By Sid Riley
Ben Odom, President and Broker of CountryLand Realty, Inc. has declared his candidacy for the District Five Commission Seat. He is running against the incumbent, Milton Pittman. While Odom admires Mr. Pittman, he feels that he can bring a new level of energy, devotion, and foresight to the management of our county. He wants to be part of "A New Generation Of Leadership", that will take our county through the next level of development in the coming years.
Ben is a 1995 graduate of Marianna High School, a 1998 graduate of Chipola, and a 2000 graduate from the school of Business Marketing at Florida State University. He is the son of Butch and Bunny Odom of Marianna.
After college, Ben worked as Convention Sales Representative for a Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. During his three years in this position he traveled extensively promoting the Disney Resort as a site for corporate meetings and conventions. Throughout this period he had a strong desire to return to Jackson County, but soon found that job opportunities for a college graduate are very limited in this area. Finally he had to create his own job by coming up with the name of his company and help build it from the ground up, CountryLand Realty, Inc.
"Seeing the opportunities as well as problems created by growth in the Orlando area has made me acutely aware of the importance of good, professional leadership for Jackson County as our area develops in the coming years", Odom states. "I love this area and what it offers us all. I always knew I wanted to come home to Jackson County after college, just didn’t know how long it would take. We must preserve the abundant beauty that nature has provided for our enjoyment, while allowing for growth on a controlled basis that does not negatively impact those natural treasures."
Odom feels that his experience as a small business operator combined with his real estate experience creates a valuable perspective for him. His family has been small business owners in Jackson County for over 45 years with now 4 generations in the County. He states that he is a fiscal conservative. One of his prime objectives is to increase the average family income in Jackson County through well conceived promotion of economic growth that will bring high paying jobs into the area and will create more competition between companies for labor. He favors programs that assist small business operations, and wants to strengthen emphasis of development of agricultural based businesses in the county. Odom would like to also strengthen the transportation systems of the county.
"I want to represent the wishes and opinions of the people of District Five, and I also want to always do what is best for all citizens of Jackson County", Odom declares. "The existing commissioners have done a great job in getting us where we are today, but it is time for the next step in our development. I want to continue with a "new generation of leadership" for Jackson County.
Ben Odom can be contacted at ben@countrylandrealty.com.
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