COVINGTON, Ga. – Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) Chairman Marcello Banes swore in the newest members of the county’s Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA) during the BOC’s Sept. 19 regular meeting.

Banes thanked the new members for their service prior to administering the oath of office.

“First, I want to say ‘thank you’ guys for giving your time, taking the time out of your lives to be a part of the Solid Waste Authority and help Newton County with our solid waste needs,” he said, “You’re doing a great service for you community.

The three new members bring diverse backgrounds in work experience and community service to the authority.

A Covington resident since 1994, new member Linda Hanna grew up in East Lansing MI and lived in East Tennessee before settling in Newton County. She holds degrees from Michigan State University and East Tennessee State University.  Hanna has completed the ACCG Certified County Official certification as well as certifications from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Georgia Records Association. She is currently the CFO for the Walton County Board of Commissioners.

Covington native Kent Campbell is another of the new members of the SWMA.  Campbell grew up in Covington and graduated from Newton County High School before heading to Athens where he received a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. He said his first job out of college in 1989 was assisting Newton County with wetland mitigation for the Lake Varner reservoir project. Campbell worked in Atlanta and Louisville KY before settling in Newton County in 2002, where he worked for Eco-South helping the county with permitting the phase III expansion at the landfill. He is currently a senior project manager with Environs Design Studio. He and his wife Ellen have two children.

Local businessman  and lifelong  Newton County resident Buddy Morgan is the third new member of the authority. While he’s never sought elective office, Morgan’s roots in service to the county run deep. His father represented the area in the Georgia legislature and served as chairman of the board of commissioners, as did his brother and sister-in-law. A commercial property owner and graduate of the University of Georgia, Morgan wants to help the SWMA get on sound financial footing.

“Money has been tight,” he said,” We have to prioritize our resources.”