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Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008

Warner Robins councilman and educator in spotlight as acting mayor

WARNER ROBINS --

lifford Holmes Jr. is no stranger to hard work and long days.

At the age of 12, the Jacksonville, Fla., native washed the walls of the service station owned by his family. For the longest time, the oldest of six siblings had ambitions of becoming a mechanic like "Mr. George," who worked at their shop.

"I've been conditioned to work," says the 65-year-old educator, who has stepped into one of the most high-profile jobs in Warner Robins.

As a young man, Holmes worked at Hallmark Nursing Home at night after teaching at Rumble Junior High School during the day. He held down part-time jobs at Sears Roebuck and at the city's recreation center during most of his career in the Houston County school system, all the while helping his wife raise a family.

With that work ethic as background, serving as acting mayor of Warner Robins while also working as an administrator at an elementary school was a "piece of cake," he said.

Holmes took the reins of the city government in early September after the City Council successfully pressured Mayor Donald S. Walker to take extended medical leave. Walker's repeated absences from City Hall because of a persistent, severely painful foot injury were interfering with the operations of the government, the council decided.

For Holmes, a city councilman in the third year of his first term, serving as mayor was a thought he had never before entertained, he said.

At the time he took on the daunting task, he was working as a part-time assistant principal at Westside Elementary School. Soon after Walker's departure, Holmes said, he learned just how closely his students paid attention to the local news.

"The next day, the kids started calling me Mayor Holmes," the retired educator said.

Now, after about a month in the dual role, the demands of the mayor's job have Holmes' full-time attention.

A TEACHER FIRST

Education is what brought Holmes to Middle Georgia in 1967. The date was Aug. 26 - the same date a team of kids from Warner Robins would win the Little League World Series 40 years later. Holmes has another reason to remember the date: It's his birthday.

The young educator had left a teaching job in his home state because the Georgia job offered $1,500 more than the $4,000 annual salary he was making at home in Jacksonville.

He began teaching industrial arts at Houston County High School, then moved throughout the school system during the next couple of years. He recalls taking a position at Rumble Junior High in December 1969, as integration was taking full effect.

"No one integrated as well as Houston County, particularly Warner Robins," Holmes said.

For a few more years, he taught in the system. Then his reputation in vocational education led to a consultant position with the Georgia Department of Education, where he was prohibited from also working a part-time job.

"When they said no, I didn't understand it," said Holmes, who had worked a second job during much of his stint as a teacher.

However, he soon learned why: Working with 79 counties was time-consuming enough.

Eventually, he found his way back to the Houston County school system, where he held several teaching and administrative positions - again, while also holding part-time jobs. In 2003, he tried to retire. That lasted for all of a month, during which time he went on a cruise.

He returned to the Houston County school system as the director of vocational education until his second retirement in 2006.

Since that "retirement," he has worked in administration at Pearl Stephens Elementary School, Northside High School and Westside Elementary School. Why does he keep getting called out of retirement? Former Houston County schools Superintendent Danny Carpenter can list a number of reasons.

Having known Holmes for 35 years since Carpenter was a football coach at Northside High School, he can attest that Holmes is a diligent worker one can count on to be there when needed. And then there is that little extra something.

"He's still got the energy and that's why he is asked to come back," Carpenter said.

INTEREST IN POLITICS

It was through his role as an educator that Holmes gained an interest in politics. Dealing with the likes of then-state Reps. Sonny Watson and Larry Walker while lobbying for issues such as raises and benefits for teachers played an intricate role. Every year, he said, the politicians would meet for a 6 a.m. breakfast in Atlanta to talk with the educators about their concerns.

"We always got positive results," Holmes said.

That is what he says a politician should do: listen and serve. And that is something he felt he could do, being a self-described "people person."

However, he was unsure about running for office at the state level. Instead, he took a closer look around the International City.

"I didn't see international representation on the council," Holmes said of the all-white city councils of the time.

Grady Clemonts broke that barrier in 1993, becoming the first black on the City Council, where he served for 12 years. When Clemonts stepped down, Holmes stepped up, winning election to the council in 2005.

As a city councilman, Holmes took the time to listen and learn. When he was approached by a citizen, he labeled their interests as "concerns" not "problems." And those same citizens wanted resolutions.

"That's all they're asking for," Holmes said.

Fellow Councilman John Havrilla labeled Holmes as "studious" when he first came on board, delving into the issues while also trying to maintain cooperation.

Havrilla understands the importance of listening in that role, as he began his second stint on City Council in 2006. Prior to that, he served on the City Council from 1976 to 1992.

