One on One with Tawana Haith Chealey

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

Our Town Gwinnett (OTG): Please tell our readers a little about yourself.

Tawana Haith Chealey (THC): Currently, I co-own a property preservation company with my husband, Cedrick Healey, named Chealey Solutions LLC in Loganville. Additionally, I am a realtor in the Metro Atlanta area under PalmerHouse Properties. My passion and objective are to help my clients accomplish their goal of homeownership, whether it is their first time or twentieth time.

I’ve co-authored one book that covers my experiences as a caregiver in my late 20s to my terminally ill husband titled Death Tangle: A Widow’s Memoir of Survival. I’ve written and self-published two other books: Strong Angels – a view through a child’s eyes what death looks and feels like to them – and Property Preservation 101 – a co-written book with my husband that introduces budding entrepreneurs to what property preservation is and how to break into the field. The first two books can be found on Amazon, and the latest can be found on chealeysolutionsllc.com.

The dearest project to my heart is establishing my foundation, Pocket Change, Inc. The not-for-profit organization will help widows struggling financially who have dependents under 18 re-establish themselves after losing a parent and spouse that was possibly the breadwinner.

OTG: What do you want our readers to know about you?

THC: I am a woman who has been through a plethora of triumphs and adversities. Moreover, I’m a wife and a mother of two boys, 16 and 9 – a blended family. I’m a former widow and divorcee. One of the most challenging times of my life was when I found out that my youngest son was on the spectrum. I understand the importance of celebrating the small things. I have an education background and I’m learning that being able to teach and connect with people isn’t limited to the classroom.

OTG: Who were your mentors and role models?

THC: My mentors and role models lived in my home and community in Greensboro, North Carolina. They were my mother, grandmother, and every single aunt in my family. In addition, the other women and men in my neighborhood directly and indirectly mentored me.

OTG: Describe some of the struggles you’ve encountered and how you overcame them.

THC: I’m the product of a mother who had to raise her children without the consistent involvement of their father. We moved numerous times before I graduated from high school. I wasn’t always treated kindly by many of the people I looked up to and respected, but I moved forward. I experienced a miscarriage at 24. I lost my first husband to cancer two weeks after turning 30. I learned that accepting God’s will over my own was essential to my son and my healing.

OTG: What are your favorite things to do?

THC: I love to write, spend time with my family, and think of ways to help others.

OTG: What excites you?

THC: What excites me? That I woke up. That I can see the grass from the top and not from below. I love watching my family progress and achieve their goals.

OTG: What role does community play in your life?

THC: Community is my life-line. It is meeting and connecting with Continued on page 20