Donald Lambing is an inductee for the second class of the Starr’s Mill Hall of Fame.

Lambing was part of the first graduating class and helped Starr’s Mill boys soccer win its first state championship.

“My career has taken me all over the place, but I have never forgotten my time at Starr’s Mill,” Lambing said. “I am really excited to have the opportunity to come back.”

Lambing is currently on military leave from his civilian job. He took leave so he could continue training for new F-35 conversions. Lambing is now working full time commuting from Montgomery, Alabama, each week to fly with his team until he gets pulled out in March.

“Everything was new [at Starr’s Mill], so we got to build a unique culture from the ground up,” Lambing said.

He moved to Peachtree City around the third grade, and attended Braelinn Elementary School. From there, Lambing went to Whitewater Middle School for three years. He started his freshman year at McIntosh High School, and when Starr’s Mill was built, he was rezoned. Lambing would go on to graduate in 2000 as part of the inaugural graduating class from Starr’s Mill High School.

During his time at Starr’s Mill, Lambing played varsity soccer for three years and wrestled for a couple years as well. He was a player on the first team to win a soccer state championship at Starr’s Mill.

“There are many challenges of being a sophomore soccer team and just getting demolished on the field, but then you learn from those opportunities,” Lambing said. “You learn from those failures, and you apply that to the next opportunity.”

He received offers to play collegiate soccer but ultimately turned them down to pursue an education at Georgia Tech. While in his early years of college, he worked as an industrial engineer. Although he enjoyed engineering, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps of being an Air Force fighter pilot.

“My father was also an Air Force fighter pilot, so I kind of grew up around it,” Lambing said. “I found out a couple of years into college that I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

During his senior year in college he was hired by the Alabama National Guard and went off to fly F-16s. After being hired, Lambing went to pilot training and worked full time. He then flew part time for the International Guard in Montgomery, Alabama. During the same time he started working at Georgia Tech doing flight test engineering work and writing software for F-16s and A-10s. He continued to do that for five years.

Ten years after he graduated college, Lambing went back to school. He attended Emory University and earned an MBA with a concentration in finance. Lambing came out of the program with an internship and a full time offer to work at Truist Park.

While continuing his vice president position as an investment banker at Truist Park, he is still flying part time for the International Guard. About a year ago he was named a Lieutenant Colonel for the International Guard. 

Lambing is now on military leave and is currently training on the new F-35s conversion plan. 

“Whether you are at Starr’s Mill or anywhere else, you have to look at every opportunity that’s put in front of you and do the best you can with it,” Lambing said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re always going to be successful, but if you know in your heart that you gave it your best, you really went all out, good things will happen.”