Chairman Melvin Davis was
born and raised in Rome, Georgia, on a 150-acre farm. He graduated from
Model High School. While there, he was a District and State 4-H Officer and
State winner in the Public Speaking program. He served in leadership roles
as a camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center during collegiate summers.
Chairman Davis attended
Mercer University, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and graduated with
a Bachelor of Science degree in Poultry Science and a Masters degree in
Agriculture Extension Education from the University of Georgia. He did
postgraduate work at the University of Georgia and Louisiana State
University.
Chairman Davis worked as
County Extension Agent in Elbert County. He spent 19 years as a District 4-H
Leader for 36 Georgia counties and was responsible for coordinating 4-H
educational programs. Subsequently, he became District Extension Director
for 40 Georgia counties with responsibility for supervising over 200
employees and managing a $4 million dollar budget. Mr. Davis retired from
the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in 1993. He has
served the Oconee County community in various positions with local
organizations as follows:
-
Former President,
local PTA
-
Former President,
Church Recreation League, (forerunner of Herman C. Michael Recreation
Program)
-
Past Chairman, Oconee
County Board of Elections
-
Member, Mars Hill
Baptist Church
-
Member, Oconee Rotary
Club
-
Member, Clarke-Oconee
Cattlemen’s Association
-
Member, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation
Chairman Davis is past
chairman of the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center and is
currently serving as Chairman of the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority. He
served as Chairman of the Madison, Athens-Clarke, Oconee Regional
Transportation Authority (MACORTS). He represents the 5th District and
serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Managers for the
Association County Commissioners of Georgia. Chairman Davis was appointed by
Governor Sonny Perdue to serve on the State Workforce Investment Board and
the Governor’s Task Force for Improving State Service Delivery to counties.
He was also recently elected to serve as 3rd Vice President of the
Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).
Chairman Davis and his
wife Esther have resided in Oconee County for 42 years. They have three
daughters and seven grandchildren: Diana and Troy Beckett (Tyler, Kyle and
Morgan), Bonnie and John Sims (Evan and Audrey), and Amanda and Brian Kane
(Chase and Amber).
JIM LUKE, COMMISSIONER
(POST 1)
E-mail:
jluke@oconee.ga.us
Update
available soon. Thanks for your patience!
DONALD
NORRIS, COMMISSIONER
(POST 2)
E-mail:
dnorris@oconee.ga.us
Commissioner Donald H. Norris is a graduate of the
University of Georgia and attended law school for three years. He has been a
Georgia licensed multi-lines insurance adjuster since 1962 and has provided
claims service in the Athens, Georgia area since 1969.
He is a member and past president and vice-president
of the Oconee County Warrior Booster Club; a member the Athens Area
Homebuilders Association; the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce; the Oconee
County Farm Bureau; and a member and past president of the Oconee County
Rotary Club. Mr. Norris is president of M & K, Inc., a scholarship fund
for Oconee County High School graduates. He is a past member of the Georgia
Cattlemen's Association, the Oconee County Recreation Committee, and a past
director of the Bank of Georgia. Currently, Mr. Norris is a member of the
Board for North Georgia Bank.
Commissioner Norris resides in Bogart, Georgia with
his wife, Donetta. They are members of Mars Hill Baptist Church.
Commissioner Norris is a certified county commissioner through the
Continuing Education Center
of the University of Georgia and was elected to
Post 2
in 1988.
MARGARET
HALE, COMMISSIONER
(POST 3)
E-mail:
margarethale@oconee.ga.us
Commissioner Margaret S. Hale
has lived in Oconee County since 1984. She was born and raised in
Savannah, Georgia where she graduated from Saint Vincent's Academy in
1979. In 1980 she moved to Athens to attend the University of
Georgia. In 1984 she married Michael Hale and they relocated to Oconee
County. They presently live in the Farmington community with their two
children Brad and Beth. They are members of Ashford Memorial Methodist
Church.
Margaret has been active in
the community since moving to Oconee County. She has served the community by
being involved with the following organizations:
-
Northeast Georgia Girl
Scouts - Troup Leader
-
Athens-Clarke County Fire
Department Auxiliary - Past President
-
Oconee County Recreation
Department - Cheerleading Coach
-
Oconee County Little
League - Past Player Agent, Secretary, Vice President
-
T-Ball
-
March of Dimes - Team
Leader, Recruitment Committee
-
American Heart
Association, Team Leader
CHUCK
HORTON, COMMISSIONER (Post 4)
E-mail:
chorton@oconee.ga.us
A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Chuck graduated
from Brunswick High School and then entered the University of Georgia where
he was awarded a full four-year football scholarship. At the University of
Georgia, Chuck earned three degrees - a B.A. in Political Science, a B.B.A.
in Personnel Management, and a M.Ed in Safety Education. In addition, Chuck
is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, KY. Chuck
worked for the University of Georgia Police Department for over 28 years,
the last 16 years as Chief of Police. He retired from his position as
Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police on August 1, 2004.
Chuck and his wife of 29 years, Brenda, have lived in Oconee County for over
24 years. Both of their children, Nicholas (26) and Courtney (22), were
educated in the Oconee County public schools before going to Presbyterian
College where both earned their bachelor’s degrees.
Nicholas is married to Lindsey Kathryn McCabe of Dallas, Texas. They reside
in Woodstock, GA.
Courtney is living in Acworth, Georgia. She is pursuing her Master in
Public Administration degree at Kennesaw State University where she has been
awarded a Graduate Research Assistantship. In addition, Courtney has been
awarded a Governor’s Internship with the Department of Community Affairs in
Atlanta.
During Nicholas and Courtney’s years in public schools, Chuck volunteered as
a Little League baseball coach, a recreation department basketball and
football coach, and held various offices in school PTOs. Chuck is a member
of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Children’s Chorus, the Northeast
Georgia Girl Scouts Nominating Committee, the University of Georgia
Presidents Club, the Oconee County Relay for Life Organizational Team and
the University of Georgia Football Letterman’s Club. He and Brenda are
members of Oconee Presbyterian Church. In addition, Chuck has been a member
of the Oconee County Rotary Club and the State of Georgia Governor’s
Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice.
Chuck was elected to serve a four-year term as a member of the Oconee County
Board of Education in1992. He was then elected to serve a four-year term as
Chairman of the Board of Education beginning in 1997. During Chuck’s tenure
the Board of Education faced many challenges including: being the first
school system in Georgia to be challenged under Title IX, construction of a
new elementary school, construction of a new middle school, planning for the
new high school, development of new attendance zones, construction of a new
bus center, and various school renovations. Following his tenure as
Chairman, Chuck did not seek re-election. His youngest child had graduated
from Oconee County High School and he felt that office was best held by
someone with children in the school system.
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