Mansfield resident Stan Edwards resigned form the Board of Education Tuesday as he pursues the District 1 seat on the Newton County Board of Commissioners.

Edwards qualified for ghe BOC seat Thursday.

At the end of Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, he addressed members of the Board of Education and thanked each of them for the support he has received since joining the board 14 months ago.

“I have been overwhelmed by the amount professionalism, efficiency and the amount of work and effort put forth for the kids by the Board of Education, Ms. Fuhrey and her staff, the people in the (Board of Education) building and from all of our school’s administrators and teachers.”

Edwards has been married to his wife Leslie, a teacher at Mansfield Elementary School, for 21 years. The couple has two children, daughter Coley, an Eastside High School junior, and son Tristan, a freshman at Eastside.

“As a lifelong resident of Newton County, 40-plus years in District 1, I have a vested interest in the economic, educational, and quality of life disposition of the county I love,” Edwards said. “I believe my life experiences, education, professional experience, collaborative skills and problem-solving abilities uniquely qualify me to help solution the issues the district and county face."

Edwards had been urged to run in recent weeks via a Facebook page titled Recruit Stan Edwards for District 1, which reached nearly 100 likes.

“That was something that kind of caught me off guard. I couldn’t believe that people would go to a page like that, but when I went to see the page it made my decision easier,” Edwards said. “The positive comments and a sense of community was apparent on the page. It let me know that people are looking for a candidate who is able to find consensus and lead on issues. I have also been blown away by the phone calls, text messages, and emails I have received urging me to pursue this initiative.”

Edwards has been an employee with AT&T for more than 31 years, starting as a communications technician before holding various management positions. He holds both an undergraduate degree in Business Management and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Edwards served on the Newton County Board of Elections for two terms beginning in 2006. He was a member, and eventual vice president, of the executive board for Project Renewal — a domestic violence shelter serving Rockdale, Newton and Walton counties.

Edwards and his family are active members at Eastridge Community Church in Covington.