2010 Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA crowned

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November 17, 2009

Submitted by the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention and Visitors Bureau

CARTERSVILLE — The 2010 Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA were crowned Saturday at Cartersville’s Woodland Performing Arts Center. Both ladies take on the challenge of becoming Georgia’s hopeful in the 2010 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants.

Miss Coastal Georgia USA Cassady Lance, 24, of Savannah, accepted the Miss Georgia USA crown from the reigning Miss Georgia USA, Kimberly Gittings of Lilburn. Finalists were Miss Fulton County USA Vanessa Nelson, Miss Suwanee USA Kaylin Reque, Miss North Gwinnett USA Mandi Montgomery and Miss Historic Vinings USA Jessica Michelle Black.

Black was also honored by her peers as Miss Congeniality. Miss McDonough USA Brittany Parks was chosen as Miss Photogenic. Receiving the People’s Choice Award chosen by monetary votes beneftting Cartersville’s Tranquility House was Miss Greater Fulton County USA Heidi Ann Uracius.

Crowned earlier was Miss Georgia Teen USA Caroline Wade, Miss Dalton Teen USA, 16, of Acworth. She accepted her new crown and title from the reigning Miss Georgia Teen USA Brooke Fletcher of Peachtree City. Runners-up were Miss Kennesaw Teen USA Mary Margaret Bishop, Miss Fulton County Teen USA Shayla Nicole Zak, Miss Columbia County Teen USA Avery Kernaghan and Miss Cartersville Teen USA Samantha Plott.

Caroline Wade was also awarded the People’s Choice Teen Award. Miss Valdosta Teen USA Kara Fountain was chosen as Miss Congeniality, while Miss Heart of Georgia Teen USA Mandee Bloodworth earned the Miss Photogenic title. The new titleholders received numerous prizes including diamond crown rings, uniquely designed by Bob Staley, The Jewelry Artisan of Cartersville.

Hosts for both events were Paul Ossmann, 11 Alive Meteorologist, and Miss Georgia USA 2006 Lisa Wilson. Miss Georgia USA judges were Loren Ruch, HGTV Director of Original Programming; Dana Dalton Judge, Miss Florida 1990; Joe Guerrera, President and Owner of New View Model Management Group in Cincinnati; Jenny Palmieri, Miss Georgia USA 1996 and Mrs. Texas America 2004; and Trevor Pettiford, an Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist.

Serving as Miss Georgia Teen USA judges were Beth Hood Fromm, a two time state title-holder, model and owner of the publicity firm JBH; marketing and advertising specialist Jai Harrelson; Christy May, Miss Louisiana USA 1992 and owner of Lone Star Equestrian Center; Kevin Huffman, a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines who has judged Miss America and Miss USA preliminaries in 11 states; and Victoria Duruh, with Elite Model Management, Atlanta.

The 2010 Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA will go on to represent Georgia in the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants, productions of the Miss Universe Organization and co-owned by NBC and Donald Trump. Both the Georgia and Tennessee pageants are produced by Kimberly Payne Greenwood of Greenwood Productions. Mrs. Greenwood is a former Miss Tennessee USA and the wife of entertainer and Grammy award winner Lee Greenwood.

Greenwood had this to say about the new title holders, “These women are savvy, goal-oriented and aware. The delegates who become part of the Miss Universe Organization display those characteristics in their everyday lives, both as individuals, who compete with the hope of advancing their careers, personal and humanitarian goals, and as women who seek to improve the lives of others.”

The 2010 Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA pageants were hosted by the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention and Visitors Bureau. For more information see www.MissGeorgiaUSA.com. To learn more about the host city efforts see www.NotAtlanta.org or call (770) 387-1357.