Hammond, as school board chairman, would be 'a leader, not a boss'

Editor:

Along with scores of others, Lawrence Hammond and I have volunteered shoulder to shoulder for the past five years at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. We have a great staff led by Executive Director Gordon Renshaw, assisted by Program Director Karen Chrjapin, and information technology and "do-it-all" administrator Robyn Rhodes, who team up to do what our members expect and deserve. They are the only three salaried people serving 800-plus members of the Chamber.

Behind the scenes, Hammond, as a chamber committee chairman and 2006 vice chairman, has given literally hundreds of hours to keep our systems, finances, thoughts and vision on track. He has a passion for family, Columbia County and the U.S.A. He is a CPA, an administrator, and a veteran with a brother in Afghanistan.

He has been vital to our Chamber's growth and to the quality of life in our county by studying and championing measures and initiatives needed to assure a great future.

Hammond has no compunction about meeting things head on. He believes in values, organization, standards and achievement. He is a leader and administrator, not a boss. He values input but will not avoid an issue. He is a coach not a boss.

When staff or student issues arise, they will have a channel to go through at the local level - not directly to the boss.

Do Columbia County a precious favor to protect the time-honored treasure of our education system. Vote for Lawrence Hammond for chairman of the Columbia County Board of Education.

George Duehring, Board Chairman

Columbia County Chamber of Commerce