Dear Editor,
Experience really does matter — now more than ever. The Putnam County Commission that takes office in January 2027 will consist of two new commissioners (Districts 3 and 4), two commissioners with only two years of county governance experience (Districts 1 and 2), and a new county manager.
I believe it is critical to have someone on the commission with experience and institutional knowledge, and that is why I have chosen to run for chairman of the commission.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from Duke University. In my first career, I served for 29 years as a professor at the Emory School of Medicine, teaching and running a biomedical research laboratory until I retired from that position in 2000.
Even before retiring from Emory, I committed to Putnam County. I served as president of our Property Owners Association, sending out a monthly newsletter and helping to get our road paved.
In 1996, together with Ken Ramage, Mary Stone and a few others, I helped form the Putnam General Hospital Foundation and served on that board for 15 years. I continued my service to Putnam County through a longtime membership in the Eatonton Kiwanis Club. I was named president of the club twice, organized the Boy Scout calendar fundraiser and the Relay for Life, and started a Key Club at Putnam County High School. I am also an active member of the Rockville Volunteer Firefighters Association and the Crooked Creek Community Association.
In 2004, I was elected chairman of the Board of Education and served in that position for nine years. During that time, I helped the board become fiscally sound, established the first-ever ESPLOST, converted the entire school system to a Charter System, formed a College and Career Academy, coordinated the 4-H program with the school curriculum, and integrated the award-winning Head Start program into the regular school system, among other things.
In 2012, I was elected chairman of the Putnam County Commission and served in that position for six years. With the help of Commissioners Billy Webster, Alan Foster, Fred Ward and Janie Reid, we were able to weather the financial storm of the decommissioning of Plant Branch and establish the first-ever single-county TSPLOST, among other things. After retiring from the commission for the second time, I continued to be involved in local affairs, advocating for senior tax relief and opposing short-term rentals.
In 2023, following the sudden resignation of Alan Foster as District 3 commissioner, I returned from retirement and was elected to the position. During the two-plus years that I have served as district commissioner, I have sent out a monthly report. I have been a vocal opponent of a granite quarry in Putnam County. Some 13 years ago, I opposed a quarry, and I still do. My main concerns are protecting our lakes, Oconee and Sinclair, and not turning the Dennis Station Road area into an industrial corridor. I have also been a vocal opponent of the tax exemption for luxury rental homes. Jennifer Ray and I appeared twice in Superior Court to oppose the tax exemption.
Some just talk, and some actually do something. I would ask for your support and your vote in November’s election to move Putnam County in the right direction.
Steve Hersey, Proud Putnam County Resident