Eddie Lusher, president of Lusher Builders, and Sandra Boda, executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia awarded the Jerry Ballard Memorial Scholarship on May 3, 2007, to Griffin Technical College students Larry Puckett, Air Conditioning Technology, and Ronald Driskell, Electrical Technology. The scholarships will help pay tuition, fees, and books for the students as they complete their coursework in preparation for employment in the building industry.

The scholarship is named after the late Jerry Ballard, a prominent home builder in the area, who believed strongly in education. He ensured that his own employees were always well-trained by continuously enrolling them in additional and advanced training.

Continuing the philosophy of life-long learning, Lusher, Boda and the other members of the HBA of Midwest Georgia offer and promote an annual scholarship competition for students enrolled in educational programs focused on professions in the building industry. The HBA of Midwest Georgia scholarship program began in 1984. Every three to four years, the organization builds a house with donated labor and materials from members of the association. At completion, the house is sold and the proceeds used to fund community outreach endeavors which include scholarships given to local students. After Jerry Ballard died in a 2005 plane crash, the Jerry Ballard Memorial Scholarship was developed.