Another challenger has thrown his hat in the ring for the Post I Commissioner seat coming up for election in 2012.

Jerry Shepperd, a member of the recently revived Keep Conyers Rockdale Beautiful council, announced today he would be running for the seat.

Shepperd, 56, the owner of a travel agency Lifetime Travel and a cleaning company Conyers Cleaning, Inc., said he began seriously considering a run for the county commission seat about a month ago.

"When I found out Commissioner Nesbitt was not sure he was going to run, I said, 'Ok I’ll throw my hat in the ring.'" he said.

"I’ve never run for elected office before. This is the first time," Shepperd said. "I think I’m up to the challenge."

He became involved with KCRB because of his passion for making sure the community was presentable and attractive to businesses and business executives who visited.

"The county faces many challenges. We have concerns about our public safety, transportation, our taxes, water system, our sewer system. Things that affect the citizens’ quality of life. They expect our government to be efficient and effective." Shepperd said he would apply his business accumen to helping to run the county.

A 1973 graduate of Rockdale County High School, Sheppherd touts his native roots in the county and his experience with running businesses.

"I’m local. I embrace newcomers. But the government needs some kind of stability. That position needs some kind of stability in it. The whole commission needs to be run efficiently and more effectively. I’m pretty sure I can bring that to the table," said Shepperd.

He attended Georgia Perimter College and received a certification for executives from the UGA Terry College of Business. He worked as a manager at Macy's for 22 years before opening his businesses in 1998 and 2006.

In the late 1980s, Shepperd said he served on the board of the Barksdale Boys and Girls Club, before the current center was built. He is also an ordained minister with Unity in Christ Church International, which does outreach ministry to the inderprivileged and the elderly.

Shepperd's wife works with SunTrust in Conyers and they have two adult daughters - one an analyst with Social Security and another who recently earned her PhD from Georgia Tech.

Business owner Winston McDonald previously announced he would be running for the Post I Commission seat as well in December 2010.

Commissioner Oz Nesbitt said at a May BOC work session he was undecided as to whether he would run for reelection.