Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 21,2018
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A
Dawson native talks working on Kemp campaign
Forthe Dawson County News
Governor-Elect Brian Kemp poses with Cody Hall and his wife, Taylor, and
daughter, Vera.
kemf.
o V E R N o R
keep cBOpmH
Forthe Dawson County News
Hall's now 2-month-old daughter Vera reps Kemp
for Governor with a onesie and a big smile.
Allie Dean Dawson County News
Dawson County native Cody Hall serves as press
secretary for Governor Elect Brian Kemp.
Cody Hall
is press
secretary for
governor elect
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
Cody Hall comes from
several generations of
Dawson County resi
dents. A star soccer play
er, chamber singer and
honor student, he gradu
ated from Dawson
County High School in
2012 as class president
with political aspirations
and a wide world ahead.
He’s currently helping
Governor Elect Brian
Kemp transition into the
highest office in the state-
the governor’s office at
the capitol- as part of his
duties as press secretary
for Kemp’s campaign.
Hall calls the position a
“dream job.” And for the
founder of the Dawson
County Teenage
Republicans club in high
school, it’s a job he’s well
prepared for.
Hall, 24, attended the
University of Georgia,
where he was an active
member of Phi Kappa Psi
fraternity and graduated a
semester early with a
political science degree.
His real job training
came in the form of
internships with former
Congressman Paul Broun
in 2013, Congressman
Jody Hice in 2014 and
Georgia State Rep. David
Ralston in the spring of
2015, as well as gigs at
consulting firms.
He worked for
Agriculture Commissioner
Gary Black for a while
(someone he calls a great
friend and mentor) then
transitioned to the Georgia
Chamber of Commerce,
where he worked for
seven months before
embarking on what he
called a “crazy risk,”
working on Hunter Hill’s
campaign for Governor
through May of 2018.
“I was thinking ‘what
now,’ and I was working
at the Secretary of State’s
office for about a month
when Kemp won the run
off and I came on board as
his press secretary,” Hall
said.
Working under a com
munications director,
press relations is about 80
percent of what he does
day-to-day.
That includes forming
relationships with the
press, fielding questions,
pitching stories, writing
press releases and prep-
ping Kemp for media
appearances.
“There’s never a nor
mal day. You usually find
out between the hours of
5 a.m. and 9 a.m. if
you’re going to have a
good day,” Hall said.
“You have to be willing
to adapt and keep cool
and have realistic expec
tations when you’re talk
ing to the media ... when
I’m pitching them a story
and an angle I have to
know that what I’m ask
ing is realistic.”
Nearly daily through
out the campaign, Hall’s
emails have filled inbox
es notifying press of the
latest developments.
Since the election Nov.
6, the press releases have
declared Kemp the win
ner with 50.3 percent of
the vote, rebuked Stacey
Abrams’ refusal to con
cede and referenced
Kemp’s future as the gov
ernor of Georgia despite
lack of a certified winner.
“We’re confident in
the math so we’ve moved
forward with the transi
tion from the current staff
to the new staff and there
is a $26 billion budget to
get ready for January.
That’s going according to
plan,” he said. “What’s
changed is the media nar
rative nationally and in
some local media- people
want to talk about the
election. We’re focused
on the transition and
what’s next and that’s
tough when the media
narrative is contrary.”
Hall said the worst part
of the job is always elec
tion night.
“I’m a nervous pacer,
so I wore out a spot on
the carpet,” he said. “It’s
the worst because there is
nothing you can do. You
have to get right with
God that you did every
thing you could- it’s the
best reminder that we
serve a higher power, you
can work your tail off but
ultimately it’s His plan if
you succeed. I choose to
believe it’s not by
chance.”
Hall said he’s proud of
the professionalism dem
onstrated in the cam
paign.
“We ran a disciplined
campaign, not commit
ting a lot of unforced
errors- like in football,
the fewer errors you
make the more likely you
are to win,” Hall said.
His support of the man
is just as unwavering as
his support of the cam
paign.
