The president of the Richmond County Board of Education sets his goals higher.
Charlie Hannah has earned a spot in local politics since the 1990s, applying for a councilor or commission post in Augusta a number of times before getting a seat on the school board in 2014.
What was supposed to be a “strange little thing” a few weeks ago exploded in its start of the mayoral campaign, Hannah said.
“I’m 98% involved,” said Hannah, a native of Augusta who has worked as a photographer, electrician, property manager, and legal document supplier.
His two-year term as school council president – elected by the board, he leads meetings, signs checks and represents the board – will be completed next year when Augusta elects his next mayor.
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Hannah is the third hope to claim the post of Mayor Hardie Davis. Hannah joins District 2 Commissioner Dennis Williams and Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick to accept the full-time position.
The city government has term limits and Davis cannot seek a third consecutive term. Elections for the Mayor of Augusta and five committee seats will take place in the summer of 2022.
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Hannah said his six years as a school board trustee had given him a pool of supporters.
“Amazingly, I think they are my greatest cheerleaders,” he said of other board members. “It’s an honor and a blessing. I think you see the bigger vision. “
As Mayor, Hannah said he would try to do what others haven’t – unite the Augusta Commission and Richmond County’s school system to improve education.
“Closing the gap has been a dream of mine since I’ve been on the board. I understand that we generally run in parallel, but we don’t always share the same vision, ”he said. “I can officially say that I would be the Mayor for Education.”
Hannah has made professions – like developing the Marion Barnes Skilled Trades Center – the focus of his campaigns for the school board. He said leadership is becoming even more important now as the millions of pandemics hit both the city and the school system.
“It is a great opportunity for a visionary to lead the prosecution,” he said.
Hannah said he was known as “Muscat” after attending Lucy C. Laney High School, home of the wildcats, before receiving a diploma from the Academy of Richmond County, home of the Musketeers.
While the Augusta Commission continues to only conduct online meetings, the school board resumed voluntary face-to-face meetings a few months ago, he said.
“I think we work a lot better together when we’re in the same area,” Hannah said of school council meetings.
Given news the CDC continues to lift restrictions on gatherings, Hannah said he was inclined to propose to 2021 graduates to have more than four family members graduate out of stadiums this year.
Hannah is known to be open minded, and she wrote a series of letters to the editor in the early 2000s advocating light corporal punishment, compromising leadership, the acceptance of adult entertainment as a local business sector, and exploration James Brown Arena website other than the current options.