Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

 

“Honoring A.J. Rivers, the humanitarian”

 

A.J. Rivers was born September 18, 1925 and passed away May 26, 2025.

He was a World War 2 veteran (1943-1946) was the first African American elected to a city wide office in Cordele as Commissioner from 1972-2015. Rivers served as Vice-Chairman for many of those years.

He is married to the lovely Vera Mae Stripling Rivers. They have four adult children, Gwen, Greg, Glenda and Fain, six grandchildren, eight great grands, and two great, great grandchildren.

Mr. Rivers was a graduate of Holsey Cobb Institute High School in 1947, a graduate of Life Underwriters Training Council Insurance in 1971, and a graduate of Life Insurance Management from Tennessee State University in 1976.

He was employed at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company for 60 years, 35 of those in management and 25 years in the agency. He was certified as an instructor for insurance courses by the State Insurance Commissioner’s Office in 1983.

Mr. Rivers’ outstanding community memberships include: Lifetime member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Scout Master early 1950’s, Westside chairperson (3 years) American Cancer Society. Westside chairperson (4 years) Americus Red Cross, President of Gillespie Development and Daycare Center (17 years), The concerned Citizens that Care, Bright Futures program for children, Cordele Youth Summer Institute, American Legion, NAACP, Cordele Community Advancement Council, High School Academics for Excellence committee, 35 year member of Cordele-Crisp County Chamber executive committee, member of Cordele-Crisp Industrial Development Council, member of Board of Directors for River Valley Regional Commission, two years board chairman and 12 year member of Southwest United Empowerment Zone (EZ) board of directors, mentor 1998-1999 Blackshear Trail Elementary School, President and corporate board member of Big Brother/Big Sister of South GA 2006, appointed to GMA Board of Directors 2006 (18 months as chairman), West Central Georgia Community Action Council, member of Safe and Drug Free School Advisory Council (charter member), founder and president of the Historical Awards Committee, a community service organization/club.

Throughout Mr. Rivers career, he received and was honored with numerous awards; Outstanding Citizens award, Peaceful Riders Club 1979, Humanitarian Achievement award, Man on the Move 1989-90, 8^th District Community award from Georgia Municipal Association 1994,

“This is Your Life” dedication for many years of service to the community Cordele-Crisp Chamber of Commerce, USDA Rural Development Steadfast award 2002, Distinguished Citizen of the Year award from the Cordele Lions Club 2014, and 2020 Lifetime Achievement award recipient from the Cordele-Crisp Chamber of Commerce.