The Honorable Gerald H. Thompson Mayor of Fitzgerald Mayor Thompson, an entity in local and state politics since the late 1960s, has served his native town with distinction and honor. In 1965, the future mayor became one of Fitzgerald's youngest councilpersons ever, as he took the oath at age thirty. After serving three years in that position, he ran for and won the mayorship of Fitzgerald, ushering in a new era in the Colony City's history. Now in his twenty-ninth year in office, Mayor Thompson is widely recognized and lauded for his knowledge of and solutions to the problems and concerns that face late twentieth century municipalities. Mr. Thompson has served as president of the Georgia Municipal Association and today sits on its Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The Mayor is the director of the South Georgia Chamber of Commerce and co-chairman of the GMA-ACCG Legislative Committee. Currently, Mayor Thompson is a board member for the Georgia Environment Facilities Authority, Chairman of the Board for the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG), and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. In addition to these prestigious positions, the Mayor has been on-staff for six of Georgia's governors--Vandeveer, Maddox, Carter, Busbee, Harris, and Miller--either as county coordinators or on boards and commissions. He has held positions on: Board of Commissioners of the State Crime Commission (Carter), Governor's Committee on Manufactured Housing (Busbee), Governor's Job Training Board (Harris), Governor's Bond Allocation Committee (Harris), Governor's Commission on Access to Capital (Harris), Governor's Growth Strategies Commission (Harris), and the Governor's Commission on Governance (Miller). Mayor Thompson, former owner of the Thompson Insurance Agency, is also a renowned public speaker and panelist for various conferences on the subjects of community development, economic development, leadership, finance, grantsmanship, intergovernmental relations, and legislation. His speaking credits include lectures and presentations at the University of Virginia and University of Georgia, Texas A & M Economic Development Conference, the Kentucky Coal Cooperative, the National Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Conference of Economic Development, and numerous organizations throughout Georgia. The Mayor has been awarded the Georgia Municipal Association Local Leadership Award, the Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, the Georgia Citizen Planner Award, the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Citizen of the Year, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Local Leadership Award. Mayor Thompson has been a lifelong resident of Fitzgerald. He is married to the former Janet Eldridge of Irwin County, Georgia. The couple has two children--Rhonda and Jeff--and four grandchildren. The Mayor is a member of First Baptist Church, as well as a member of the local Elk, Mason, and Shriner organizations. The Mayor's office is located at 121 South Main Street and can be reached at (229) 426-5036. You may also E-mail the Mayor Thompson at fitzmayor@mchsi.com.

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