When Vickie Nail took her oath of office as Mayor of the City of Reidsville in a ceremony held Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at 4 p.m., at Reidsville City Hall, she made history as the first female mayor for the City of Reidsville. A crowd of family members, local citizens, and governmental officials attended the milestone event. Tattnall County Chief Probate Judge Gloria Dubberly administered the oath of office.

While administered the oath of office, Vickie laid her hand on the worn Bible of her late mother, Mary Yates Fountain. This Bible is a family heirloom, over 95 years old, since Mary was given the Bible when she was ten years old. The reading of 1 Corinthians 13: 2-7 was included in the ceremony. 

“I recall my mother reading from that Bible daily, and I know she, my father, and brother Ronald would be pleased to see me today become the mayor of Reidsville, a community they loved. My father was a humble, hard-working man, and he and my mother gave silently and willingly to help others. They inspired me, my brothers,  and my sister to do the same,” said Vickie, with all the Fountain children registering to vote at age 18 and encouraged to vote in every election and to selflessly serve their communities.

City Clerk Nivea Jackson welcomed the large crowd to Reidsville City Hall for the momentous occasion. She was followed by a prayer given by Nathaniel Joyce, pastor of Calvary Way Church in Lyons, Georgia. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by those in attendance.

Vickie was elected in the November 7, 2023, election, in which she defeated incumbent Mayor Curtis Colwell by 62 percent of the vote, 359 to 222. She campaigned faithfully door-to-door as well as spending countless hours reviewing the city’s financial records so she could be prepared as much as possible when she took office.

“We live in a remarkable city filled with history and talented and educated people who share a deep appreciation for our city. We have what it takes to make our city a thriving, economically viable, sustainable environment for our families, new businesses, and seasonal tourists. We are the home of the Jack Hill State Park and Brazell’s Creek Golf Course, a wonderful amenity for our community and state,” said Vickie.

In her long career of 34 years with the prison system of Georgia, both at Georgia State Prison and at the Regional Office, she became familiar with budgets, personnel issues, grievances, and court-related issues.  Since her retirement, however, Vickie became even more involved in her community. She has served as Co-Chair of the Planning and Zoning Authority and is presently Chairperson of the Reidsville Development Authority (RDA), which has welcomed new businesses to the downtown area.

Her goal when campaigning was to provide more transparency for the citizens of Reidsville so the townspeople will be aware of any major purchases or changes before they are voted on by the council.

Another goal is to seek additional grant funding for the City of Reidsville related to water and sewer lines and other infrastructure needs.

During her campaign, she heard five top issues from the constituency: (1) transparency, (2) taxes, (3) water bills, (4) revitalization of Reidsville downtown area, and (5) bringing growth to the City.

“As a council, our job is to ensure our community’s safety, promote a positive environment for our families and businesses, and promote ways to attract new businesses. We can improve the appearance of our city with the removal of several dilapidated properties, encouraging all of us to keep our homes and businesses attractive and well-maintained,” said Vickie.

She acknowledged that many of the positive changes will take months to put into effect, but that openness and a listening ear to citizens will start immediately. Vickie states that she is the “People’s Mayor,” and her tremendous victory at the November polls is an example of the taxpayers’ belief in her leadership and financial astuteness.

“My main focus in the coming months will be to have a balanced budget and for our audits to be up to date and in compliance with state and federal regulations,” she added.

“Reidsville City Hall has an open door policy, and we welcome citizens to visit THEIR City Hall,” said Vickie.

Probate Judge Gloria Dubberly also administered the oaths of office to Reidsville City Council members Donald Prestage and Verdie Williams, who were re-elected in the November 7 election.

Vickie is the daughter of the late O. C. and Mary Fountain.  Of the family’s four children, three followed their father’s footsteps with the Georgia Department of Corrections. Ronald Fountain, who is deceased, and Lisa Fountain Upton, who retired after 34 years of service, both worked for the Dept. of Corrections.  One brother, Donald Fountain, chose a different path, and has now been with Rotary Corporation for almost 50 years. He also served as a Glennville City Council member and as Tattnall County School Board Chairman. Vickie’s two grown children are Ryan (Jennifer) Collins and Brooke Butler, and one stepdaughter, Natalie Nail. Vickie also has six grandchildren.  She has been married to Cecil Attriss Nail for 22 years. He retired from the Air Force as a Chief Master Sergeant, E-9, with 29 years of service. He also served in Vietnam and in the Iraq Conflict.

In her spare time, Vickie enjoys painting, with art one of her great passions.

She welcomes all citizens to attend the City of Reidsville council meetings, which are held on the second Monday of each month at 5 p.m. at Reidsville City Hall. The next meeting is Monday, January 8, 2024.

 The historic event on January 2, 2024, included refreshments provided by Vickie Nail and fellowship among the dozens of well-wishers attending.