| Representative Chas Cannon was born and raised in Moultrie, GA. He grew up in the house built by his great-grandparents on the original farm purchased by his great-greatgrandparents in 1912, where he and his family still live today. Graduating near the top of his class at Colquitt County High School in 1997, Chas was accepted as a cadet at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. While at West Point, Chas was a member of the Army Football team and earned his bachelor's degree in June 2001 before joining the Field Artillery branch of the U.S. Army. Soon after being promoted to 1st Lieutenant, Chas deployed on the first of three combat deployments to Iraq during the Global War on Terror, all with the Fort Benning-based 3rd Brigade Combat Team from the 3rd Infantry Division. Chas participated in the 2003 ground invasion, fighting in all major battles from southern Iraq into Baghdad. He was then deployed to Iraq once again for 12 months during the first Iraqi elections, stationed in Ramadi, which was the center of the very violent insurgency. Finally, in 2007, Chas' 3rd Brigade was once again called into action by President Bush for a 15-month deployment, serving as part of the "surge" in 2007-2008. Chas and his unit were highly decorated for their actions in Iraq. In 2009, Chas and his family moved to Washington, DC, where he served as an Army Congressional Fellow for then U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss. Here, he was granted topsecret clearance as a Pentagon liaison to Capitol Hill promoting the Army Budget within the House and Senate Defense Appropriations Committees. In 2014, Chas left active duty and joined the U.S. Army Reserves, returning to Moultrie to raise his family and be closer to the farm where he was born and raised. Shortly after his return, he took on the role of County Administrator. As Chief Executive of the County, Chas has leveraged his Army leadership and management experience to reorganize and modernize county government operations with a focus on efficient, transparent, and honest stewardship of local tax dollars. Chas retired from the Army after 22 years of service as a Lieutenant Colonel. Today, along with his duties to Colquitt County and the General Assembly, Chas helps to run the day-today responsibilities of his family's farm and timber operation. In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from West Point, Chas also holds a Master of Professional Studies from The George Washington University and a graduate degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Chas is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Colquitt and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Georgia. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Forestry Association, a member of the Forest Landowners Association, the Longleaf Alliance, Georgia Farm Bureau, Ducks Unlimited, NWTF, Tall Timbers Advancement Committee, and serves as Vice President of the Colquitt Regional Medical Center Foundation Board. He is also an ex-officio member of the Parks & Recreation Authority, the Airport Authority, and the Economic Development Authority. He is a past Board member of the Boys and Girls Club. Finally, Chas is a member of Rotary, the local Volunteer Arts Alliance, the Congressional Sporting Society based in Washington, DC, and he also chairs several local annual non-profit events. Chas is a lifelong hunter and an avid outdoorsman. Chas is married to the former Elizabeth "Beth" Harrison of Moultrie. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Catherine and Allie. The Cannon family is deeply involved in their local community. Beth serves as the representative from District 6 on the Colquitt County Board of Education and on several local nonprofit boards. Catherine and Allie are both active in school sports and Future Farmers of America. The family are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Moultrie, where Chas has served as a Deacon and Elder as well as serving on the Pastoral Search Committee. |