Resume

Read Paul Godfrey's Resume

Paul's Family

• Betty, my wife of over 40 years, is in the Mental Health field at Avita Community Partners.
• Our older daughter Shelli is a Development Engineer for Georgia-Pacific working in Decatur, Georgia.
• Our younger daughter Kristin Stevens is in Florida with our two grandchildren Parker and Kira. She manages a web and graphics design business from home and Jeff Stevens, her husband, is the internet design guru for the University of Florida College of Arts and Sciences.
• My little brother Lee is a Dentist in Macon, Georgia.
• My big sister Mary teaches music in Mt Holly, New Jersey.

Who is Paul Wayne Godfrey?

• Doctorate degree in workforce education from UGA through the Community and Technical College Leadership Initiative.
• Twenty three years experience as a decorated leader and successful manager of multi-million dollar systems for our country while an officer in the United States Air Force.
• Successful coordinator of national and multi-national projects.
  
• Sixteen years of development, innovation, and working level practice in workforce preparation and education.
  
• Skilled in technical training and career counseling to help people improve their life and economic circumstance.
  
• Veteran teacher of mathematics, computer network, and economic development classes.
  
• Accomplished in bringing exceptional vision, direction, and guidance to organizations large and small.

Biography

First, I have to admit to all dyed in the wool southerners that I was born up north . . . in South Carolina. In my junior year in high school my family moved to Warner Robins, Georgia. Some of my best friendships were formed there at Northside High School and Warner Robins High School.

Among those friends is the notable lawyer Jimmy Vititoe, of the firm Masry and Vititoe made famous, or infamous, by the movie Erin Brokovich. I also recall many good times with businessman and former county commissioner Larry Snellgrove, a wonderful Democrat who stayed true to his colors, but fought to support cross-town Warner Robins High School graduate Republican Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia. Remarkable is that amidst strong rivalries and varying degrees of personal success; my friends of that time; albeit lawyers, business men and women, politicians, academics, soldiers and other professions with widely varying viewpoints; still get together as friends. To this day our high school reunions from that time are held jointly, twice at the governor’s mansion.

Although I knew about hard work on the farm and in the peach packing plants in South Carolina, I got a further education in hard work in Georgia. First, on the assembly line building buses in Fort Valley, Georgia; then, building parts of bombs for the Navy in Macon, Georgia. I also found out what it was like going from door to door selling encyclopedias.

I attended Florida State University for two years before I took an engineering assistant job with the US Army Corps of Engineers. I was a reserve airmen basic in the Air Force and completed training to qualify for the two year Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program at UGA.

I entered The University of Georgia as a junior in college, and graduated with a degree in mathematics. I also married my wonderful wife of Betty and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. During that time my two daughters, Shelli and Kristin, were born. After almost two score years of service I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

After military retirement, my service continued in the education field. I completed some additional academic degrees and began teaching mathematics and computer science at various institutes, colleges, and universities before settling in Hall County. I currently hold a Master's Degrees in Foundations of Education and a Doctorate Degree in Workforce Education from UGA. I also hold a Master's degrees in Management and a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. I taught computer repair, computer networking, and practical mathematics for 15 years in the Technical College System of Georgia. That system was intended to teach people about how to work and not just how to think about work. The TCSG job placement rate within six months of graduation of should still be above 90% at my retirement in June 2011.

Having enjoyed two careers of service and tried one foray into local political service, I guess I could just sit back and enjoy spending my kids’ inheritance. However, after watching the deceit, backhandedness, and unethical shenanigans of some county elected officials, I feel a continued need to do more to serve my neighbors. I would still like our local government to ethically serve the people and not corporations and petty self interests. Having successfully coordinated high quality service at significant cost savings at the national and international level in the past, I feel I have a great deal to contribute to my county. Now, I believe in having at least a two-party system; but I cannot see being a puppet who swears allegiance first to the political party as required by the Republicans. In point of fact, I only agree with about half of what each party claims to stand for. While the Democrat party has been willing to accept me on that basis, and why I feel compelled to help them rebuild in the county, I am more honestly an Independent That is why I am running and what I will be running as in 2012 or 2014. I ask you to support my campaign and vote for me.