Houston County School Board Candidate Andy Thomas answering a call to serve

HOUSTON COUNTY — A longtime State Farm agent is now vying for a seat on the Houston County School Board. Andy Thomas is being guided by his faith to run for District 6 at-large. 

The district, currently represented by Mark Ivory, includes all of Houston County. Thomas explained that if someone pays county taxes, they are part of District 6. 

He believes the main challenge will be educating people about District 6’s boundaries. Thomas aims to clarify during his campaign that everyone residing in the county falls within District 6. 

Thomas and his wife moved to Warner Robins in July 2001, and he opened a State Farm Agency the following March.

He has been with State Farm for 35 years, reaching 25 years as an agent. 

Thomas and his wife have three daughters who all attended schools in the Houston County School System. His oldest daughters are honor graduates of Houston County High School, while his youngest is attending Feagin Mill Middle School. 

Thomas’s wife is a speech-language pathologist with the school district and oversees the communication devices and cognitive care for students countywide. 

He shared that his mother was an educator for 40 years and considers himself a product of public education. Thomas graduated from Valdosta State University. 

Since living in Houston County, Thomas has served on various boards and remains active in the community.

He has served on Central Georgia Technical College’s Board of Trustees, currently serves on the Museum of Aviation’s Board and Flint Energies’ Nominating Board, and previously participated in Leadership Warner Robins. 

Thomas has also served as Honorary Base Commander of the 330th Sustainment Wing and as President of the International City Optimist Club for two terms. 

In his faith, Thomas serves as a deacon at Central Baptist Church. 

“I’ve just always tried to give back to the community since I’ve been here,” he said. 

Thomas also shared that he has financially supported local schools behind the scenes. 

Outside of work, he enjoys duck hunting and, during a recent trip to Arkansas, when he didn’t find any ducks, reflected on his blessings through prayer. 

“I needed to be more thankful for the blessings that God has bestowed upon me. The petition of complaint became a prayer of Thanksgiving,” he said. “I said to God, I have the best team at my office I’ve ever had. I have more blessings than I ever thought I would have.”

He then asked God whether there was anything he could do to advance his kingdom on Earth and make a bigger impact. After his prayer in November, he decided he wanted to help children. 

In the months after his prayer, several people encouraged Thomas to consider running for the school board. 

Thomas then started praying about it and talking about it at home and with his pastor. 

“The rest is history. We’re going to give it a shot. I don’t really feel like it’s fair to call it a campaign even though that’s what it has to be called,” he said. “It’s really an opportunity to serve and use the talents that God’s given me as a leader.”

Thomas believes involvement is part of his legacy, noting that his grandfather was the first Mayor of Grovetown, Ga., and served as a Lieutenant for former President Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II. 

Thomas said it is not always easy to be a leader, but he believes God has wired him to lead. 

“I’ve always tried to put my best foot forward as best as I can. When I don’t, I ask for forgiveness, dust myself off, and try again. 

Thomas said that when he announced his run for the school board in February, it was well received by the community. 

He shared that he sees education the same way Lady Justice does, symbolizing fairness. 

“Public education should be for everybody. There should be no political preference…I look at it as an opportunity to serve,” he said. 

Thomas shared that his main priorities include maximizing funds for educating children. He also aims to care for educators and support staff and, overall, maintain a high level of integrity among all personnel in the school system. Another one of his priorities is keeping up with technological advances. 

Thomas has started putting up signs around the county. On his sign is an F-16 fighter jet, which represents what he believes makes Houston County special. He said Robins Air Force Base is a dominant engine for central Georgia and believes the education system also makes Houston County stand out. 

Thomas has witnessed how much the area has grown over the years, and he believes that if they want to continue that growth, they have to protect RAFB and the school system. 

“It’s folks like us that have to take care of our school board, school system and school district to make sure that both of those entities are moving forward,” he said. 

Thomas shared that he has seen no issues with the school board and hopes to keep it that way. 

He described his leadership style as unique and believes in “a rising tide floats in all boats.” Thomas explained that this means that if he can encourage his team to do more, the whole team wins. He shared that he believes there are two types of people in the world: takers and givers. He hopes that when he meets his maker, he will be labeled as a giver. 

Thomas knows most of the board members personally and hopes, if elected, to continue their leadership. 

He hopes people will consider voting for him to continue bettering public education and the Houston County Board of Education. 

“I’m really asking folks to choose me so that I can use the talents God has given me to help keep the Houston County School District first and foremost whenever they have the opportunity to move to Houston County,” he said. 

The General Election is on May 19.