I would like to nominate Whitney Teyf as Tucker’s Citizen of the Month. Whitney moved to Tucker with her family partly because her husband Khanan grew up in Tucker and attended the Tucker schools. When they started their family, it just made sense to move “home” and make their place in the community.
Whitney quickly became a name in all of the area schools as she owns and operates a mobile dance company. Expressions in Motion Dance is a staple in the after-school programs all across the Metro Atlanta area and continues to grow every year, after a little hiatus for the pandemic, of course. But once the schools re-opened, Whitney and her cadre of talented dance teachers were back at it, serving, nurturing and having fun with Tucker’s children.
Having grown up Jewish, Whitney saw a blank spot in the traditional holiday gatherings in Tucker. Every year there was a Christmas Tree lighting and gift market, complete with a visit from Santa, on Tucker’s Main Street, but no mention of any other holiday traditions. In 2018, Whitney recognized the need and saw a way to help. After connecting with the organizers of Christmas on Main, and receiving their warm welcome and support of her idea, Whitney raised the funds to purchase a giant electric menorah to be added to the long-standing festival. Christmas on Main became Holiday on Main and a more inclusive festival for the Tucker residents. Whitney and her family go out on each of the eight nights of Hannukah and light one more candle per tradition.
Whitney is an amazing example of a caring Tucker citizen in all that she does, but her dedication and hard work both in her company’s service and her personal service to the community is what makes her stand out and deserving of Tucker’s Citizen of the Month.
Thank you, Whitney. We love you!
Nomination by Shelley Thompson
