Turner announced as Brookwood Commencement speaker

THOMASVILLE -- It was announced on Wednesday, April 7, that Brookwood School’s 2021 commencement speaker will be Russell Turner. Turner is a Pelham native and 1985 graduate of Brookwood whose family furniture business has been a staple in the area for decades. 

Turner has been a member of the Brookwood community since 1972, when he began as a student. Of his time at Brookwood, he shared, “The fellow students, teachers, coaches, staff, and parents make all the difference. I have been pushed by them all, and the positive peer pressure from my fellow classmates truly gave me a wonderful base that is still alive today.”

After graduating from Brookwood, Turner attended High Point University in High Point, N.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Home Furnishings Marketing in 1989. He then went on to work for Lane Furnishings in California.

He moved back to the area in 1992 and began working with his family’s expanding furniture business, Turner Holding Corp. One of his most impactful experiences in the workforce took place during the economic crisis in 2007. “It seems that the extremes make the biggest impact,” he said. “During the 2007 and 2008 downturn, managing a 50% drop in business overnight obviously had its challenges, and the skills learned getting through that are forever learned. On the other end of the spectrum, massive growth has taught our entire time what it takes to manage that process while keeping the quality and remaining profitable.” 

Turner currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Turner Holding Corp/Ashley Furniture Homestores - Southeast. He has been involved with numerous civic organizations as a past Chairman of the Georgia Home Furnishings Association and as a Deacon for First Presbyterian Church. He previously held the office of Vice President for the Brookwood Booster Club. He is currently a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and has served on the Brookwood Board of Directors since 2012. 

He and his wife, Susan, have three children who all attended Brookwood - Garland ‘12, Anne Scott ‘16, and Hill ‘18. As a dedicated alumnus and parent to three graduates, he looks forward to the opportunity to speak to the class of 2021 before they head off to college. 

“Hopefully I can explain how to grow in good times and in bad and the importance of structure and direction.”