The Ware County Board of Commissioners, County Manager and Staff thank you citizens of Ware County for your positive efforts and participation towards improving the quality of life in our community. We believe that our continuing labors toward improving the quality of life here must directly depend upon the effective communication of your will, making it imperative that you continue to participate in your government. Furthermore, let us all strive to be on one accord, which would enable us to realize and possess increased community assets, laying a firmer foundation for future generations to build upon. Again, thank you Ware County from all of us here at your service.

Ware County Commissioners


Standing left to right: Commissioner Louis Herrin, County Attorney Huey Spearman, Commissioner Joe Cornelius III, Commissioner Carlos Nelson, County Clerk Pam Gibson.

Sitting left to right: Commissioner Kathy Davis, Chairman Tommy Rouse, County Manager Gail Boyd.

Tommy M. Rouse
Commission Chairman

Having been born and raised here, Mr. Tommy Rouse is a lifelong resident of Ware County. As a youngster, he attended school and graduated in Waresboro before going on to serve in the United States Army from 1952 – 1954. From 1954 – 1958, he worked for the City of Waycross Police Department. From 1958 – 1966, Mr. Rouse served as a Deputy Sheriff and was promoted to Chief Deputy while working for the Ware County Sheriff’s Office.

Mr. Rouse worked as a Probation Officer for the Department of Corrections from 1966 – 1984. In 1984, he was named Regional Director for Southeast Georgia with the Department of Corrections making him responsible for supervising 20 probation officers and seven detention and diversion centers. He remained in this role until his retirement in 1996.

Since his retirement from the Department of Corrections, Mr. Rouse has remained active. He was employed as Regional Director for all of Southeast Georgia with Detention Management Services, a private probation company, from 1997 – 2001. He served in a similar capacity with another private probation company called Behavior Intervention from 2001 – 2004.

With such a long and distinguished career behind him, Mr. Rouse was appointed to the Georgia Board of Corrections by Governor Sonny Perdue. He continues to serve in that role today.

In the years following his retirement the Waycross Diversion Center, which Mr. Rouse was largely responsible for opening, was renamed the Tommy M. Rouse Diversion Center in his honor. He is a recipient of the Lee Broome Award of Excellence in Probation given by the Georgia Probation Association. He is a lifetime member of the Georgia Probation Association as well as the Georgia Peace Officers Association.

Mr. Rouse and his wife Patricia have two sons, Wayne Rouse and Edward Lary. He also has three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

You may contact Chairman Rouse by phone at 912-283-2096, cell 912-281-1680, or by e-mail at tmrouse@bellsouth.net.

Carlos Nelson
Commissioner District 1

Mr. Nelson began his first term as a Ware County Commissioner in 1999.

He has devoted himself to the youth in our community through the development of recreation and drug prevention initiatives while operating as Director of the Waycross-Ware County Drug Action Council.

Currently, Commissioner Nelson serves Ware County as Executive Director of the Waycross Operation Weed and Seed Initiative.

You may contact Commissioner Nelson by phone at 912-287-0588 or by e-mail at carlosnelson@wayxcable.com.

Louis Herrin
Commissioner District 2

Louis Herrin is a native and lifelong resident of Waycross/Ware County, having attended city schools, Gilchrist Park Grammer and graduating from Waycross High in 1956. He was active in school affairs, clubs and athletic sports.

Herrin entered the US Army in 1956 and retired in 1979 as a Master Sergeant after assignment to Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. He was first trained as a Military Police and after eight years was retrained into the personnel and administrative management field. His last assignment was an an assistant inspector general for the First US Army.

Since retirement he has worked as a licensed real estate and insurance agent, manager of the local American Red Cross chapter and as a field representative for the Census Bureau. He is involved in community and veteran affairs, being an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

Louis and his wife Amy reside at 1805 Danora Drive. You may contact Commissioner Herrin by phone at 283-0123 or by e-mail at: leh549@bellsouth.net.