“I’ve always been
impressed with (Kemp)
because he is honest. He’s
loyal to a fault and has
shown kindness to me and
others when we probably
didn’t deserve it,” Hall
said. “He’s very consis
tent- one of the ads we
did with his wife Marty
she said he was ‘steady as
a rock.’ He’s a straight
ahead kind of guy, always
respects your opinion and
leads by example. He
works harder than anyone
I’ve ever met.”
Hall said he is happy to
hold the position he has
on Kemp’s team, though
he acknowledges it can be
hard to make a living
working on campaigns.
“It’s been an incredible
opportunity and a dream
job for me. Every day is
different and I’m always
moving,” he said. “My
wife has been great and
supportive and I couldn’t
have done it without that
support.”
And he’s not too wor
ried about where the
future will take him.
“When I was in college
I thought I had to have a
plan, I’m going to do this
then this then this, but I
can’t predict what God
has in store for me and
my family so I’ve stopped
trying,” Hall said. “I’m
focused on being a good
dad and husband and
being ready for whatever
comes. If you try to fol
low your plan, not God’s,
you start missing what
His plan is for you.”
Hall married Taylor in
May 2017 and they have
a 2-month-old daughter,
Vera. They reside in
Dawsonville.
NORTHSIDE
FAMILY MEDICINE &
URGENT CARE
DAWSON
81 Northside Dawson Drive, Suite 100
Dawsonville, GA 30534
Monday - Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Call 706-216-6000 for an appointment
NorthsideUrgentCare.com
Steve Gooch to continue
as Senate Majority Whip
From staff reports
State Sen. Steve Gooch,
R-Dahlonega, was recent
ly nominated and elected
to serve as Majority Whip
of the Senate
Majority Caucus
in the Georgia
General Assembly.
Gooch was re
elected by the
Georgia Senate
Majority Caucus
on Nov. 13.
He was elected
to the Georgia
Senate in 2010 to repre
sent the 51st district,
which includes all of
Dawson County as well
as Fannin, Gilmer,
Lumpkin, Union and
White counties and por
tions of Forsyth and
Pickens counties.
“I’m honored that my
colleagues have entrusted
me to continue serving as
a leader in our caucus,”
said Gooch. “I look for
ward to continuing to ful
fill my duties as a leader
in our body and working
with our caucus and the
legislature as a whole as
we build a stronger
Georgia, as well as serv
ing the constituents of my
senate district.”
In this role, Gooch’s
primary responsibility
will be to research legisla
tion, educate and
inform caucus
members and
ensure a full cau
cus presence dur
ing important leg
islative votes.
The Majority
Whip is the third
ranking leadership
position within the
Majority Caucus.
Gooch was first elected
to serve as Majority Whip
in 2014 and currently
serves as secretary of the
Senate Appropriations
Committee, vice-chair
man of the Senate
Transportation
Committee, ex-officio of
the Senate Assignments
and Senate Rules
Committees and as a
member of the Senate
Finance, MARTOC and
Regulated Industries and
Utilities Committees.
Other north Georgia
legislators were also elect
ed to top positions Nov.
13, including Sen. Butch
Miller, R-Gainesville,
who will continue his role
as President Pro Tempore,
and Sen. John Wilkinson,
R-Toccoa, who was nomi
nated to continue the posi
tion of Majority Caucus
Secretary.
CORRECTION NOTICE
The Nov. 22,2018 Best Buy® print ad
has an error. The HP Desktop
460-P214 (SKU: 6298323) on page 13
is no longer available for purchase.
We apologize for this error.
Gooch
Welcoming New Patients!
Northside Family Medicine & Urgent Care is here for the needs
of your entire family. You'll find a commitment to personalized
care, with a focus on communication.
For your busy lifestyle, we offer extended office hours and
Saturday appointments to help you find time for the routine
medical care you and your family need. We accept most insurance
plans, and offer a convenient location for the Dawsonville
community on the Northside/Dawson Medical Campus.
Services
• Routine medical care
• Blood sugar checks and diabetes management
• Hypertension screening and management
• Allergy treatment
• Physical exams (by appointment only)
• Sports/School physicals
Daniel J. Musser, M.D.
Family Practice Medicine
Stephen M. Cox, D.O.
Family Practice Medicine