VALDOSTA — The Valdosta–Lowndes County Hospital Authority Board honored the service of several South Georgia Medical Center employees during its March board meeting held Wednesday.

Jack Edwards, chief planning officer of South Georgia Medical Center, announced his retirement during the meeting, after nearly 40 years of service to the hospital. Edwards joined the SGMC family in 1971, just out of college, while the hospital was still named Pineview General.

“I came here as a chemist after graduating from the Medical College of Georgia, and I can only describe that as a very fun job,” Edwards said. “Then in 1985, I was asked to move up to director of outpatient services, and my main duties were to get the Cancer Center going. After that, I was given charge over Planning and Marketing.

Edwards will leave the administrative staff next month to begin his retirement, but will remain a part of the SGMC family as the hospital continues to expand over the future.

“Jack has put a lot of his life into this institution and we will miss him here, and we look to continue a relationship with him, because he is our CON (Certificate of Need) expert,” said Chief Executive Officer James McGahee.

SGMC will also say farewell to three longtime hospital employees, as each of the staff leaders prepare to leave for retirement next month.

Benny Olliff, the hospital’s first paid chaplain will retire after 22 years of service, during which, he helped to develop SGMC’s existing pastoral care service.

“For a while, people really did not know what Benny did around here, but it didn’t take long for him to become our most widely known personalities,” said Charles Eidson, SGMC assistant administrator for Human Resources. “What our chaplains do when we lose a patient is not soon forgotten. That’s part of what the chaplains’ ministry involves and it takes those stressors off our nursing staff.”

Brenda Daniel, who serves the hospital as an Infection Control practitioner, will retire next month after 19 years at SGMC. Daniel began with the hospital in nursing and moved on to infection control and employee health in 1991.

The hospital will also be saying a farewell to Pat Puckett next month, who has devoted 40 years to serving SGMC and women of the community, through her work and leadership within the Women and Children’s Services Department.