In celebration of Women’s History Month, North Gwinnett Voice staff member Denise Rumbaugh reached out to women whose accomplishments have been influential and impactful in several areas, including education, politics, media and business. She asked each woman about other women throughout history they admire, the most influential women in their own lives, advice they would share with women and girls on achieving their own goals and dreams and the importance of celebrating women’s history. The NGV has compiled their responses in celebration of Women’s History Month and in honor of these incredible women leaving their marks.

Tracey Mason is a ninth generation Gwinnettian and a Gwinnett County Superior Court judge. 

Denise Rumbaugh: Is there any particular woman or are there women in history you admire? What do you admire about her or them? 

Tracey Mason: Of course, the woman I admire the most is my mother who loved me unconditionally and devoted her life to my and my sisters’ well-being. Professionally, I admire and appreciate Melodie Snell Conner for paving the path for me and other women to become judges in Gwinnett.  I especially admire her because we had grown up in Gwinnett, were a product of a community where women had never been expected to serve in such a vital role in the courts, especially while raising children, and she did it anyway. 

DR: What advice would you share with women and girls on working to achieve their goals and dreams?

TM: Women have made great strides so that we have more choices now than we have ever had.  I would encourage women to support other women whatever choice a fellow woman makes: whether a woman wants to stay home to raise a family, be married or not married, work in business, or work as a public servant.  Then to continue the strides women have made, I would advise each woman to do her best work one day at a time, to treat each person fairly and with kindness, and to take care of herself in order to do it all!