Kathy Davis
Commissioner District 3

Kathy E. Davis assumed her role as a representative on the Ware County Board of Commissioners for District 3 on January 1, 2003.

Mrs. Davis has been a resident of Ware County since 1976. She and her husband Harry Davis, attend Central Baptist Church. She has two sons, Jamie Pupello and Harry C. Davis III.

Her previous experience includes being a Real Estate Investor.

You may contact Mrs. Davis at 285-2608 or e-mail her at
kdavis@wayxcable.com. She and her family reside at 819 E. Waring Street.

Joe Cornelius III
Commissioner District 4

Joe Cornelius III began his four year term as District 4 representative on the Ware County Board of Commissioners on January 1, 2005. Elected at the age of 23, he is the youngest Commissioner to ever serve on this board, and the youngest elected official in Ware County history.

In addition to his service on the Commission, he was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Georgia Regional Development Center.

He is a resident of Manor and is employed with his family business, J & B Blueberry Farms, Inc. where he serves as farm manager.

He attended Mercer University where he was a member of the Mercer College Republicans, Mercer Singers, and The Kappa Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order serving as recording secretary. Commissioner Cornelius then worked on Governor Perdue's 2002 campaign staff as State Volunteer Coordinator.

Joe is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Waycross where he serves in the Chancel Choir and on the Board of Trustees. Mr. Cornelius is also a member of the Manor Volunteer Fire Department, and a member of the Manor Water Association Board of Directors, an oversight board to the water system serving the residents of Manor for nearly forty years.

Mr. Cornelius can be reached at 281-0199 or via e-mail at jcornelius@warecounty.com.

Gail Barron Boyd
County Manager

Mrs. Gail Barron Boyd began her career with Ware County Government in 1970. She has served Ware County for many years as County Clerk and Assistant County Manager. With regards to her experience and excellent administrative skills, Ware County Commissioners appointed Mrs. Boyd to County Manager in November 2001.

Mrs. Boyd and her husband Roy have four children: Blake Dowling, his wife Stacy and their children - Zachary and Jenna; Tiffany Vaughn, and her husband Charles, and son Anthony, all of Waycross; Terri Nichols and husband Tommy of Shellman, Georgia; and Merri Blount, husband Alan, and their children - Zack and Mary Ann of Huntingdon, Tennessee.

Mrs.Boyd is a member of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church where she serves as Organist.

To contact Mrs. Boyd, phone (912) 287-4300 or e-mail at gbarronboyd@warecounty.com.

Pam Gibson
County Clerk

Pam Gibson was appointed County Clerk in January 2002.

She began her career with Ware County in August 1975 and has performed various duties including Payroll Clerk, Accounting Clerk and Purchasing Agent. She is a Certified Finance Officer and a Certified Clerk.

She and her husband Madison have two sons, Jonathan (daughter-in-law Jessica, grandson Cole, and granddaughter Conley) and Travis.

The Gibson’s are members at Jamestown Baptist Church.

To contact Mrs. Gibson, phone (912) 287-4300 or e-mail pgibson@warecounty.com.

Huey W. Spearman
County Attorney

The Ware County Board of Commissioners appointed Huey W. Spearman as County Attorney in January 2002. Mr. Spearman is a native of Glenwood, Georgia.

He received a B.A. degree from Fort Valley State University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston.

He maintains a private law office in the Federal Building.

Mr. Spearman has served as Managing Attorney of the Waycross Office of Georgia Legal Services Programs, a past president of the Waycross Bar Association, current member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia, representing the Waycross Judicial Circuit, and is an alumnus of Leadership Waycross. He is also a Trustee of Waycross College Foundation, and serves on the Superintendent’s Community Relations Committee for the Ware County School System.

Mr. Spearman is married and has a fourteen-year-old stepson. He is a member of Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, where he serves as Sunday School Superintendent.