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Greg Cary
As part of its coverage of the 2022 elections, the Franklin County Citizen Leader submitted the same list of questions to each candidate running for a seat on the Franklin County Board of Education.
The questions were:
1. Please provide information about your background, education, past service in government or with community organizations, church and family.
2. What qualities and/or qualifications do you feel will serve you best in the position you seek?
3. What are your plans if you are elected to the position?
4. What role should the board of education have in economic development, if any?
5. If you had a chance to speak one-on-one with each registered voter in Franklin County, what would say to secure his or her vote?
The answers submitted by the candidates were used to write the story below.
By Samantha Sinclair
Staff Writer
Greg Cary has a home full of teachers.
His wife, Kim, has been a teacher in Franklin County Schools for 28 years.
And, now, his two oldest daughters are graduating from college and looking forward to starting teaching careers of their own.
Cary, a poultry and cattle farmer, hopes to get into education himself as the challenger for the Post 4 seat on the Franklin County Board of Education.
“My plans include helping to find ways to retain quality teachers and to continuously improve student achievement in all areas — academic, fine arts, athletic and career tech,” Cary said. “I would also like to see our career tech department expand and add additional programs, such as JROTC, culinary arts and cosmetology.”
He thinks the board of education should work in partnership with the other entities involved in economic development.
“This would involve communication and collaboration on a regular basis,” Cary said. “Working together to create a skilled and educated workforce and to attract the types of industries to sustain our county and its services would be a primary goal of this collaboration.”
He believes he works well with others, and is approachable and willing to learn how to effectively improve the school system.
“I also like to make informed decisions rather than making hasty decisions without a thoughtful process,” Cary said.
He has previously served the community in a variety of ways.
He has served as a board member of Franklin County Little League and coached many sports over the last 20 years.
He has worked with students as a mentor in the Franklin County Mentor Program.
He has also served for many years as a volunteer firefighter with the Sandy Cross Fire Department.
Cary was born and raised in Franklin County, and he graduated from Franklin County High School in 1989.
He attended Emmanuel College before earning an associate’s degree in agribusiness from Gainesville College in 1993.
He and Kim have four children — the younger two are twins who attend Franklin County High School.
“I pledge to serve the students and staff of the Franklin County School System and the taxpayers of Franklin County to the best of my ability, and to be a wise steward of school funding while promoting all area of student achievement,” Cary said.