In 1992 Joy and Hugh Odom moved to Dade County for Joy to become the Assistant Principal at Northwest Georgia High School. His job at Eastern Airlines had ceased as Eastern Airlines did. She wanted a new challenge. She had been one of five assistant principals at Fayette County High School, with over 2000 students, which was more than the total enrollment of Dade County. Through her years of teacher training at the Georgia State Department of Education and the Regional Education (RESA) office in Rome, she had an association with most public schools in the Northwest Georgia and was well acquainted with Ellen Marie Moore, Curriculum Director of Dade. She applied for the open position at NWG and became a Wolverine for the remainder of her career. When the move to the new Dade County High School was ahead in 1993-94, she was promoted to Principal. She was the first female Principal of a high school in Dade County. She remained at Dade High until 2000 when she accepted the position at County level as Assistant Superintendent with Curriculum and Technology. She continued there until her first retirement in 2002. She returned to the Principalship for the 2006-2007 school year because of the critical illness of then principal Cal Riddle.

Her love of cars is possible a result of her father working at a car dealership. He would call home and tell Joy to bring her car down, that he had sold it. As such, she frequently trades cars and rarely drives unless her car is pristine, inside, and outside. Her car make of choice is Jeep. At one point, she had a Jeep exclusively for riding her dogs around. She has a passion for her pets. She loves Corgis, but is a sucker for a scruffy rescue. Recently she added a cat to her menagerie.

She is a kind and loving soul who constantly goes out of her way to help those in need. Many former students continue to count on her for guidance and support. Lately the children of students have become part of her life.

She knew about Dade County long before she moved here. Her father was a fan of gospel music and had appointment T.V. every Saturday evening with a live show that featured “The Happy Two” a group of two men one of which was Shorty Bradford of Lookout Mountain. Another connection to Dade arose when her brother, David, headed to the University of Georgia and became roommates with fellow freshman, Billy Pullen of Morganville, Georgia. The two were roommates from freshman year until they graduated from medical school. She did not feel like an outsider when she arrived here as she had lots of knowledge and connections. Dade County is very lucky to have her call this place home. There are countless young people who revere her. She is one of the premier historians of Dade County. She is worthy to be Queen of the 1945 Fair for 2026.
Excerpt of an article written by Donna Street for Dade County Historical Society of Trenton, Georgia, on Facebook