Meet Fred

Fred was raised by a single mother in Macon, GA. Like many Georgia families, they worked hard, struggling to make ends meet. He consequently spent a lot of his childhood with his grandparents just outside of Macon, where he learned firsthand how agriculture can transform families and communities. They raised many vegetables on their property. For Fred, having access to fresh, healthy food gave him a sense of security and dignity on which he could build his life – something that is denied to far too many in our state. Fred went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Mercer University, and an MBA from Wesleyan College. Currently, Fred is an entrepreneur and a small business owner. He lives with his wife and son in Gainesville.

Fred has been fighting for his local community and for Georgia values for over a decade. He has been a champion for rural economic development within his capacity of Eighth Congressional District Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia and currently serves as a Vice-Chair for Greening Georgia, the environmental caucus of the party, where he spearheads sustainability initiatives throughout the state. He has also worked with business interests, legislators, and groups such as NORML to reform Georgia’s cannabis laws and regulations.

Fred was our Democratic Nominee for Agriculture Commissioner in 2018, running alongside Stacey Abrams with a shared vision to create a more equitable Georgia. Though he came just shy of victory, he energized Democrats around the importance of agricultural issues for the first time since Commissioner Tommy Irvin. Fred understands that the office of the Agriculture Commissioner does so much more than regulate our farms; it feeds our families, defends our workers, and protects our planet. Now, it’s more important than ever to take back this seat to ensure that agriculture works for all Georgians.