ROCKINGHAM – Newly elected County Commissioner Jamie Gathings views his latest position as a calling to serve his hometown of Richmond County.
Some may know Gathings as “Big Country,” or the guy who wore a massive straw hat during early voting, but he is, at his core, a Richmond County native with a passion for improving his community.
“I’m going to be the voice for the people,” said Gathings.
Gathings comes from a humble background.
“I’m just a boy born in Hamlet, North Carolina. We were poor country boys,” he said. When he was in tenth grade, his mother was diagnosed with leukemia. For four years, she was unable to work, and despite receiving disability, it wasn’t enough to support the family, which led to Gathings making the difficult decision of dropping out of school to join the workforce in order to provide for his family.
Gathings has been open about his past struggles, including his involvement with drugs, which led to some time behind bars. But after his release, he turned his life around. In New Jersey, he worked as a caddy at Pine Valley Golf Club, where he interacted with high-profile figures like Michael Jordan, Luke Bryan and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has since become a good friend.
Gathings became knowledgeable about the stock market and real estate and today, he’s a successful entrepreneur and property owner. With the business insights he has gained, Gathings said he is optimistic about helping Richmond County grow economically.
“I feel like I can bring some good economic growth and numbers, because that’s how I do every time when I buy a property,” he said. “What is it going to bring me? What’s it going to cost me? Is it worth it?”
Gathings said he decided to run for county commissioner after returning to Richmond County five years ago, following an 18-year absence. He said he noticed there’s not enough attractions or things to make people want to stay local.
One of his top priorities to tackle is the fentanyl crisis in the county, he said. Gathings said he believes initiatives can be made by providing the Sheriff’s Department up-to-date tools to address the issue.
“So one of the things I’m really going to focus on is fentanyl. So if you’re selling fentanyl in this county, you might want to consider stopping it, because I’m going to give the sheriff’s department every tool they need to combat this drug,” he said.
Noting a decline in children’s sports, Gathings said he hopes to work with the NFL to bring donations and resources to encourage the youth to get back into sports.
Though Gathings is ready to hit the ground running with his new role as county commissioner, he admits it hasn’t fully sunk in yet.
“I think it’s going to hit me when I sit down behind that chair and when I see the cameras and people talking; I think that’s when it’s going to hit me,” he said.