about service and not about the business .
Backing up , after teaching I operated and helped open camps , daycare centers , and programs in communities for 23 years , not just in Atlanta and but as far south as Bainbridge , GA . In Clayton County , I was an advocate for boys who were being sent to the Juvenile Justice System , and created a pre-trial intervention program to get young men into an after-school program as opposed to placing them into the justice system . I was instrumental in obtaining a mentoring grant with the Department of Education . A team of people – educators , probation officers , etc . worked in concert to put these young men on the right path . The students who graduated from this program are very much a part of my life , now in their early 30s and doing well . Many students I taught while a middle school teacher now have their children in my programs , so it ’ s just been generation after generation .
All these years of service really prepared me to run for office which was just another level of service . I felt I had the passion and skill set to help the community . I come from a place of how can I serve not how does this benefit me .
Present : Leadership / Mentorship / Service & Work-Life Balance
Ashonté : You ’ ve said that you saw a need to serve in a different capacity . How did you come to the decision to serve as Henry County District 2 Commissioner ?
Commissioner Clemmons : This was never something that was on the radar for me . In meeting with elected officials around the county and state I saw I had a different passion for the community than did they . I felt to serve well you must be service-driven . Someone who has become a great mentor to me , said “ you
19 - Game Changers Magazine Jul / Aug 2017 know if you really want to see change then , maybe you should put yourself in the position to make those changes instead of asking someone else to do it .” For me it was about having the ability to make those changes from within .
Ashonté : What was the journey to Commissioner like ? I imagine the political process can be quite taunting to even the most well-meaning person .
Commissioner Clemmons : In the process of running there was a lot of self-discovery . I spent years teaching women and children to believe in themselves and to work hard , I got to actually put into action and see this outcome . My winning became a testimony that I could use in the service of edifying and uplifting women and children . I was the underdog , it was history-making , it was stressful because it took away from me performing the grassroots service that I was doing .
I turned it into an opportunity to serve . I spent every available opportunity , teaching about politics , so whether I won or not I would at least have educated the community about the political process . It wasn ’ t about the victory at the end , it was journey as service . So , I felt good about having spent that year educating . Many politicians I think get so caught up in winning , they lose sight of the reachable milestones during the journey .
Ashonté : Tell the readers about what you have been able to accomplish thus far .
Commissioner Clemmons : I credit myself with getting that support from the Board and the community to find the funding to build a fire station that was very much needed . It had been promised for over 15 years , the station was 30 years old , it was closed down , the community was experiencing delayed fire emergency response times and no one was addressing that issue .
Secondly , we have an airport in Henry County and I have done extensive research on the economic impact that aviation travel has had on the city of Atlanta . We have the largest , busiest airport in the world and Henry County , 17 miles from the international airport , doesn ’ t get any of that service . So , rebranding our airport , building a new
terminal building on the airport , creating a new website and marketing the airport to potential executive travelers were things my team and I made a priority . We got the name trademarked and changed to the Atlanta Speedway Airport , I thought it was a no-brainer to brand yourself next to a lucrative economic engine like the Speedway with whom we share the property . The staff and I are working very closely with the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ), the CEOs of the Atlanta Motor Speedway , and their board members whose vote we needed to make this happen .
I ’ ve been blessed to have had the support of the BOC in taking Henry County ’ s District 2 to another level . I ran on a platform of public safety , economic development , and quality of life , to that end we have thus far made strides toward fulfilling these promises with the fire station , the airport , and turning Nash Farms Park into a park that will be inclusive and welcoming to the entire community . I also said I would be transparent , which means I owe my constituents that those who are operating business and making profit in our county are paying their fair share in taxes to do so .
Ashonté : You demonstrated to me personally and throughout this conversation to be a
strong , outspoken advocate for the empowerment of young women , what pushed you to strengthen young girls personally ?
Commissioner Clemmons : I think it really starts from my rearing , I ’ m my mom ’ s only child , my mom was a single-mom for a very long time and I can remember as a child my mom working 12 hour shifts . Often , she would pick me up from school , take me back to work with her , and I ’ d have to sit there until she got off from work . I am also had very strong grandparents , who were also self-employed ( one of my grandmothers stayed home ). I ’ ve