Bainbridge resident Ted Snell qualified to run in the May primary for the District 4 Decatur County Commission seat last week.
Snell is running against one other candidate in the Republican party, Joe Putnal, and the two will vie for the seat currently held by Decatur County Commission Chairman Frank Loeffler.
A transplant to Bainbridge, Snell said he has a long history and background in the private sector and has a passion for volunteering locally in the Decatur County Community.
While today he is retired, Snell was born and raised in New Hampshire and worked as an extension agent there after earning his Bachelor’s degree in agriculture after graduating from the University of New Hampshire.
After spending some time serving over seas in the Vietnam War, Snell returned home to work as an extension agent and then worked in management at a private golf course.
“I became a state senator there in 1970 when I turned 30,” Snell said. “After that I was hired to work in race track management.”
Snell then had a long career working for different race tracks across the North East. He had management and president positions at tracks in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and finally he and his wife Barbara went to a track in Florida. Before long they retired and settled in the Ft. Lauderdale and Ocala areas of Florida.
They relocated to Bainbridge in 2005 to be closer to relatives.
“We moved here because my wife Barbara fell in love with Bainbridge,” Snell said.
He is currently involved with the Decatur County chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a backpack program that feeds school children lunches on weekends, a volunteer at Memorial Manor and sings in the choir at his church —  Saint Johns Episcopal Church.
Snell said he wants to focus on creating jobs for the county by working alongside the local Industrial Development Authority.
“I believe I am the one for the job with my business background and the contacts I have,” Snell said.