Gomez makes Georgia history
By Jessica Pennamon-Cochran – Corporate Communications, Georgia Power (posted with permission from Georgia Power’s internal newsletter)
Monday, March 16, 2015 — Leonard Gomez, Georgia Power distribution specialist and Grantville city councilman, made Georgia history this year when he was elected to take on an additional ‘hat’ as Grantville’s mayor pro-tem.
Gomez is the first Latino to serve as mayor pro-tem in the state of Georgia. Grantville is a small city in south Coweta County.
A mayor pro-tem temporarily assumes mayoral duties in the event of a mayor’s absence due to vacation, sick leave, physical incapacity, impeachment, death or resignation. A mayor pro-tem is usually an appointed person from the city council.
“My first mentor, she said ‘Leonard, you have to grab life by the horns; just go for it and fight for what you believe,’ and each day, I stay true to this saying with every decision that I make,” said Gomez.
Born in west Texas, Gomez spent his early years with his parents, four sisters and five brothers.
“We were poor and really didn’t have any Christmases, but I never let that excuse me from living out my dreams,” Gomez said.
An avid supporter of community service, he has been involved in the communities where he lives, works and plays since the 1990s. From his days in Texas to his life in Georgia, Gomez said his commitment to community involvement comes from a sense of urgency to make life better for everyone, especially when it comes to economic growth and educational awareness.
Gomez moved to Georgia in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2006 that he began working for Georgia Power full-time as a distribution specialist. Prior to that, he worked as an engineer support representative for Rollins Inc. and
was a contractor for Georgia Power.
Gomez explained that Georgia Power allowed him to focus on community involvement on a different level. Truly committing to the company’s belief of “being a citizen wherever we serve,” Gomez joined Georgia Power’s
employee resource group AMIGOS and served as community chair for a few years.
He describes the journey from connecting with AMIGOS to being elected as mayor pro-tem as a chain reaction.
It was through AMIGOS that Gomez was introduced to the GALEO (Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials) Institute for Leadership, an organization that focuses on increasing civic engagement and leadership
opportunities for Georgia’s Latino community.
In 2013, his involvement with GALEO led him to run for a seat on the Grantville city council, a post he won. He has lived in Grantville for 10 years with his wife Kelly and dog Dallas.
“Right now, I wear two hats,” Gomez said. “One, as an ambassador for a great company while I’m at work; the other, as an ambassador for Grantville. I take both very seriously.”
Gomez’s pledge to Georgia Power and the community: “I pledge to support inclusion by treating my colleagues and the members of my community with dignity and respect. I will do my part to ensure that inclusion is at the core of what I do every day.”