Meet Jerry NeSmith, Candidate for ACC Commission District 6

1. Where did you grow up? (County and state)
I was born in Decatur (Morgan County), AL. My father, an original NASA engineer, was transferred to Wichita, KS, when I was 12, as project manager for the building of the Saturn V moon rocket. I left KS at the end of my sophomore year in college (the day after I married Farol) to move to Alabama, where I finished college.

2. Where did you finish high school? Wichita High School West (’66)
College? University of Alabama, BS in Business Administration (’70)
Graduate or professional school? Various courses in business planning, analysis, project management, IT technical training, sales and management training provided or paid for by my employers.
College major or area of concentration? Business Administration

3. Are you married?
Married to Farol, my high school sweetheart, soul mate, mother of my children, and “Nana” to my beautiful grandchildren, almost 44 years ago.
Do you have children?
Jason (a.k.a. “Casper”), local indie rock musician (Berklee College of Music) (Casper and the Cookies, Of Montreal, B‐53’s, Super Cluster)
Noel, Licensed Nurse Practitioner (UGA, MCG‐Athens, UT‐ Chattanooga)
If so, where do they go to school?
Jason—Morningside Elementary (Atlanta), The Paideia School (Atlanta), Frankfurt (Germany) International School, Berklee College of Music (Boston) Noel—Morningside Elementary School, Frankfurt International School, UGA, MCG‐Athens, UT‐Chattanooga

4.  Have you ever held any elected office? (this could even be high school or college) This is my first run for an elected office.

5. Why are you running for your commission seat?

District 6—At a Critical Turning Point

As a sitting planning commissioner, member of the 2008 ACC Comprehensive Planning Steering Committee‐Economic Development Subcommittee, 2011 SPLOST Citizens Advisory Committee, and director/founder of the Athens Farmers Market, I am keenly aware of the urgent problems facing Athens, and especially the Atlanta Highway business corridor. ACC simply must make well‐reasoned changes to its policies, ordinances and procedures which are barriers to businesses considering to move or to leave Athens. These issues must be tackled immediately. Called to Serve

When I realized that there was no qualified, experienced candidate running for District 6, I decided that it was my duty to serve as a commissioner and effectively lead the process of solving our problems, while continuing to protect our neighborhoods and our resources.

6. Why should those in your district vote for you? I have the experience and insight required to immediately address the issues that we face right now.

7. What is the most important issue facing your district? Facing Athens?

Eroding Retail Business Climate

Competition for retail sales in Oconee County are intensifying, especially with the new shopping center being developed just across the southern boundary of District 6. This competition will erode our sales tax base and decimate the Atlanta Highway business corridor. This issue affects us all. We must do what we can to turn the tide and we must act immediately, by making Athens a truly business‐friendly place and letting the world know that Athens is open for business.

New Economic Opportunities

The Caterpillar plant and the Health Sciences Campus present new, exciting opportunities and challenges to our citizens. We must take advantage of these employment and economic opportunities by guiding and facilitating the development that is surely to follow, while protecting our neighborhoods and other resources.
Shrinking ACC Budget Of equal importance and related is the shrinking budget of ACC. I will insist that our government operations find and eliminate waste and protect the budgets of our police and fire departments.

8.  How would you address this issue?

Fix ACC’s Business Climate

I will work to analyze our business and business development processes, policies and ordinances, using well‐understood business process analysis techniques. We will then redesign those processes, rewrite those policies and amend our ordinances in light of the opportunities and realities we have in the Sixth District (which are different than those in the in‐town core of Athens).
We will advertise our new vision and our new policies so that businesses will stay and new ones will come to Athens, especially in the suburban west, east and north sides.
Athens suburbs can implement more open policies without threat to our neighborhoods and our natural resources, while improving our transportation and recreational infrastructure.

Protect our Resources

ACC has an excellent future land use plan, and District Six has the necessary zoning and infrastructure in place to facilitate and welcome the growth we are about to see.

Make Government More Efficient

Starting with the most expensive ACC departments, I will insist that the Mayor and Commission examine the details of departmental budgets, their accountability to elected officials and citizens, and insist on changes to make each department more efficient and more accountable.

9.  Please describe your work history and where you work—do you commute? Or do you work in Athens Clarke County?

Business Experience

I have spent over 30 years in the private sector in the IT industry, involved in Fortune 100 companies, federal government defense contracting (NATO Forces), venture/angel funded startups and operated my own Athens‐based marketing and technical consulting company (2000). In 2008, I co‐ founded the non‐profit , LLC, where I serve as principle, treasurer and director.
Church Leadership and Development Beginning in 2003, I was elected treasurer, elder and (with Farol) charter member of the Oconee Presbyterian Church. I also served on the North Georgia New Church Development Commission.

Second Career in the Public Sector

In 2002 I took a job as IT manager at Emory University, while living in Athens. I was blessed with the opportunity to work at UGA in 2003 as director of research services in the office for research, managing several business service centers. As of July 2012, I serve as the director of research information systems, managing a staff of technicians and managing multiple projects, implementing major new IT systems in UGA research administration.
I live and work in Clarke County.

10. What distinguishes you from your opponent?

Ready to Serve

I will hit the ground running, and, in fact, I am already serving. The office of Commissioner is an expansion of my current unselfish interests, duties and devotion to this great town.

Proven Record

I have a proven record of effective service, demonstrated values and deep experience in ACC government and civic matters for over 10 years. I am a non‐partisan, proven civic servant‐leader.

Decades of Civic Involvement

I was involved similarly in the city of Atlanta in the late ‘70s and the ‘80s, as intown neighborhoods struggled to reinvigorate their viability (after “white flight”) as good investments and good places to live. I worked with the staff of Mayor Maynard Jackson to re‐write the Atlanta zoning ordinances to accommodate the development of MARTA for business expansion, new intown neighborhoods and the protection of established neighborhoods.

Decades of Civic Success

I contributed to the victorious effort to change Georgia DOT’s plans to build an interstate highway connecting what is now Freedom Parkway to the Stone Mountain Freeway, dissecting and decimating the most beautiful, livable neighborhoods in Atlanta.
We succeeded! The neighborhoods with which I collaborated are now some of the most desirable places to live in the South (Morningside, Virginia‐Highlands, Grant Park, and Druid Hills).
I was a leader in the successful effort to persuade the ACC Mayor and Commission to keep a neighborhood park, not a regional tennis center.

My Opponent—No Proven Record, Little Civic Experience

My opponent has no experience in service to the citizens of Athens and Clarke County, except for issues involving his own property. His experience in public service is limited to a national water conservation coalition—a worthwhile endeavor. His business experience, while impressive, pales when compared to mine. As I have gotten to know Ron during the last two months, I realized that he is a good person with good intentions, and I look forward to helping him fulfill his need for non‐partisan involvement in ACC servant‐leadership.