Mickie Dobbs
KRFB Executive Director of 25 years
The Living Legacy:
Every time a family checks out a supplies kit to clean their street, or a local student joins a river sweep, they are participating in a culture of active stewardship that Mickie Dobbs helped pioneer. She didn't just clean up Rome and Floyd County for her own time—she built a foundation of community pride that protects it for ours.
The Foundation of Our Movement
Keep Rome-Floyd Beautiful was founded in 1976 by Betty Peartree, Chair of the Chamber of Commerce’s Beautification Committee, and Martin H. “Buddy” Mitchell, representing the Rome City Commission. Inspired by a national Keep America Beautiful workshop, the program was launched to address local litter and beautification efforts through direct education and community action.
Originally known as the Rome Clean Community Commission, KRFB stands proud as one of the oldest affiliates in the national Keep America Beautiful network. Over the decades, the organization’s reach and impact expanded under the guidance of dedicated past directors—including Mickie Dobbs, who championed vital community cleanups and early educational outreach during her tenure. Alongside other historical leaders like Emma Wells, Mary Louise Payne, and Mary Hardin Thornton, Dobbs helped shape KRFB into a long-standing, trusted leader in environmental education and stewardship in Northwest Georgia.
Who We Are Today
Keep Rome-Floyd Beautiful (KRFB) is a community-based program dedicated to creating a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Rome and Floyd County, now and for generations to come.
While we are proud, certified affiliates of Keep America Beautiful and the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, KRFB itself is not a nonprofit organization. Instead, we operate on a unique, highly collaborative municipal framework: we are funded and supported directly by the City of Rome and Floyd County governments. This structural partnership allows us to serve the public seamlessly, using local leadership and civil resources to power community-driven initiatives.
Our Core Philosophy: Education is the Key
At the heart of everything we do is a belief that education is the ultimate catalyst for lasting change. Many environmental issues stem from a simple lack of awareness—people often don’t realize the direct impact of their everyday actions. That’s why we prioritize hands-on learning, localized outreach, and youth engagement to help our community understand exactly how to care for the natural beauty and natural resources we all depend on.
Through data-driven litter cleanups, urban tree plantings, pollinator gardens, environmental curriculum development, and active civic programs, we connect people directly to their environment. We collaborate with schools, local leaders, and volunteers of all ages to build a strong, lifelong sense of ownership, responsibility, and hometown pride in our shared public spaces.
We’re not just picking up litter—we’re planting the seeds of stewardship. One person at a time. One lesson at a time. One future at a time.
Generations of Leadership: A Legacy of Stewardship
From Left to Right:
Mary Hardin Thornton – Former Director: Led KRFB through crucial years of volunteer growth, strengthening public works collaborations and building foundational environmental programs.
Mary Louise Payne – Former Director: A long-serving champion of Rome's natural beauty who focused on solidifying core educational programs and expanding a massive network of loyal volunteers.
Hannah Bagley – Current Program Coordinator (2021–Present): Blends a Public Works background with communications expertise to modernize operations through GIS mapping and creative art initiatives.
Emma Wells – Former Director: A foundational leader whose early vision helped transition the original Clean Community Commission into our modern, national affiliate framework.
Rooted in Pride. Driven by Purpose. Focused on the Future.
Our history isn’t just a timeline; it’s our foundation. For five decades, Rome and Floyd County residents have stepped up to protect the unique beauty of our region—from our historic downtown streets to the banks of our three rivers. We honor that legacy by turning local pride into local action every single day.