Tim Milligan
Fire Chief | City of Marietta Fire Dept
men and women have flipped their
business upside down and inside out
just to get by; I’m in awe of their
commitment to their staff and their
community.
Other personal anecdotes, quotes
or insights: I am often asked why I
named my studio “Starling Studio.” I
was researching for a project once,
and fell down a rabbit’s hole. I was
intent on understanding starling
birds and their murmurations, the
way they fly in crazy formations,
swooping and soaring, like dancing
as a flock. I learned that one bird
affects the seven birds around them,
and those seven birds affect the next
seven birds around them, and so
forth. It’s how they so gracefully
swoop and swirl without crashing
into one another and creating havoc.
I loved that concept and it stuck with
me. If I can just impact a few people
positively in my life, maybe they’ll
affect a few, and so on.
I am a story teller; that’s my job. I
help my clients tell their stories
through their spaces. The way you
feel when you’re in their space, the
meal you share, the memories you
make, those are so impactful. I feel
honored and truly blessed to do this
for a living.
“If you are a dreamer,
come in...
If you are a dreamer,
a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er,
a magic bean buyer...
If you’re a pretender,
come sit by my fire
For we have some
flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in! Come in!”
- Shel Silverstein
What do you do in your role? I serve and lead the
amazing firefighters of Marietta Fire, ensuring they having
everything they need to deliver exceptional service to our
community.
What drives you to be successful? This is an
interesting question. As you grow through life, the idea of
“success” continually changes. In my current role, it’s a
desire to constantly learn, improve, and grow, both
personally as well as the organization I serve, while
supporting others as they do the same. For me, success
comes when those I serve achieve their goals, creating
happiness, which in turn makes our organization and
community better.
What are some of your hobbies outside of
work? River kayaking, cooking, wine tasting, sporting
clay shooting, reading and fishing with the kids.
What lessons have you learned in 2020? Even
in the chaos of a pandemic, you have to find time to simply
pause! If not, self-actualization becomes fogged and
clarity is lost, and as a leader this does not deliver your
best result. 2020 taught me that is must be “front of
mind.”
Other personal anecdotes, quotes or insights: “Thank
you” are two very powerful words!
20 IN THEIR 40s
FAMILY:
Wife, Debbyn;
Children, Brendan
and Payton
CITY OF RESIDENCE:
Powder Springs
VOLUNTEER WORK:
Georgia Firefighters
State Pension; Georgia
Association of Public
Pension Trustees; Cobb
Youth Leadership;
Leadership Cobb; Cobb
Community Foundation,
Investment Committee;
United Leadership
Program
AWARDS AND
HONORS:
Two of my greatest
honors are the day my
bride of 21 years said
“yes” and being called
Dad.
AGE 46
JANUARY 2021 | COBB LIFE 45