Stephanie Snodgrass has announced her candidacy for Covington County Commission District No. 4.

Snodgrass, who is running on the Republican ticket, is a 1995 graduate of Florala High School. She studied journalism at Troy University and spent the majority of her professional career in the newspaper business.

“I have always been interested and involved in government – especially on a local level,” Snodgrass said. “Those who participate have the ability to change our community. For nearly 20 years as a reporter, I watched as others made decisions that impacted our everyday lives. Today, I want to use what I’ve learned to help build an effective and accountable government. Together, we can grow jobs and make our community stronger.”

Snodgrass began as a reporter at The Opp News and then was the news editor at The Andalusia Star News for more than eight years. She was later promoted to president and publisher of The Brewton Standard. In 2017, she left the trade to work in the non-profit sector as a member of the national development team for Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP), a national organization providing community and life changing programs to youth and families across the United States. She is based in Andalusia.

“I hope to bring a fresh voice to today’s county commission,” she said. “It’s my life’s work to listen and to ask questions – the who, the what, the where, the why, and most importantly, how will this affect us.”

Snodgrass said economic growth, building partnerships and fiscal responsibility are her top three priorities.

“Growth and partnerships go hand-in-hand,” she said. ““Today, our cities and towns are competing for economic growth on a scale never seen before. Economic growth is only seen when people invest in Covington County. To do that, we need relationships with everyone from our mayors and councils, legislators and small business owners to those operating on a larger economic scale, and ask – ‘How can we help?’

“We also need to look at county operations and ask our people, ‘What do you need to be successful?’”

As for continuing fiscal responsibility in county government, Snodgrass said this area is about accountability.

“Through my experience running a newspaper, and now my work with YAP, I know how important and difficult it is to work successfully within a budget,” she said. “That’s a fact for every citizen and any budget. We must find ways to create win-win experiences for county employees and taxpayers alike.

“If elected, I will always be available to discuss ways we can build a better community for our families,” Snodgrass said.

In addition to her professional experience, Snodgrass has held a number of civic positions to include Andalusia Chamber of Commerce director, Andalusia Lions Club member, Covington County Parent Advocacy Committee member and community liaison, as well as Brewton Kiwanis Club president and vice president, Brewton Rotary Club member and Escambia County (AL) Child Advocacy board member.

She also currently volunteers as the public relations chair for “Cookies with Characters” for Meredith’s Miracles and works as a freelance magazine writer for Alabama Living.

She is married to Wesley Snodgrass, the former Chief Criminal Investigator for the Covington County Sheriff’s Office and now an Alabama Deputy State Fire Marshal. The couple, who reside in Gantt, has five children – William, 20, who works at Walmart; Ora Nelson, 19, a sophomore at Troy University; Amy Elizabeth, 17, a student at Opp High School; Mia Nelson, 15, and Dianna-Grace Nelson, 14, both students at Andalusia High School.

Snodgrass said she welcomes questions or comments via email at ssnodgrass.covington.commission@gmail.com or private message on Facebook at Stephanie Nelson Snodgrass.