GMIAA Hall of Fame

The Georgia Military Institute Alumni Association Hall of Fame represents the highest level of recognition for professional and lifetime achievement. We invite you to nominate deserving individuals whose outstanding military careers and public service have brought exceptional credit to the GMI legacy.

How to Nominate To submit a nomination, please compile the following:

Nominee Details: Full name, contact information, and a comprehensive military service history.
Letter of Recommendation: A detailed, persuasive letter explaining why the nominee deserves induction. Please highlight their outstanding military career, leadership qualities, and exceptional contributions to the nation or to GMI as cadre or alumnus.

Criteria for Induction The selection process is highly competitive, and only a select few are chosen each year. Nominees must meet the following criteria:

Alumni Candidates (must meet at least one):

Commissioned from the Georgia Military Institute, and;
Achieved national or state recognition for outstanding military service to the nation; or
Held an elected or appointed role of prominence in the national, state, or local government; or
Attained an exceptional service record in the United States Military.

Cadre Candidates (must meet at least one):

Assigned to the Georgia Military Institute as cadre, and;
Provided a significant contribution to GMI during or after their cadre assignment; or
Bestowed an honorary cadre status by the GMI Commander.

Submission Details & Deadline

Deadline: Submit all required documentation by the last day of June.
Contact: Email complete nomination packets to Dr. Jimenez at info@gmialumni.com. (Note: It is highly recommended to follow up after submitting to ensure your packet has been received and is complete).

Induction Ceremony Individuals selected for the Hall of Fame are asked to attend the annual GMI Commissioning Ceremony this August to be formally recognized and inducted. The ceremony will be held at the JFHQ Clay National Guard Base Drill Hall (1000 Halsey Ave, Smyrna, GA, 30080).

2025 Recipients

COL John Avera

COL John Avera is a graduate of GMI Class 35 and is the Commander for the 122nd Tactical Support Detachment (TSD). COL Avera's previous roles include Commander of 2nd Battalion 121st Infantry Regiment and Military Advisor Team Commander for Task Force Southeast, Afghanistan.

MSG Thomas Sala

MSG Sala served as the OCS Course Manger from 2011 - 2019. During which, MSG Sala supported over 9 OCS classes and trained over 1500 Officer Candidates throughout the Southeast and was administratively responsible for the commissioning of over 110 officers into the Georgia Army National Guard. MSG Sala currently serves as the A1 section Chief for the Atlanta area in the Recruiting and Retention Battalion (BRB).

2024 Recipients

BG Theodore Scott III

Brigadier General Scott is a graduate of GMI Class 36 and currently services as the commanding general of the 78th Troop Command and Deputy Commanding General for the US Army Military Intelligence Center of Excellence at Ft. Huachuca. General Scott has held a number of key positions in the GA Guard during his 37 years of service, most recently served as the Commander of the 122d Regional Training Institute.

LTC Jonathan Lord

LTC Lord was the GMI Commander from JAN 2017 through FEB 2019. LTC Lord was responsible for supervising over 750 hours of instruction and graduating 33 officers in the GA Army National Guard. Additionally LTC Lord served as Company Commander at the Army Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning in which he was directly responsible for commissioning 172 officers in the US Army.

2023 Recipients

MG Thomas Carden

Major General Carden is a graduate of GMI Class 29 and currently serves as the Adjutant General of the Georgia Department of Defense. MG Carden has held a number of key positions in the Army and National Guard, his most recent served as the Deputy Commanding General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Multi-National Division Southeast (Romania).

CPT Roswell Hathaway III is a graduate of GMI Class 49 and returned to GMI with the goal of finishing out his Army career as the Senior Instructor. As the Senior Instructor, CPT Hathaway was responsible for teaching over 600 hours of instruction and trained more than 300 officer candidates from Georgia Army National Guard and surrounding states.