A large animal veterinarian and Dawson County native will now try his hand at local politics.
Two weeks ago, 31-year-old Seth Stowers, owner and operator of Hillside Veterinary Services, qualified to run for the District 1 seat on the Board of Commissioners.
He will run unopposed after Jason Power, who also qualified to run for the seat, withdrew from the race.
During a March 16 phone interview, Power said that he qualified before Stowers, and after qualifying week’s end, he talked with him, having already known the younger man’s family from residing in the same area of Dawson County.
“I found him to be a capable young man. My goal, when I qualified, was to ensure what we’ve come to love and appreciate is kept love and appreciated,” Power said. “I appreciate his willingness to serve.”
Stowers graduated from veterinary school at the University of Georgia in 2018 and subsequently launched his practice. He serves as a relief veterinarian once a week at the Dawsonville Veterinary Hospital on Ga. 53.
Stowers was born and raised in Dawson County’s District 1. His family has “long standing roots” in that area. He plans on staying around for the rest of his life, as he bought his grandmother’s house, remodeled it and now resides there.
“I want my son to grow up in the manner that I did. I want him to grow up in the pasture and play, know all his neighbors…I want to maintain a small-town feel,” Stowers said.
Like many of his neighbors, he’s very passionate about keeping the northern part of the county as beautiful as possible.
“I know growth is inevitable and coming, and that’s part of being a county people want to come to,” Stowers added. “It’s good for businesses and people coming in and wanting a new atmosphere…but I’m kind of focused on keeping it (the district) agricultural.”
He’s thankful for the Ga. 400 corridor and not having to drive further away for necessities, and he hopes a lot of the growth can be concentrated there.
He also wants to see more road and bridge improvements since more people are relocating to the county.
“Growth is coming, but strategic growth is important,” Stowers said. “People see us (Dawson County) as growing, thriving and beautiful, but if we’re not careful, we can lose that quickly.”