Jackson hires new county manager

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners’ search for a new county manager ended Friday afternoon.

In a unanimous vote, the commissioners hired Kevin Poe, who will be 51 in November, to fill the position. He is currently the Floyd County manager, a position he’s held for 17 years.

Poe will be paid $140,000 and will begin work no later than Dec. 11.

“My contract calls for a 60-day notice, but I may be able to shave a week or two off of that,” Poe said.

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Poe is married to a University of Georgia graduate and all three of their children graduated from UGA. Two daughters and a son-in-law live in Athens — one of the reasons Poe applied for the Jackson County position — and a son is a senior at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville earning a law degree.

“I married into a Georgia family and I spend a lot of time over there (in Athens),” he noted.

Prior to taking the manager’s job in Floyd County, Poe was assistant city manager in LaGrange for three years.
“I am leaving Floyd County on great terms,” Poe said.

Interim county manager Leonard Myers will continue to serve until Dec. 11, said commissioner Chas Hardy. Myers served since former Darrell Hampton resigned in March.

Poe was hired following a 10-minute closed-to-the-public session at a called meeting of the board of commissioners.