Janice Hayes

I was born in Omaha Nebraska in 1952. I was raised in Oklahoma City and Kansas City in the middle of five siblings.

I married Jim Hayes in 1971 and moved to South Florida 1971 and went to West Palm Beach Jr. College and became a dental assistant and office manager until my two sons were born in 1981, 1983. Jim and I moved to Atlanta area in 1979.

After my surgery in December 1997 I started going to the Greater Atlanta Voice Masters.GAVM was a great help in my rehabilitation. Jane DelVecchio was my first visitor and became mine and Tina Long’s mentor.I was asked to be on the BOD of the GAVM in 1999 and have served as a Treasure, Vice President, President and editor of themonthly newsletter. I am currently the President of the GAVM.

I have visited over 100 patients in the hospital recovering from having a laryngectomy. I also speak to about 5,000 children at different schools a year. I have spoken to several different cessation groups from teens to seniors, for schools, hospitals, army bases, churches, and rehabs. I am also in a documentary "Fatal Addiction" about the dangers of teenage smoking. "Fatal Addiction" has aired several times on the local television in Georgia and Alabama. I have worked with the Cobb Count Board of health and Youth Prevention to try and get Cobb County and All of Georgia smoke free in all public places. I have trained fellow members of the GAVM on visiting patients in the hospital and public speaking at the schools. I am also on the board of the Atlanta Chapter of Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, Inc.

All the public speaking that I have done over the years gave me the courage to become a realtor. I always wanted to sell real estate after my boys were grown and I wasn’t going to let having no vocal cords stop me, so in 2003 I took the Georgia real estate exam and passed (first time), now I am selling real estate with a great Atlanta company Jenny Pruitt & Associates. I am now a life time member of the Million Dollar Club and doing so well that my husband Jim sold his business and has started working with me as a team. I received the Company Wide Humanitarian award in 2004. I am a member of the Cobb Board of Realtors, National Board of Realtors and am a member on the Women’s Council of Realtors.