liaison, Employee Assistance Coordinator, and Public Service Administrator. After retiring from Corrections, she worked briefly as a Paraprofessional at Washington Junior High School in Joliet, IL. She found this to be an environment that was somewhat challenging but often rewarding; an experience that gave her a new appreciation for educators. Georgia is the mother of two children, grandmother of nine and great grandmother of five. She moved to The Villages in 2021 and has been a member of The African American Club since that time. She was not regularly active in the club until she became Secretary in 2025. In this capacity, she oversees the Refreshment Committee and Co-chaired the Juneteenth Committee for the previous two years. “I’ve enjoyed being active in TAAC and plan to continue to do so when my term on the board ends later this year.”