James “Junior” Jackson will step down from his position as the E911 director of Oglethorpe County on Sept. 23. However, the role will stay in the Jackson family.
His wife, Angela, who has served as the assistant E911 director since 2019, will take over the position two days later.
Junior is taking a communications job in the private sector, where he will work on installing equipment for communication centers and work in information technology.
He will retain his position as the county coroner.
“It was a long, long choice, but I have had several opportunities come up within the past year and a half,” said Junior, who had led E911 since 2020. “It was a hard decision, but I feel like that’s the right thing, right now.”
Susan Honeycutt has been named the new assistant E911 director, taking Angela’s place. Also, county commissioners have approved a third dispatcher, starting in January 2024. A replacement dispatcher for Angela also has been hired and will start the first week of October.
The change for Angela comes mostly on the administrative end.
“The paperwork, the logistics with our vendors, communications with the board of commissioners and the emergency service commission” are all part of her job now, Junior said.
Angela said she is adjusting to her husband’s former duties.
“I’m learning,” she said. “He’s showing me the administrative side of things. I’ll be taking the lead on that in the future. I'm a little nervous on that part. That’s the part that kinda scares me.”
As Angela steps into the role, her goals are simple.
“Continuing (Junior’s work) and progressing forward,” she said. “I just want to make it, obviously, the best 911 center.”
With Angela taking over as the new E911 director, it also ends the couple working together.
“You can tell it’s going to be hard on me,” Angela said as she teared up.
“We don’t bring home to work and work to home,” Junior added. “We’ve always been fortunate to be able to separate it. We don’t see each other that much at work because of our jobs, so there’s not going to be a whole lot of difference, so that’ll come to make it a bit easier.”