For almost 50 years, I’ve been involved in local, regional and state public service, and all but the past 12 years were on a volunteer basis. I’ve worked together with so many people in our communities to establish exciting new organizations, the Henry County Youth Leadership Program, leadership Henry adult program, the Abbeville Boys and Girls Club, the Bethlehem Walk to Emmaus, and others. 

I first heard the term regionalism when Mayor Mike Schmitz call me 2013 just a few weeks after I was elected as Henry County Probate Judge. Mayor Schmitz and I talked about the importance of working together. Regionalism is basically a coalition of rural counties banding together to combine our strengths in order to help us better compete with the Huntsvilles and the Mobiles of the world. Our two counties had not always worked that well together, but that all changed with Mayor Smith’s call. I quickly learned the importance of working together and developed some really good relationships with leaders across our region. I’m pleased to say that I still have those relationships today. And I don’t hesitate to call on them. 

I look forward to serving with some really good Wiregrass veteran legislators. Southeast Alabama has got one of the best, if not the best legislative delegation in the state, and I agree, and I look forward to serving with them, learning from them, and doing everything we can to help make our region better.