Name: Ben Hartman

Family: Wife: Leslie UGA 1993, son: Hill UGA 2022, daughter: Curry UGA 2023 and son: Spence (second year at Virginia)

Hometown: Roswell, Georgia

Current Town: St. Simons Island, Georgia

School/Degree:  UGA Law Class of 1996

Profession: Lawyer at Hunter Maclean

Accolades: Cum Laude Graduate of UGA Law, Gridiron Secret Society, Graduate of Leadership Georgia, Graduate of Leadership Glynn, Past Chairman of the Brunswick- Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce.

‌What life lessons did you learn while at UGA?

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Know how to take a joke.

What professor did you most admire?

Professor Michael Wells brilliantly taught Torts and Constitutional Law.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Raising our three children with Leslie. I couldn’t be more proud of the three of them. Coach the baseball and softball teams, have dinner at the table with your family.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My parents. They taught me the importance of family and being there for your children. Their lives showed me the importance of serving others.

My wife, Leslie is a hero of mine. She took over Safe Harbor, a home for children who need a place to call home, when it was in a time of tumult and has poured her heart and love into that organization for nearly twenty years. What an amazing impact her good work has had on the children and families in our community.

Quote to live by:

“Family and friends are life’s greatest treasure. Be intentional in making time for each other. Help folks out. Go easy on each other. Forgive each other. It is love that matters. It is all that matters.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A pontoon at sunset on Lake Burton where Timpson Creek meets the Tallulah River. Cold drinks with Leslie. The kids and the golden retriever diving into the cold mountain water. Robert Earl Keen on the radio. In awe of God’s splendor.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

More patience.

Who are your favorite writers?

Pat Conroy with his insights on the low country and life. Charles Frazier’s Odyssey-like novel, Cold Mountain. The indelible humor of Lewis Grizzard on life in the South, fried chicken and the Dawgs. The musings on clothes, altruism, and transcendentalism of Thomas Carlyle in Sartor Resartus.

Fave social media and who to follow?

The Poor Man by Ryan Scates. These thoughtful reports begin a Dawg weekend in the fall.