Meet the Candidates: Suzanne Thomason

Suzanne Thomason, a 30-year resident of Austell, is seeking a position as At-Large Post 2 councilwoman.  Thomason is an office manager at a psychiatrist’s office, who worked as a paraprofessional at Austell Elementary for 10 years. She was also PTA president at the school.

This scrapbooking, gardening mother and wife said she is running to “try to make changes. I just feel like we’re not going anywhere. We’re stagnant.”

Cleaning up the city and helping foster business growth within the city limits are her two main priorities.

“Bringing businesses and bringing jobs to Austell” is what she would like to acoomplish most if elected, though she said she is unsure “just how to do that right now in this economy.”

After she and her husband of 32 years, Tony, decided earlier this year that they were going to stay in Austell longer, Thomason decided she was going to take action to help improve her community.

“It’s a good city to live in,” she said. “I just want to help make it better.”

She said she was tired of being someone who “just sits back” when it comes to making changes in the city she’s lived in for most of her life, the place she and her husband raised their 28-year-old daughter, Jennifer.

Despite her lack of political experience, Thomason said she would be able to bring her skills learned while serving in leadership positions, her ability to work well with others and her willingness to learn about the laws and codes of the city.

Perhaps the reason Thomason “works well with people,” as she put it is because of her love for the people of Austell.

“Everybody is friendly. I’ve got so many friends here. We pull together. I think it’s the (strong sense of) community” that she loves most about Austell.

She certainly has vision for Austell, and she plans to offer new ideas.

“I would love to see Austell be like Kennesaw or Smyrna,” she said, noting that the two cities have experienced substantial growth and revitalization in recent years. 

She grew up in Smyrna and now works there, and she has seen the dramatic changes the city has experienced over the years.

 “And Austell could do that,” she said.

Thomason said being a councilwoman at first would be a learning process. She said she, like many other residents, does not fully understand the city’s codes and ordinances. Once she does learn more as councilwoman, she would use the knowledge to take action.

“Once I know I can make changes, I’ll make changes. I’m not afraid to speak out and say something,” she said.

“I just want to make a difference.”