The mission of UGA Cooperative Extension is to extend lifelong learning to the people of Georgia through unbiased, research- based education in agriculture, the environment, communities, youth and families.
Matt was born and raised in Preston,Ga. He graduated from Tri County High School in 2005. Matt attended South Georgia Technical College, obtained his Apprentice Lineman Certificate and went to work for Georgia Power Company in 2006. In 2011 Matt married lifelong Marion County resident, Courtney Robinson. They built their forever home here in Marion County in 2013 and now have 2 children, Sonni and Sawyer.
Matt has been employed with Georgia Power Company for 13 years. After hiring on as an Apprentice Lineman he worked his way to a Journey Lineman and is now a Forestry and Right of Way Specialist for Georgia Power.
In 2018, Matt was elected to the Marion County Commission, District 3. He looks forward to serving the citizens of Marion County. He will strive to make Marion County as great as possible within his limitations. He wants all citizens to know they can feel free to discuss any issues or concerns with him. He wants to work with the citizens, other elected officials, and employees of this county to continue to make Marion County great. In 2022, Matt was voted Chairman of the Board of Commissioners by his fellow Commissioners.
George Neal Jr. - District 4 & Vice-Chairman
George was born and raised in Buena Vista, Ga; and he is a 1989 graduate of Tri-County High School. In 1993, Mr. Neal graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University where he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Political Science.
In 2013, Mr. Neal graduated from the Georgia Banking School. In 2004 George was elected to the Marion County Commission and later elected Chairman by fellow commissioners. He now serves as Vice Chairman.
On December 12th 2004 George accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior and joined Cool Spring Baptist Church and 3 years later Rev. Jerome Jones set him aside to join the Deacon’s Ministry and on April 22nd 2007 George was ordained as a Deacon at Cool Spring Baptist Church. George currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Deacons.
Mr. Neal currently serves on several advisory boards: Valley Partnership and the Marion County Economic Development Authority. George was reelected in 2016 to the Marion County Board of Commissioner and was once again chosen as the Chairman by fellow Commissioners. He believes strongly that his late mother Ola Mae Neal and his late father George Neal Sr. are the reasons for his small successes in life.
George believes in good constituent services, returning phone calls, participating in community events and working hard for the people of his district and for the entire Marion County. “I want to make a difference for the better and improve the community. I believe in the values of public service and giving of one’s self for a greater cause.”
Mr. Neal is a dedicated family man and is married to Rhonda Neal and they have one daughter Camdyn Neal.
Marshall Fontaine - At Large
Marshall Fontaine is a long time resident of Marion County, Georgia. He graduated Tri- County High school in 1981, then he attended Columbus Technical College. After receiving his degree, he had a very successful career at Textron in Management, then continued his career at Panasonic. He is currently a small business owner of the Sportsmans Lodge in his hometown of Buena Vista, Georgia.
Marshall Fontaine is married to his wife of 36 years, Sherry Fontaine. Together they have a daughter, Emily Davis and a granddaughter, Caroline Davis.
In 2020, Marshall was elected to be the County Commissioner at Large. As County Commissioner at Large, he looks forward to working along with the other commissioners to help keep Marion County safe and make improvements that help our thriving community.
Norman Royal - District 1
Mr. Norman Royal has a great background of professional experience; he was the director of the Family Services for Habitat for Humanity and the Buena Vista Recreation Center. He is currently working at Stewart County High School as the head baseball coach. Mr. Royal is involved in our community through volunteering at Family Connections, as well as mentoring and supporting our local youth through organizations. These organizations include Swagga and Lace and the Diamonds mentoring program. Mr. Royal has been a part of the Board of Commissioners for five years. He has attended Georgia Southwestern, Liberty University, and graduated from Tri- County High School. Mr. Royal is married to Cynthia Royal and have five children. Their names are Raven Royal, Shayla Royal, Alexia Crawford, Devin Robinson, and Kyle Royal.
