Like many of this year’s “Faces of Newton County” honorees, newly elected Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) member Stan Edwards has a desire to serve the community. That desire led him first to serve on the county’s board of education, and now in his current post. That sense of obligation to serve the community was passed down from his father.

“My father has always been a community oriented person,” he said. “He helped-out in the community in various ways. He ran and won a board of education election in the early seventies.”

Edwards said that he was initially reluctant to run for the District 1 seat on the BOC, but when the incumbent for the seat, John Douglas, announced that he was not going to run for reelection, he reconsidered.

“I thought about it. I talked to my wife about it, I talked to my family about what was involved,” he said. “It would be much more time consuming than the BOE. Ultimately I decided to do it.”

Edwards said that at the time, Newton County was mired in some of the things confronting the current BOC. He said that he thought that his work ethic and collaborative skills would serve the county well.

He also wants to help reestablish the public’s confidence in the BOC and he knows how to start the process.

“People have to know that every decision you make is in the best interest of the county and no other interest,” he said. “The way I was raised, common sense, having morals and character and integrity, and always doing what you think is right is the only way to go. You can’t go wrong.”

“If you always tell the truth,” he said. “Then you don’t have to remember what you said.”

Edwards said that believes his district, District 1 is the largest land mass district in the county. The district borders Walton, Jasper, Butts and Henry Counties, and is close to Rockdale County.

“One of my goals is to reconnect the western part of District 1 – the part I don’t live in – to be a better representative of that part of the district,” he said, “I’m committed to doing that.”

He said he gets input from a large, diverse group of people.

“I try to represent everyone. I try to make an informed decision. I believe when I make a decision, it’s based on constituency input, facts, the input of my peers on the board, and common sense,” he said.

Born and raised in Newton County, Edwards is a graduate of Newton County Comprehensive High School, where he played football. He graduated in 1982.

For hobbies, Edwards said he enjoys golf, and hunting and fishing with his son. He also enjoys time of his tractor, bush hogging or plowing his garden. He said that he likes to catch fish and have fish fries.

He has two children, a daughter who’s getting ready to go to college and a son who is a sophomore in high school.

Edwards said that growing up, some of his buddies called him “the mayor,” because they thought he would be the mayor of something someday. He said now, some of them call him “the governor.”

Right now, though, he’s not looking past the Newton County BOC.

“One hundred percent of my energy is needed right here,” he said. “I don’t see myself any further in politics. Who knows what might happen one day.”