Marc Taylor To Receive the Inaugural Steve Clay Legacy Award

Award Honors a Georgia Attorney Demonstrating Leadership to Advance Justice

Steve Clay believed that lasting change happens when individuals come together to build something bigger than themselves. Steve founded Georgia Appleseed as our first board chair, and he shaped us with a vision that still guides our work for children and families across Georgia. When he received a lifetime achievement award from Yale University, he told the Daily Report that getting Georgia Appleseed “off the ground and keeping it vibrant has been the most gratifying experience of my professional life.” 

The Steve Clay Legacy Award honors a Georgia attorney who, on a grand scale, demonstrates sustained leadership in advancing access to justice, engages others in the effort, and is committed to changing systems, policies, and practices for those most impacted. Marc Taylor, our inaugural recipient, exemplifies these values. 

Marc’s leadership reflects the role Steve Clay played in our early days—stepping in with his time, resources, and trusted leadership to help build what the organization needed to succeed. In 2009, Marc began encouraging rising attorneys at his firm to join Georgia Appleseed’s Young Professionals Council, helping develop a pipeline of future leaders, two of whom went on to serve as executives on our Board of Directors, including our immediate past Board Chair. 

As Steve did in Georgia Appleseed’s early years, Marc provided a home for Georgia Appleseed at his law firm for the past seven years. He joined the Board of Directors in 2020 and has helped shape the organization’s growth, offering insight, strengthening relationships, and encouraging other attorneys and firms to get involved, expanding the community of people engaged in Georgia Appleseed, and the reach of our mission. 

Steve Clay understood that strong organizations depend on people who support them and create opportunities for others to engage. We are proud to recognize Marc Taylor as the first recipient of the Steve Clay Legacy Award at our Roaring for Justice event on April 24th. 

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