By By Chandler Myers
The Atmore Area YMCA received a much-needed donation last week as Atmore native Carlton Murray Johnson Jr. donated $15,000 to the non-profit organization.
Johnson, who graduated from Escambia County High School and later from Auburn University, serves as in-house legal counsel for Roswell Capital Partners, LLC, Equiplace Securities, LLC and Swartz Investments, LLC in the State of Georgia. Johnson lives in Cumming, Ga. with his wife and four children.
The donation made by Johnson and Roswell Capital Partners was made through the Atlanta Christian Foundation.
Johnson's mother, Jean Johnson, is on the board and had a hand in helping get the donation for the YMCA.
Jean Johnson said her son cares about Atmore and she loves the YMCA, so her son made the donation to the YMCA.
"Carl loves Atmore and helping the organizations in Atmore that need it," Johnson said. "He knows I love the YMCA and how important it is to me, so he asked his company to make a donation through the Atlanta Christian Foundation."
The donation is extremely important for the Atmore Area YMCA as they have now loss one of their primary funds with the W.T. Neal Trust halting funds to them.
Tammy Graham said the donation came at the right time.
"We sorely needed this donation and it couldn't have come at a better time," she said. "Through the efforts of Jean Johnson, who is on our board of directors, we were able to receive a generous donation for Carl Johnson."
Jean Johnson's passion for the Atmore Area YMCA is one reason she pushed her son for a donation.
Johnson said she just cares about the YMCA and all of the people that work there or are members.
"We have a blast at the YMCA," she said. "I workout there and love the atmosphere. I have a passion for the Y. Atmore needs the YMCA greatly because we change lives there. Ross (Terry) and Tammy doe a wonderful job with what they have to work with. We have the strongest staff we have ever had at the Y, and there is not one person up there that I don't love.”