Life & Work with Steve Prather of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Prather.

Hi Steve, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Steve Prather is the current Post 2 Alderman in the City of Acworth, in his first term after being elected in 2023. Prior to serving as an Alderman, Steve had a long history of serving in and around the Acworth Community. Most notable was his over 30 years of service on the Allatoona Lake Authority where he was tapped in the early 1990s to assist in reviving the defunct state authority and tasked with re-opening Lake Acworth and Acworth Beach which had been closed for many years due to water condition and pollution issues. In addition to his long tenure on the lake authority, Steve also was a founding member of the Special Needs Development Group and served on the board of directors of the SNDG until his election to council in 2023. Steve was instrumental in bringing both the Acworth Sports Complex expansion and the Horizon Field within the complex from dream to reality.
Personally, Steve has a long lineage in the Acworth/Kennesaw communities. He is a sixth generation resident on his father’s maternal side, the Bakers. Steve is named after his great grandfather, George Stephen Baker, for whom Baker Elementary School is named. His family also donated the land and established Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Acworth. Steve is a graduate of North Cobb High School and Kennesaw State University, where he later served on the KSU Alumni Board for 15 years including as President of the Alumni Association. Steve currently lives right in downtown Acworth with his cherished wife of 35 years, Lori. Steve and Lori have 3 kids, Drew, Marina and Cera.
Steve is very proud of his roots and his community. If you were to ask Steve what accomplishment he is most proud of in his service to the community of Acworth, he’ll tell you it is a close tie between getting the lake/beach re-opened and discovering/securing the Army Corps Of Engineers property for the new Acworth Sports Complex; two legacies he is extremely proud of. He hopes to continue to serve his community for many years to come.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
At 65 years old it seems smooth in my memory but like anything, time has a way of discarding in our minds the rough spots and cherishing only the good events. Of course, my journey has been imperfect and my path bumpy. My success in life, as measured by my happiness and contentment, is rooted in opportunity and willingness to take necessary risk. My purest example would be decisions in my early years. Graduating college in 1984, just two short years later, I took a job that could greatly advance me in my career. However, in order to accept this advancement, I relocated from the Atlanta area across the country to Los Angeles, CA. I had never been anywhere close to that far west nor did I know a single person there. I was willing to take a chance as well as the advantage of an opportunity. It changed the trajectory of my career and life.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I retired from my first career in 2020 at age 59. Having spent 35 years in high-tech sales and finance, I ended my career as a Global Account Manager in high-tech sales for Hitachi. This opportunity allowed me to travel to many interesting places like Japan, China and the United Kingdom. I was responsible for the sales to one account worldwide with locations in 17 countries.
Upon leaving the corporate world, I leveraged my talent and experience to serve the community my family has been a part of for the past six generations. In 2023 I was elected as an alderman to the City of Acworth city council. I am currently in my 3rd year of what will be my 1st term. I am most proud of the feeling I am making a difference in my community by protecting my family’s legacy through historic preservation while managing the growth that comes with being a suburb of a large metropolitan city.
In addition, I also own and operate a small-scale commercial hunting preserve for upland game. I have the pleasure of being outdoors and among nature while sharing my passion with others who would not otherwise have the opportunity. I am most proud of teaching our future generations about being outdoors and in a sport that has existed throughout the history of the human race.
I was asked, “what sets you apart from others”? If I had to choose, I would say my willingness to eagerly engage in conflict with the goal of resolution and my “knack” for public speaking as I never shy away from an opportunity to speak to crowds small or large.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I often think what would I have done differently and the honest answer for me was probably nothing. However, if I could give my young self some advice it would be to help me realize that what you think you are going to be and where you think you are going to be may not be anywhere close to what you will become. That doesn’t mean you did not live your life the way you wanted but that you lived your life the way you needed. Secondly, I would help myself truly understand that my physical capabilities in the last third of my life will be nowhere what I am expecting so some of those plans I have for retirement – I better try and check those off my bucket list in my 40s and 50s if possible.