Candidate Profile: Dominique Conteh, Douglas County Board District 4

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Four candidates are running to represent District 4 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners in the May 24 General Primary Election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary draws near.

Dominique Conteh is running for Douglas County Board of Commissioners District 4.

Name: Dominique Conteh

Campaign website: Vote for Dominique Conteh

City of residence: Villa Rica

Office sought: Douglas County Board of Commissioners District 4

Party affiliation: Democrat

Education: Bachelor's degrees (political science and criminal justice with concentration in law enforcement), Master's degree (human behavioral), psychology doctorate-ABD (organizational psychology)

Occupation: Professor and small-business owner

Family: I have two handsome sons, ages 22 and 15, who attend the University of Kentucky in Lexington and Alexander High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Previous public office, appointive or elective: Carroll County NAACP; Political Action Chair

Age: 43

Why are you seeking this office? I’m running for county commissioner for District 4 to represent my neighbors, friends and family, who have expressed their despair with the lack of support and proper representation for our community. My focus will be on the following to assist district 4:

• Fiscal Responsibility: Making sure that our milage rate and property tax doesn’t increase; in particular, during a pandemic
  
• Visibility and Transparency: Hosting quarterly town hall meetings and making sure to have monthly newsletters to keep the community involved and updated on decisions, activities and upcoming meetings throughout the district and the city as a whole.
  
• Economic Development: As a small business owner myself, it’s imperative that small businesses have the support of their commissioner. Additionally, transportation and infrastructure is also important to me; specifically, the lack of roadwork that has caused potholes throughout the district and city.
  
• Support Veterans Assistance: As a Marine veteran, assisting fellow veterans with employment, mental health and homelessness is near and dear to my heart. No veteran should be homeless in our country. As commissioner I would want to spearhead or assist with facilitating the new program the county is in the process of developing for veterans.
  
• Support Budget Increase for First Responders: I wholeheartedly support the police, firefighters and EMT. Pay increases along with hiring additional staff for all professions would be a priority for me.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it. The one main issue that is important to me regarding District 4 as county commissioner that I would laser-focus on is the economic development. In our district we lack the roadwork and infrastructure improvement; specifically, our potholes, lack of sidewalks for safety, renovating our public parks (dire need), developing a playground with disability accessibility and a dog park. District 4 has a plethora of families who don’t have the proper amenities. Our families deserve rectification of the issues I have presented and more to make their living environment more pleasant, safe and family friendly.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I have 25 years of public service, which span from me being a Marine veteran; Carroll County NAACP, Political Action Chair; member of the Order of the Eastern Star (OES), who’s assisted homeless citizens and domestic violence victims in West Georgia, as well as a community activist. My experiences in educational leadership, diversity leadership, military leadership and community-based leadership provide a broad spectrum of understanding to ensure board of commissioner decisions reflect the entire community. Additionally, my vast experience in collaborating and working as part of a team would be beneficial for our community; along with asking the tough questions at board of commissioner’s meetings and being a voice for the entire community, not a select few.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign? I hope we can have implementation of trust-based relational intervention for teaching. I also hope to bring focus to the areas that can seem forgotten because they are not mainstream.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I have 25 years of public service, which span from me being a Marine veteran; Carroll County NAACP, Political Action Chair; member of the Order of the Eastern Star (OES), who’s assisted homeless citizens and domestic violence victims in West Georgia, as well as a community activist. My experiences in educational leadership, diversity leadership, military leadership and community-based leadership provide a broad spectrum of understanding to ensure board of commissioner decisions reflect the entire community.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? Your "setback" is a "setup" for something greater in your life.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised overseas in Wiesbaden, Germany. I have been a homeowner in Douglas County for 10 lovely years.