I would like to nominate Honey Van de Kreke for Citizen of the Month. Honey has done so much for the City of Tucker and our community as a whole. She is a lifelong resident of Tucker, graduated from Tucker High School and now lives in the Smoke Rise neighborhood. She raised her family and owned a few businesses, Market Makers to name one, with her husband Ben right here in Tucker. She and Ben have two children and three grandchildren. Having grown up in Tucker, she has actively served as a volunteer, activist, organizer, and has worked to improve our community for more than 30 years. Honey has had a steady hand in helping build a stable and growing community.
The Tucker Business Association (Past President), Tucker Civic Association (Past President), Tucker Women’s Club, Main Street Tucker Alliance (Co-Founding member), Tucker Northlake CID (Founding Member), DeKalb CEO’s transition team, and DeKalb’s Parks Bond Committee are a few organizations that have benefited from her leadership. Since the 2015 vote to incorporate as a city, Honey has served as a City Council member, Downtown Development Authority member, and advisor. But the most important hat might also be the most fun; for years she chaired the volunteer group that runs Tucker Day.
Honey was one of the driving forces behind Tucker becoming a city. A longtime resident of Tucker’s Smoke Rise community, she helped raise money, organize meetings, and convince her neighbors about the need for cityhood. She was involved with the Tucker cityhood movement since the very first meeting around a dinner table in 2012. Honey was on the Tucker 2013, 2014, and 2015 Committees. She recalls, “I worked very hard, along with a lot of other people with the same mindset and determination to protect Tucker’s sense of identity and community.” This identity is something Honey has always held dear to her heart. She says, “I want to keep Tucker moving forward toward a better future by supporting and encouraging meaningful development and quality growth while at the same time protecting both property values and the sense of community that makes us such a unique place.”
Honey was named a 2016 DeKalb Community Hero. In partnership with The Champion Newspaper, the CEO’s Community Hero Award honors outstanding individuals and organizations making a significant impact in DeKalb County. She is a dedicated public servant who works tirelessly for our community. There is not another person in Tucker that has more integrity, strength of character, and persistence than Honey.
As she has often said, “I want Tucker to be the envy of Georgia”, and with her guidance and leadership that dream is becoming a reality.
Nomination by Bob Espy
