Jere Wood Reflects On Tenure As Roswell Mayor

ROSWELL, GA — When you ask outgoing Roswell Mayor Jere Wood what he is most proud of during his 20-year tenure with the city, the first thing that comes to his mind isn't the bustling Canton Street district or the city's growing craft beer presence. It's not even Roswell being named a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists for 11 consecutive years, an odd omission from a man known for his love of cycling.

What is Wood most proud of? The acquisition of more than 700 acres of land the city has set aside for park space. Since he formally took office in 1998, Roswell has grown from 32 to 42 square miles, added seven new parks and tripled the acre of park space from 314.7 acre to more than 1,000 acres. This "lasting achievement," Wood said, is an important milestone since development and redevelopment has eaten away the amount of vacant property in the city.

"I think I came a long at the right time to set aside land to be purchased," he told Patch, who sat down with Wood last week at his law office — a 1830's restored dog trot cabin — situated at the corner of Canton and Woodstock streets.

It's also a "good time," Wood said, for him to close a chapter in this long, sometimes bumpy, story of a lawyer who began his career when Roswell could be classified as a small town to the CEO of a city whose population is knocking on the 100,000-door.

Wood will hand over reins of Roswell to Lori Henry, who will be joined by four new Council members: Matt Judy, Marie Willsey, Sean Groer and Matthew Tyser. When asked how he's handling the shrinking window of time as Roswell's mayor, Wood told Patch it's "always tough to leave a place you've been for all those years."

"I think this is a good transition," he said. "You want to leave at the top of your game."

While Roswell's second mayor in the last 50 years boasts a certain confidence needed to withstand any criticism or verbal threats that could be hurled his way, Wood is well aware that the city will continue to thrive once he's packed up his boxes and bids farewell to City Hall. Roswell has an energetic crop of elected officials who are ready to make their mark in public service. He told Patch he feels good about the new Council members taking office.

“There’s going to be a lot of learning," he added. "There’s a big learning curve and I’m sure they’ll get through it.”

Along with the city's massive growth in park land, Roswell in the last 20 years acquired Barrington and Mimosa halls, constructed two new fire stations and a water treatment plant. In 2012, Roswell Inc was established and works to support and expand the city's business community. In a proclamation issued earlier this month to honor Wood, the city notes Roswell Inc's efforts have resulted in the city's appraised value of real estate growing from $3 billion to $11 billion.

One thing that Wood said did blow up in his face during his tenure was a bid to annex formerly unincorporated land along Holcomb Bridge Road east of Ga. 400 up to the Country Club of the South neighborhood. That land, as readers know, became part of Johns Creek when it incorporated in 2006. Wood said there was support on both sides, but those who were against Roswell's bid had more clout. What's ironic, he told Patch, is that if he'd been successful in annexing that land, he may have not been successful in his for re-election.

"There are always regrets," he said. "You can't look at the pieces as much as the whole, and there’s always things you would have liked to have achieved. But I exceed my expectations. I got more done than I’d originally set out to do."

Meeting and exceeding those expectations has not come without some controversy along the way. Most notably is a court decision that ruled Wood was ineligible to seek a fifth, four-year term in 2013 due to the City Council requesting and state legislature approving term limits. Hours after the decision was handed down, Wood formally announced he would not be seeking re-election to a sixth term and would appeal the decision.

He also filed a lawsuit against the city when it rejected his request to construct a one-and-a-half story, 3,000-square-foot wood frame house at the corner of Canton and Woodstock streets. The City Council voted earlier this year to settle the lawsuit filed by the mayor so he could move forward with the project.

Outgoing City Council member Jerry Orlans, who served Roswell for 25 years, admitted Wood came into office a little "brash." The pair both had their differences of opinions and conflicts over time, but "we learned to work well together."

Orlans added he and the mayor have a common interest in expanding the city's trail network, but went about slightly different ways to achieve that goal. Wood focused on bike paths alongside other vehicles while Orlans wanted to focus on trails that were for the entire family.

"He’s done a great job," he added. "Somewhat controversial, but he's always done what he thought was the best."

Those who served alongside Wood say he has a unique way of approaching problems and laying out his vision for Roswell. Former City Council member Becky Wynn, who served for eight years until she was defeated in 2015, said the mayor is a "character" who has a special way of running the city. When she was first elected, Wood decided to "test" her by naming her transportation liaison for the city, Wynn told Patch.

