Brookhaven’s Marist School has awarded Natalie Smith Childs, class of 1986, with the 2025 St. Peter Chanel Award, the school’s highest honor, during a ceremony on October 21 at the Atlanta History Center.
Presented annually, the St. Peter Chanel Award honors individuals whose selfless leadership and faithful support have advanced Catholic education at Marist School, an announcement from the school said.
“The evening celebrated Childs’ decades of extraordinary service and the enduring impact of her generosity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the Marist mission,” the release said.
Marist School President J.D. Childs reflected on the honoree’s lasting contributions, in his introduction saying that her “extraordinary generosity through her time, talent, and philanthropic support, has strengthened the Marist educational experience and enriched our community in countless ways.”
An Atlanta native and Marist graduate, Natalie Childs is the mother of three Marist graduates — Smith Childs Minard ’15, Whid Childs ’17, and Joe Childs ’21 — and has served the school in nearly every possible volunteer capacity, the release said.
She is a member of the Marist School Board of Trustees, leads the Mission Committee, and serves on the Advancement Committee.
Childs’s professional journey spans accounting and nonprofit fundraising, with past roles at Arthur Andersen, Harvard University, and Coxe Curry & Associates, the release said.
At Marist, she has served as alumni board president, capital campaign parent co-chair, class reunion chair, and co-chair of signature events, including the Marist Auction and Holiday Traditions.
While accepting the St. Peter Chanel Award, she expressed deep gratitude to Marist School for helping form the spiritual foundation that shaped her perspective.
“St. Peter Chanel’s legacy challenges us to approach each day with compassion, courage, and resilience,” Childs said. “As I accept this award, I am reminded of our shared commitment to these values, and I pledge—and hope you do, too—to continue serving our Marist School community with gratitude and purpose.”
The event also recognized members of the St. Peter Chanel Society, whose leadership-level contributions to the 2024–2025 Annual Fund sustain Marist School, the release said.
