Teresa Jo Campbell fell in love with Oglethorpe County for many of the same reasons most residents do when she moved here in 2018.
“I hope that people see Oglethorpe the way I saw it when I moved here,” Campbell said. “I loved that it was quiet and peaceful, and it still is.
Campbell, who was hired assistant county planning and permitting coordinator in mid-January, worked as a clerk and elections assistant in the probate court. Before that, she was with the commissioner’s office in 2020.
Last year, she ran for tax commissioner, but lost the election to Dawn Scarborough.
“I didn’t give up that momentum,” Campbell said. “That’s when I jumped back into school and really thought about what I wanted to do with my future, where I wanted it to take me.”
Campbell enrolled in both Gwinnett Technical College and Liberty University, working toward a bachelor’s degree in public administration with plans to pursue a master’s in urban planning. Within six months of starting, the planning and permitting coordinator position opened up and Campbell was eager to apply.
“I just knew it was something I had to put in for, just to help me,” she said.
For Campbell, it’s important to keep the community a priority when making planning and zoning decisions.
“So when people want to bring businesses in where they fit now, you have neighbors and people who’ve lived here for generations,” Campbell said. “Respectfully, so, you don’t want to take that from them. This is where they grew up, and this is where their grandmother grew up, so I think that's very fragile.”
That level of consideration, she noted, was unfamiliar in her hometown.
“Moving away from Gwinnett County, I don't think Gwinnett County thought twice about or cared,” Campbell said. “So I love that Oglethorpe does, and our commissioners do, and people in the county do, they value that and that's why we love it here.”
Amy Forrester, who has served as county clerk since 2013, describes her role as having her “hands on a little bit of every department in the county.”
Though she and Campbell work in different offices, their roles intersect when zoning decisions move forward. After the zoning board holds its monthly meeting and makes recommendations, Campbell compiles the information and sends it to Forrester, who then adds the items to the Board of Commissioners’ agenda for consideration.
Helping guide the county’s growth and development comes with a deep sense of responsibility.
“I think you have to try to think long term, not just an immediate fix,” Forrester said. “We really need to think how this is going to affect, my children, my grandchildren, down the road, and what is best for the community as a whole. As a county employee, I hold that in a very high regard. I represent the county.”
One of Campbell’s main priorities is engaging the community and helping residents stay informed and involved in planning decisions.
She focuses on updating the county’s website and improving the county’s Facebook page to give residents a reliable source of information.
“Being a local government, it’s very important to have that transparency,” Campbell said.
Forrester agrees improving communication is a great step.
“Always community involvement,” she said. “I think that is one main goal that has been lacking in the county that we really need to promote.”
Campbell’s focus is on encouraging community involvement in shaping the next comprehensive plan, a document that will guide Oglethorpe County’s growth and development.
The current plan, which was drafted in 2021 and finalized in 2023, is set to be renewed in 2026. Like past versions, it follows a five-year renewal cycle.
“Community involvement is very important for the comprehensive plan,” Campbell said. “It's for the public, for people in our community to give their concerns and their opinions on what growth they want to see and what they don't want to see.”
Next year, three public meetings will give residents a chance to voice their input on the plan. Dates will be determined.
“I just really encourage people to be a part of that, because that’s going to be what shapes our future and kind of takes over for which direction you want it to go,” Campbell said.
Campbell has learned that county planning in a county like Oglethorpe is about more than just land use and permits — it’s about finding a balance that, as she puts it, “fits the county.”
“I really want somewhere for my kids and my neighbors' kids and their friends to be happy being here and not necessarily not change, but see growth where it's appropriate,” Campbell said. “And home, you know, stays home.”