Retired Army veteran, Bronze Star recipient and community volunteer Don Clark, 50, has plans to run for the District 5 Augusta Commission seat currently held by Bobby Williams.
The election is slated for May 21, 2024.
Clark served as a telecommunications chief in the Army and completed several tours of combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as being stationed for a time in Kuwait. After retirement from the military, Clark has continued in his civilian career at Cisco and has been a very vocal advocate for veteran assistance.
First serving as a deputy director for Forces United, Clark then joined forces with former Augusta Mayor Bob Young, who is a Vietnam veteran, and other community leaders to bring a veteran’s cemetery to Augusta.
While it has been a slow process, with miles of red tape, the process continues to move forward.
The State Properties Commission has set aside 219 acres adjacent to the former Gracewood State School and Hospital off Tobacco Road for the cemetery. Plans show a first development of 58 acres projected to be filled with 40-60 burials per month or 749 per year.
Young says that he has worked with Clark on the project for three years and holds great esteem for his fellow war veteran.
“I have always been impressed with his work ethic and I have a lot of respect for him. I think that Don will make for a very good commissioner,” Young said.
In 2019, Clark won the “Giving Your Best” award from WJBF News Channel 6 for his work as a mentor for the Fort Gordon (now Fort Eisenhower) Youth Challenge Academy and his involvement in the Family YMCA’s “A Place to Dream” project that is aimed at assisting needy children.
“God gives you gifts, and if you’re obedient enough to share those gifts, you can impact somebody’s life in a way that they’ll take it and do the same,” Clark was quoted as saying when he received the award.
The WJBF honor led to Clark receiving the Jefferson Award by the American Institute of Public Service in 2020, an award that is promoted as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for “ordinary people who do extraordinary things.”
Local businessman Donnie Thompson, who co-sponsors the annual “Thunder Over Evans” fireworks event, says that he has worked with Clark for years and fully supports Clark’s run for the commission.
“Don has been our emcee for many years. He is full of energy and has a real genuine character. I know he will take the job as commissioner seriously and thoughtfully, he has my support,” Thompson said.
According to Clark, his communication skills are going to be his key talents on the commission.
“I have been a diligent and vocal supporter of veterans, and I can bring that experience to the commission, not only to continue to support our veterans, but to communicate with all my constituents and collaborate with them to make our community better,” Clark said.
Clark did not comment specifically on his controversial incumbent opposition, Bobby Williams, who earned the nickname of “Bully Williams,” by The Augusta Press columnist John Clarke, after Williams got into a fist fight in the commission lobby with a taxpayer over the city’s failure to cut grass; however, Clark did indicate that fisticuffs is one thing he will not bring to the table.
“Being in the military, it is not just about following orders, but about cooperation, you are working together for the benefit of everyone, not just a few,” Clark said.
Managing the growth of District 5 is tops on Clark’s agenda, who says that the Planning and Zoning Department needs to have a plan that spurs growth without creating a “bottleneck” effect.
“They are allowing townhomes to be built almost on top of townhomes. The Elderberry neighborhood is a good example. We need for growth to be spread out, not concentrated in a couple of areas, we need planning that makes common sense,” Clark said.
Others who plan to run for commission seats are Tina Slendak, running to replace the term-limited District Seven Commissioner Sean Frantom and former Commissioner Marion Williams, who is running against incumbent Francine Scott for Super District 9.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
