
Bobby Walker Award
In November 2019, the Georgia Milk Producers Board of Directors voted to rename the "Friend of the Dairy Industry Award" to the "Bobby Walker Award". This change was made in honor of Bobby Walker's notable career, recognizing him as one of the most influential people of the Georgia dairy industry. Each year, Georgia Milk Producers presents the award to a dairy professional, farmer and/or company that is driving Georgia’s dairy industry toward a brighter future through leadership, advocacy and service.
Award Recipients
2022 - Jack Spruill
2021 - Barry Dye and Steve Smith
2020 - Dave Clark
2019 - Lewis Harrison
2018 - Earnest Turk
2017 - Cheryl Hayn
2016 - Jim Cumming
2015 - Billy O. Smith
2014 - Bruce McAvoy
2013 - Sue Mosley
2012 - Peggy Gates
2011- Bobby Walker
2010- Dr. Bill Thomas
2009- Henry Cabaniss
2008- Linda Mayfield
2007- Zippy Duvall
2006- Bob Earle
2005- Wayne Dollar
2004- Dr. Larry Guthrie
2003- Dr. Joe West
Jack Spruill Honored with
2022 Bobby Walker Award

Jack Spruill - Jack is a native of Alpharetta, Georgia and was active in Future Farmers of America during high school, serving as state vice-president. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1974 with a degree in Animal Science.
In 1975 he married Miss Adabeth Pirkle and then spent the next 19 years farming a diversified operation including dairy, hogs, and row crops in Hoschton, GA. In the mid-1980s Jack started installing dairy equipment and went on to become a regional manager for DeLaval Inc. Jack later moved to a position in the DeLaval Marketing division working the US, Canada, and Mexico and remained there for over 5 years.
Jack was hired in 2011 by the Georgia Department of Agriculture to serve as the director of the marketing division. While in this position, he played a huge role in growing the Georgia Grown brand and was the key person on making the Georgia Grown Baby Barn come to life for the 2018 Georgia National Fair. Jack was the person that everyone came to for his wealth of agriculture and common sense knowledge on many things. He retired from that role in 2020. Jack and his wife are members of First Baptist Church, Moultrie, GA.
Jack has three children, and eleven grandchildren, and currently grows hay and has a commercial beef herd in Colquitt County.