The Habersham County Board of Commissioners is under new leadership. District 2 Commissioner Andrea Harper was elected Commission Chair during the board’s meeting Tuesday night. Newly-elected District 3 Commissioner Victor Anderson will serve as Vice-Chair.
Harper was elected by a 3-2 vote. District 1 Commissioner Sonny James and District 4 Commissioner Natalie Crawford cast the dissenting votes.
Harper served as Commission Vice-Chair in 2014. She succeeds Chad Henderson as Chair. Henderson left office at the end of last year after choosing not to run for reelection.
Harper is the former Better Hometown Manager for the City of Cornelia. She was first elected to the county commission in 2010, defeating former Cornelia mayor Don Higgins. She was reelected to office last November.
In a statement Harper said:
“I want to thank my fellow commissioners who supported my nomination for Chair. I am touched and honored by their support. I believe this is the first time in 20 years that there has been a Commission Chair from my district, District 2. I am also very pleased that Commissioner Victor Anderson agreed to be Vice-Chair and I’m looking forward to a productive year.”
Harper was instrumental in helping to diffuse tensions between the City of Clarkesville and county residents who were at odds over the now defunct Soque Scenic Byway. She is actively involved in the community and is highly visible, regularly attending local city council meetings and other public events. Harper lives in Baldwin.
Anderson is a life-long resident of Habersham County and one of the owners of Anderson Carpet in Alto. This is the first time he’s held public office.