"What I found out about him is he’s a visionary," she said. "He has a thing in his mind that nobody ever dreamed of doing. It might have taken him to 10 years to get it done, but he got it done.”

Wynn said she's sad to see Wood leave office, but added he's leaving at a good time and can appreciate the magnitude of the things he's done for the city over the last two decades. She added the mayor's passion for Roswell will be his most-lasting legacy.

"When the dust settles, people will really see Jere Wood for what he really did for our city and I think his legacy will be forever," she added. "It will withstand anything and everything that happens. I'm very proud and honored I got to serve with him and we became friends."

The change over the last 20 years in Roswell isn't lost on the man Wood defeated in the 1997 mayoral upset. Pug Mabry, who turned 90 earlier this year, noted the transition from public life to private life isn't an easy stroll in the park, but believes Mayor Wood will have no problem adjusting.

"After having served for 31 years as mayor of Roswell, I would be lying if I said it was an easy adjustment walking away from it," he told Patch in a statement. "However, I left as a proud man, knowing that I had done the very best I could do for the citizens of Roswell and for the city that I dearly love. You asked me to comment on Mayor Wood's 20 years in office and I honestly have to say that I have not followed closely with how our tax dollars have been spent over the last 20 years. But I can say that I am aware of additions to our parks and trails that I am very proud of and there are some things that I am not so proud of that have taken place or are in the process of taking place. Maybe it's 'progress' and I'm not up to speed anymore with that word so I don't mean to offend anyone. I wish Mayor Wood an easy transition and happy future and thank him for his accomplishments."

Wood grew up roaming what used to be fields and farm land around Roswell. He graduated in 1974 from the University of Georgia with a degree in economics and a law degree in 1974. He initially started his career practicing law in Atlanta, but moved back home to Roswell to open the Wood & Perry law firm with partner Richard Perry.

Before entering elected office, Wood was president of the Greenway Community Club, president of the North Fulton Bar Association, chair of the High Meadows School board and president of the Roswell Historical Society. As mayor, he's represented the north Fulton area on the Atlanta Regional Commission Board of Directors and Roswell for the North Fulton Mayors Association and the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association.

Along with cycling and mountain biking, Wood regularly works in his saw mill on his property for a number of building projects and also enjoys other outdoor activities.

Roswell, whose population has swelled from 55,000 to about 95,000 in 20 years, has also received numerous recognitions, some of which include being named One of the Top Three Cities in the Nation to Raise a Family (Frommer's 2006); the Sixth Best Place in America to Retire (Black Enterprise Magazine, September 2008); the 18th Safest City in the United States (FBI Crime Statistics 2007); a Top 20 Cities in the United States with a Population Under 100,000 (Money Magazine); and the for the second time the 2016 Best Place to Live in Metro Atlanta (Atlanta Magazine); Georgia Municipal Association 2017 Live, Work, Play City Award; The National Recreation and Parks Association’s (NPRA) 2017 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management. The Roswell Police Department has also been awarded national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation For Law Enforcement Agencies.

Its historic, recreation and cultural programs have also expanded over the last two decades, the city notes. Its most notable attractions are Alive in Roswell, its Black History Month celebration, Riverside Concert Series, Caroling on Canton and its Fourth of July and End of Summer celebrations.

This lineup of recurring popular series and accolades are enough to make any municipality green with envy, but none of this could have been possible without the men and women who work behind the scenes to keep Roswell churning along, Wood told Patch. These city staff members, along with other volunteers and fellow elected officials, are just as deserving of praise for their quiet, yet effective efforts in putting Roswell on the map.

Now that his days as mayor are at an end, Wood is now shifting his focus to his bid to become the next state representative for House District 48. The seat currently held by his nemesis Betty Price, who previously served with Wood on the City Council and who the mayor accused of supporting the lawsuit filed by resident Michael Litten to oust him from office. Once the holidays are over, Wood said he will swing full-gear into campaign mode.

But he's not leaving the office of mayor without offering some words of wisdom to those who will be sworn into office once January rolls around. The biggest question he asks himself before making any decision, Wood said, is whether it make Roswell a better place. He also said elected officials must be prepared for and accept change. If the city can adapt to change, Roswell will continue to be a great place to work, raise a family and even start your own business.

"You have to be deliberate and careful about what you do, but you have to be willing to take positions...that change the status quo," he said. "If you're not willing to change the status quo, you’re eventually become a dinosaur."

Images via city of Roswell