"He makes an effort not to personalize matters," Havrilla said of Holmes.

ADJUSTING TO NEW ROLE

Serving as acting mayor, Holmes has taken that same approach to heart, roaming City Hall, introducing himself to everyone, observing the staff as they observe him.

He was immediately confronted with the question of Walker's whereabouts and if or when the long-term mayor would return.

Holmes maintains that he himself is anticipating the return of Walker. Holmes has not moved into the mayor's office on the second floor of the Homer J. Walker Municipal Complex nor does he use Walker's assigned parking space.

As long as it has Donald S. Walker's name on it, Holmes said, he is not touching it.

"I thank Donald S. Walker for having the confidence in me to leave me in this position and going off to take care of his health," Holmes said.

In the meantime, Holmes has acted to move the city forward under his personal leadership style in Walker's absence.

One of his first acts as acting mayor was to have a meeting with all the city department heads to express his expectations: to be committed to the city and to do their job - nothing more, nothing less.

Police Chief Brett Evans noted that Holmes maintains an open line of communication. He added that he has faith in Holmes due to his experience in education circles.

"I feel confident he can stand his own ground," Evans said.

The acting mayor said he realizes he is one man and it takes the entire city staff of nearly 500 full-time employees to efficiently operate the city of 60,000.

"When sewage overflows and the trash doesn't get picked up, the mayor doesn't go out there and do that," Holmes said.

Another change the acting mayor made was to resume having pre-council sessions on the Thursday before the regular Monday council meetings to allow for more research and discussion among council members.

That move has been complimented by his City Council peers who, for the most part, have expressed their support for Holmes since the change.

Councilman Bob Wilbanks praised the mayor pro tem on the job he has done thus far.

"This is a growing process and no one knows what to expect every day in the city," Wilbanks said.

Facing inevitable questions about his political ambitions, Holmes vows that he wants to represent the citizens of his district on the City Council and hopes to seek re-election to the council in 2009. He has no intent to run for mayor, he said.

"I'm just going to be the best acting mayor I can be," Holmes said.

'ONE OF MY HEROES'

Much of what Holmes has succeeded at in his life has been in response to a challenge from his home economics teacher at New Stanton Senior High School in Jacksonville. The teacher told him he would never amount to anything and that he would die young, before finishing college even.

Meanwhile, another one of his teachers told Holmes' mother that the young man needed to go to college. That fall, he began his stint at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where he would major in industrial arts. The experience shaped the type of educator he became.

"I learned not to tell a child what they can and what they cannot do," Holmes said.

That could be part of the reason many of his students chose to refer to him as "Daddy." Local businessman Ron Street was one such kid.

When Street was in the eighth grade, Holmes was his industrial arts teacher at Rumble Junior High. If Holmes' job description had him teaching students how to build barns, Street credits him with teaching the class about life and respect.

"He guided a lot of young men who were headed down the wrong path," Street said.

Holmes encouraged the youngster and supported him when kids harassed Street about having one eye.

"He would tell me 'it's them and not you so don't worry about it'," Street said.

Street, who now owns Street Home Medical, says he was ecstatic when he learned that the man who meant so much to him so many years ago was taking over for the mayor.

"In a word, he's one of my heroes," Street said.

FAMILY PRIDE

Holmes and his wife of 40 years, Rosa Holmes, have passed along the attitude of conquering the impossible to their children.

Son Darryl Holmes, 44, is an assistant football coach for Fort Valley State University after a stint with the New England Patriots as a safety. Daughter LaTonya Holmes is currently acting in the national touring production of the play "The Color Purple."

Holmes also is very proud of his grandchildren - and his granddog, Bailey. "You can't forget the granddog," Holmes said in an interview. Rosa Holmes - or, as he likes to call her, "the boss" - said her husband's work ethic was driven by his love for his family.

"It was hard, but he just always thought he had to provide more for the family," she said.

Holmes suggested he worked so hard, holding down more than one job at a time, when his family was first starting out because he feared not being able to pay the hospital bills for LaTonya's birth.

An educator herself, Rosa Holmes, who Holmes describes as his best friend, says she understood that the school system kept calling her husband back to work because of the firm hand for which he has a widespread reputation.

"They know that the kids respect him and that they're going to listen to him," she said. She says that carries over into how he is leading the city of Warner Robins.

"They've got a good man working for them. He might seem harsh, but he's fair and he will do the city of Warner Robins good," she said.

To contact Natasha Smith, call 923-3109, extension 236.