When the former District 4 Columbia County Commissioner Bill Morris decided to not seek another term in 2018, Dewey Galeas was initially reluctant to try for the seat.
“Politics can be a contact sport,” said Galeas. “But then, some people who I trust approached me, prevailed on me and pretty much drafted me to run.”
Now Galeas is seeking reelection as District 4 Commissioner, having made the announcement on Sept. 16.
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He says he’s looking to apply lessons learned during his first term. Galeas was on the planning commission for three years before his term with the Board of Commissioners. Through his experience he has discerned the learning, acclimating and adjusting required to apply one’s principles well.
“Any public office seems to have a sweet spot of entry where you’re learning how the office and the organization works,” said Galeas. “Then you have a window where you’re effective, and you can still be effective.”
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Galeas finds it important note that mistakes are par for the course, not so much in judgment but in asking the right questions to ensure one has complete information. But he stresses that decisions made with integrity are made in good faith, without he calls “fear or favor.”
Galeas has made his home in Columbia County for 30 years, but he grew up in Illinois. He was raised by a mother who was a nurse and a father who was a union steelworker — both parents emphasizing service.
“Always find a way to make something better,” said Galeas about the values instilled in him in his upbringing. “Not to offer complaint, but always offer an answer.”
This underscoring of service to others led Galeas to enlist in the Army, in which he served for 20 years. A combat veteran with the 101st Airborne Division, Galeas was a medic while in the military and is still a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
Galeas has found that his experience in both the military and as a CRNA translate well to public service. The Army imparted tendency toward linear thinking and complex problem solving. The demands of being healthcare provider, where the use of highly technical skills is coupled with engaging with the unpredictable human element, taught Galeas how stringency and compassion must go hand in hand.
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“I strive to be hard on issues and easy with people,” said Galeas. “Government can sometimes be a little dry, and it doesn’t take into account the reality that every time you make a decision or a vote you could be changing thousands of lives. You’ve got to do it for the better.”
Galeas’ tenure with the Board of Commissioners, striving to do better for both the county and his District 4 constituents, which include Harlem and Grovetown, has entailed several projects to aid the county’s development. This includes the resurfacing of dozens of miles of road in his district, the opening of the Gateway Park, the increase of county employee salaries.
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Galeas considers himself a fiscal conservative, but his underlying values transcend conventional political pieties. He says three primary qualities drive his life: strength, integrity and faith.
“Strength to protect those who are not strong,” said Galeas. “Integrity drives my decision-making. Faith lets me hand it off to God.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff writer covering Columbia County for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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