A cattleman and former employee of the U.S.D.A. Farmer's Home Administration for over 30 years, Wilson was elected to the Jackson EMC board in October 1979 following the death of W.C. Alexander. "When Thomas joined our board, we were constructing our new cooperative headquarters offices on Commerce Road. He has represented the members of Jackson EMC during two decades of remarkable growth in our service area. It's ironic that as he is leaving us, we are completing construction on a new headquarters office building in response to that growth," said Jackson EMC board chairman Bill Carpenter.

"Thomas has seen us through an unprecedented period of growth and change, during which we've added new technology to better serve our members, introduced new services to add value to their membership and built a reliable distribution network that is now supported by a comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan. Through his service on our board, he has been instrumental in this cooperative's success. His dedication to our members and selfless service has meant a great deal to his fellow board members. He has represented our membership well, and we're grateful for his contribution."

John Mitchell, a long-time Banks County resident, has been named to fill Wilson's unexpired term.

Mitchell received his B.S. in Agronomy from the University of Georgia and his master's degree in Agricultural Education from Clemson University. He is retired from the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, where he worked as the Banks County Extension Director for 23 years. He is currently employed by Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI), a cooperative located in Buford, and is also an agricultural consultant and practicing blacksmith.

Mitchell has served as president of the Banks County Chamber of Commerce and the Homer Ruritan Club, and is treasurer of the Homer United Methodist Men's Association. He has also coached youth sports teams through the Banks County Recreation Department, and is presently Scoutmaster of Troop 106 in Homer and coach of the Banks County 4-H Shotgun Team. In 2005, he was named to the board of directors of the Jackson EMC Foundation, a charitable trust funded by cooperative member donations through the Operation Round Up program. He and wife Susan are the parents of a daughter and two sons.

"Through his Georgia Cooperative Extension Service work and his Banks County Chamber of Commerce involvement, John has developed a deep knowledge, understanding and love of Banks County. That makes him an excellent successor to Thomas," said Carpenter. "He has been a Jackson EMC member for many years, and his service on the Jackson EMC Foundation has only strengthened those ties. We are extremely pleased to have a man of his experience and insight serve on our board of directors."

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