>> BALDWIN COUNTY
Emily C. Davis was named chair of the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners.
District 2 commissioner Kendrick Butts nominated District 1 Commissioner Emily C. Davis as the new chairman during the public board meeting on Jan. 3. The board unanimously approved this nomination and with excitement, Davis accepted this new position.
“This position will be a new challenge to take on but it is also a great honor,” said Davis. “I am proud to be able to serve our community in this capacity.”
Davis has served the board for 14 years and is currently in her fourth term. According to her, she had always been interested in politics and first became involved in it during the Civil Rights movement. Both of her parents were also commissioners. Her father was the first African American to be elected in Baldwin County and her mother was the first woman to be appointed.
“I was always interested in being a part of the board. I care about my community and my people. So, I wanted to be able to make a difference,” said Davis.
She has been nominated multiple times in the past and expressed this time was different due to the support she had. At every meeting, Davis stated that someone was there in support of her becoming the board chair.
“The community has been speaking to other commissioners about me becoming chair and I feel that the public support is why I was unanimously appointed to this position,” said Davis. “I am especially thankful for commissioner Butts who has always been supportive of me becoming chair.”
As chairwoman, Davis plans to help the county continue to progress.
She highlighted that the county has already received a 1.2 million dollar grant for the Collins P. Lee Center in Harrisburg to make it a state of the art library.
They have also applied for grants to improve infrastructure.
“We are continuously applying for grants to help further our county and improve things we already have,” said Davis. “I want to continue to progress forward with Baldwin County and continue to see improvement.”
To her supporters, Davis offers a heartfelt thank you and she encourages the entire community to “pull her coat tail” if there is a problem within the county they would like to discuss.
A large part of the board’s work needs the assistance of public voice and Davis hopes to strengthen that outlet during her time as chairwoman.
“A chair cannot do miraculous things. We set the agenda, sign documents, and more but we rely heavily on our community for support,” said Davis. “I believe in compassion for others, and so I want to hear what our community needs are from our people.”
Davis encourages everyone to attend the public board meetings held every first and third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Baldwin County Courthouse.
Meetings allow individuals to speak, ask questions, and give input on the items on the agenda.