Harris puts in bid for chairman
Matt Harris, a LaFayette educator and businessman, announced his candidacy for the chairman seat of the Walker County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Harris, who currently serves as the coordinator of innovation for Walker County Public Schools, is running as a Republican for the chairman’s seat.
“While I respect our current administration and the hard decisions that had to be made, it is necessary to recognize that this new era of Walker County will require a new type of leader. A board of commissioners will require collaboration, communication and consensus building,” Harris said.
Harris said his leadership experience includes serving as principal of Gilbert Elementary School for six years, where he brought national attention to the area as a Green Ribbon School. He also earned the STEM-certified
designation for Gilbert Elementary School from the Georgia Department of Education, he said. Harris said he was instrumental in securing $650,000 in ongoing funding to bring Primary Healthcare to Gilbert Elementary, becoming only the sixth school in the state to have a health clinic on site.
After moving to the central office of Walker County Public Schools, Harris began working on the Walker Launch program, which offers high school students the chance to earn a technical degree for high-demand career fields before graduation through a partnership with Georgia Northwestern Technical College. In this position, Harris said he secured an additional $276,000 grant for student technology. He has also served on several local and regional committees dedicated to workforce development.
As a small business owner, Harris said he is passionate about bringing new businesses to Walker County, where he currently serves on the executive committee for the Walker County Chamber of Commerce.
“I believe that small businesses are the backbone of our community, which is why we need to manage smart growth with pro-business policies,” Harris said.
Harris has launched his campaign website, www. walkerchairman.com, to share issues and information with Walker County voters. He has launched a series of meet-and-greet events, with the first one held at Amigos in Rossville.
Choosing Rossville for the location of his first campaign event was no coincidence, said Harris.
“Rossville has tremendous potential for our county. It serves as the gateway into our county and the closest access point to the interstate, which is why it needs to be a focal point for economic development,” said Harris.
For more information or future campaign events, visit walkerchairman.com or follow Matt Harris for Walker County Chairman on Facebook.