Benny H. Curl & William T. Daniel Jr. named 2025 JA Savannah Business Hall of Fame Laureates

Savannah, GA — Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA of Georgia) has named Benny H. Curl, Chairman Emeritus of Byrd Cookie Company, and William T. (Bill) Daniel Jr., Principal at Lassiter Investments, LLC and Retired Vice President and General Counsel of the Vaden Automotive Group, as their 2025 JA Savannah Business Hall of Fame Laureates.

Celebrating its silver anniversary, Junior Achievement of Georgia is proud to host the 25th annual gala and continue the tradition of honoring titans of the Savannah business community, presented with generous support from our Diamond Sponsor, Memorial Health. The black-tie event will take place on Friday, November 7, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Savannah.

Benny H. Curl, a Savannah native and U.S. Army veteran, built a distinguished career in accounting and business leadership after graduating from the University of Georgia in 1968. In 1988, he and his late wife Kay purchased Byrd Cookie Company, transforming it into a nationally recognized family business celebrated for its award-winning flavors and innovative packaging. Under his leadership, the company earned honors including the Georgia Family Business of the Year, while Benny himself was inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s Hall of Fame and received its Lifetime Achievement Award. Beyond Byrd, Benny held leadership roles with the Georgia Specialty & Wine Association, the International Specialty Food Association, and First Chatham Bank, where he served as Chairman of the Board. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Benny’s legacy is defined by his entrepreneurial spirit, community leadership, and commitment to family.

William T. Daniel, Jr., a forty-five-year Savannah resident, is the owner of Lassiter Investments, LLC, and retired in 2020 as Vice President and General Counsel of the Vaden Automotive Group, where he helped expand the family business into a regional automotive leader. Prior to joining Vaden, he practiced law in Savannah and served in the Carter Administration as Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Daniel has held numerous leadership roles in healthcare, education, and philanthropy across Savannah, serving boards at Memorial Health University Medical Center, Savannah Christian Preparatory School, and the Georgia Methodist Foundation. He has also been active in civic initiatives, including the Savannah Chamber of Commerce and the Savannah Compact, and has been recognized locally for his leadership, including Savannah’s Rotarian of the Year. Married to Linda Vaden, Daniel is a devoted father and grandfather, and he and his family remain actively engaged at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church.

In addition to the formal induction of Curl and Daniel Jr., the evening will welcome guests to a cocktail hour, where attendees are welcome to bid at the infamous Whiskey Wall, and enjoy some light hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. The 25th JA Savannah Business Hall of Fame will start the program with a seated dinner, followed by a tribute to the ground-breaking programs JA of Georgia is bringing to the Savannah-Chatham County area, and concluding with a champagne toast to Savannah’s newest laureates.

“We are delighted to be welcoming Benny and Bill into our esteemed laureate society,” said Craig Tootle, Director of Development and Volunteer Partnerships for JA of Georgia in Savannah. “Both gentlemen’s contributions have never gone unnoticed within our community; however, we are fortunate to recognize them on such a special year- our 25th anniversary.”

Curl and Daniel Jr. will join the ranks of Savannah’s most distinguished leaders, alongside names such as Sam McCachern, Dale Critz Sr. and Jr., Paula Deen, and so many others. To learn more about the JA Savannah Business Hall of Fame, our laureates, or to purchase a ticket, please visit Georgia.ja.org/hall-of-fame-savannah. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the event, please email Craig Tootle at ctootle@georgia.ja.org.

About Junior Achievement of Georgia

Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia is a business- integrated education partner with expertise in experiential learning that successfully develops key mindsets and skills for students to lead meaningful and successful lives. JA’s high-impact programs drive long-term outcomes in areas of financial literacy, career readiness, and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit, and are delivered by corporate and community volunteers. JA of Georgia offers multiple programs, with a focus on middle and high school students, including JA BizTown, JA Finance Park, 3DE by Junior Achievement, and will soon be offering the JA Dream Accelerator. JA of Georgia has locations in Atlanta, Cumming, Dalton, Evans, Morrow, and Savannah. For more information, visit georgia.ja.org

That's a Wrap - JA of Georgia Year End Snapshot!

Despite the unprecedented circumstances of the past few months, as seen in the snapshot below, JA of Georgia finished the 2019-2020 academic year strong. As we look to the coming year, we are working hard to package our education portfolio to help meet students where they are—whether that's in-person, virtual, or a hybrid model. We are excited to continue expansion of our footprint across Georgia as construction is well underway for the new JA Discovery Center of Greater Dalton and planning has commenced for our fifth JA Discovery Center which will serve students in the Savannah region.

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Junior Achievement and Georgia Southern University Developing Historic Partnership in Savannah

Fifth JA Discovery Center Planned for Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus

Savannah, GA – Junior Achievement of Georgia (JA) is collaborating with Georgia Southern University to plan the construction and launch of a JA Discovery Center on the Armstrong campus in Savannah.

“We are so excited to be deepening our impact in the Savannah area and are looking forward to growing our relationship with Georgia Southern University,” said Camille Russo, Vice President, Marketing, JA of Georgia. “We are grateful to the local Savannah community for decades of support and are thrilled with the possibility of bringing this innovative and engaging experience to the students of the region.”  

Retrofitting construction of the Student Recreation Center is anticipated to begin as soon as Fall 2020.  Space can be made available for the JA Discovery Center in Savannah to serve 15,000 middle school students annually in the coastal region of the state.

Outfitting the space to become a Discovery Center will require financial support of approximately $4 million, funded from an up-and-coming campaign. The project will also require approval by the University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents. 

The facility will provide students continued exposure to their future possibilities through two innovative programs:

JA BizTown creates an unmatched experience where 6th grade students can interact within a simulated economy and take on the challenge of fueling a business. Here, students not only discover the intricacies of being a professional and member of the community, but also realize the abundance of opportunities available within their city.

JA Finance Park provides 7th grade students the rare opportunity to experience their personal financial futures first-hand. Guided by an assigned ‘life situation,’ students participate in an immersive simulation that enables them to develop skills to successfully navigate today’s complex economic environment and discover how decisions today can impact tomorrow.

“We are excited about the potential collaboration with Junior Achievement and the concept of a Discovery Center on Georgia Southern's Armstrong Campus in Savannah,” said Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. “This project aligns with our mission, values, and strategic plan. It will also provide experiential and employment opportunities for our Armstrong students and help make the Armstrong Campus a destination for the region.  This is exactly the type of impactful relationship that evidences the value added of a collaborative approach to educational attainment and talent development."

Currently JA Discovery Centers serve more than 88,000 students a year across three locations - the JA Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center in Altanta, the JA Discovery Center at Gwinnett and the Mike and Lynn Cottrell JA Discovery Center at North Georgia in Cumming. The fourth facility, in Dalton, is under construction and will open in 2021, bringing the total impact to more than a third of middle school students in Georgia.

To find out more about getting involved, please contact Robert Grant at 912-856-1700 or rgrant@georgia.ja.org.

About Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 26,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.