Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter brings historical perspective and public service experience to his post on the Henry County Water & Sewerage Authority Board of Directors.
HCWSA Board Member Jimmy Carter knows Henry County well, as only one who has been born and raised here can. And unlike many county residents of this bedroom community who commute across the county line daily to their jobs, Carter has for the most part stayed close to home, literally, whether working as a dairy farmer in McDonough or as an independent sales representative in this area's agricultural industry.
Carter, a native of Henry County and sixth generation resident of the community, has a sound public service record to boot, and he hopes that experience will benefit HCWSA customers, employees, and fellow board members. He spent 18 years as an elected member of the Henry County Board of Education, even serving as its Chairman for part of that time. After developing a relationship with District III Henry County Commissioner Randy Stamey, he agreed to accept an invitation to represent the citizens of their district on the HCWSA Board, beginning his tenure in January 2005.
Carter is a third generation dairy farmer in Henry County. In August of 1974, after completing his education at the University of Georgia and serving a tour in Vietnam, he came back home to partner with his father and uncle in the dairy business. He owned and operated his family's dairy operations, which involved merging two farms into one, for more than 12 years.
In 1986, he sold his interest in the business and began work in sales in the agricultural industry. Currently, he serves as an independent sales representative for ABS Global, Inc. and Four Seasons Marketing Group. He is also a former Executive Director of the Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. With this extensive experience in agriculture to his credit, he wants to get back into farming once again, with plans to re-establish his dairy operations on his family's land in McDonough, with some improvements and innovations in mind this time around.
"My long-term family goal is to help educate kids on what agriculture is all about," he says, referring to his idea to include an educational component to a state-of-the-art agricultural facility on his family's farm. Not surprisingly, Carter's love for the agricultural industry influences his perspective on the current rate of rapid growth in Henry County.
"We are blessed to be in a growing, vibrant area, but we can still preserve some rural influences and green space, and that is what we hope to do with our family farm," he says. "Even though we're a county that is being developed at a fast pace, there are still a lot of people coming to Henry County for open space and to get some room to enjoy."
Carter obtained his Bachelor's Degree in agriculture and a Master's Degree in animal nutrition while at UGA. A graduate of Henry County High School, Carter and his wife Kathy have been married for 37 years, and they have three children - Holly, Carmen, and Jake - and six grandchildren, who all live close to home on the family's farm.
"I'm honored to be appointed to this Authority and hope to bring some historical perspective during my tenure," he adds. "Water is a vital resource for the quality growth of our community, and I want to make sure that we continue to be good stewards of those resources we are charged to oversee."
