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Former Dunwoody councilperson and longtime parade coordinator Pam Tallmadge isn’t used to being in the spotlight, but on July 4, she will be front and center.
Tallmadge, who co-chaired the Dunwoody Fourth of July parade for 16 years before retiring in 2021, will be this year’s grand marshal.
The parade, which is the largest in Georgia, is co-sponsored by the Dunwoody Homeowners Association and Reporter Newspapers. DHA president Bob Fiscella said the organization is “tickled pink to honor Pam.”
“It seems like Pam had a hand in everything,” Fiscella said. “We appreciate her time as a member of city council, but more so her nearly two decades as co-chair of the Dunwoody parade. It’s the largest Fourth of July parade in the state largely because of Pam’s tireless efforts.”
Tallmadge, who served on the city council from 2015 to 2021, had been co-chair with a variety of partners since 2005. She recalled with fondness about how she was “tricked” into the leadership role.
“I was with (longtime parade chair) Bill Robinson in the choir at Dunwoody Methodist Church, and he said, ‘Pam I’m not going to chair the parade anymore and I’d like you to be the parade chair.’ I said I didn’t want to be chair, but I would help,” she said. “Then the next week, I read in the newspaper that I was the new parade chair.”
Despite the sleight of hand, Tallmadge embraced it wholly, serving for the next 16 years with a variety of co-chairs that included Laura Jester, Penny Forman, Jan Akers, and her now-successor, Matt Weber. She admits this year’s festivities will be an unfamiliar experience.
“It’s very strange not to have my hand on the steering wheel,” she said. “When they told me that I was going to be the grand marshal, I think it might have been the first time I’ve ever been speechless.”
Longtime friend Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said Tallmadge’s long reach into many areas of the community earned her the honor of leading the procession.
“Pam has impacted our community in so many positive ways. The schools, city council, Light Up Dunwoody, Dunwoody Methodist Church, and of course the parade, have all benefited from her time and talent,” Deutsch said. “While she didn’t start the parade, she certainly is the key to it becoming the largest parade in the state of Georgia.”
Tallmadge said she has thousands of pleasant memories associated with the event, but one she recalls with profound sadness.
“When we had to cancel the parade in 2020 because of the pandemic, I cried all throughout the day,” she said. “It was terrible. I felt so bad for Dunwoody.”
Tallmadge, who now lives in Woodstock, said highlights during her tenure included appearances by military bands and soldiers, the Black Hawks military helicopters flying over the parade, and any appearance that involved horses. She does have one memory that stands above the rest – the three times that naturalization ceremonies were held as part of the parade after-party.
“What a better day than the Fourth of July to be sworn in as a citizen of this great country,” she said. “Talk about tears – what a spectacular event.”
The 2.7-mile parade route steps off from the intersection of Mount Vernon Road and Jett Ferry Road at 9 a.m., proceeds west on Mt. Vernon to Dunwoody Village, turns right onto Dunwoody Village Parkway, circles around the Parkway, and left into Dunwoody Village in between First Watch and Citizens Bank.
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