Mayor to seek a four-year term

Thrower was voted into office in a special election last June to fill the unexpired term of former mayor Booker T. Gainor, which ends Dec. 31, 2021.

“After much thought, prayer and consultation with my family I have decided I would like to continue serving as mayor. I will qualify later this year for a full four-year term. It is my hope that the citizens of Cairo believe I have served them well. I am highly impressed with my fellow councilmen, our city manager and our outstanding city employees. I look forward to continuing to work with each of them to help make Cairo an even greater community in which to live, work and play,” Mayor Thrower said.

The Messenger also learned this week that Mayor Thrower has been invited to be a part of the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission’s Strategic Planning Leadership team. The team includes mayors, economic development personnel, downtown development professionals, public safety personnel, medical professionals, educators, agri-business people, business owners, non-profit organization representatives, electric cooperative representatives and more.

The Regional Commission has contracted with the Center for Economic Development and Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology to conduct a targeted industry study and strategic economic development plan for the region.

According to Beka Shiver of the Regional Commission, nothing like this has been conducted for the region before. “The last two years have proved to us that we truly do live in a regional economy as a region, we are only as strong as our neighboring communities,” Shiver said.

“I’m excited about the prospects for this study and economic development plan. One of my goals as mayor is to be forward thinking and do what we can to move the city forward in a positive direction. As I said last year in announcing my original campaign, we must harness the talent our children have, not to save Cairo, but to bring it forward. I am hopeful that my service on this Strategic Planning Leadership team will help accomplish part of that goal,” Mayor Thrower said.

“The primary aim of this team is to make Southwest Georgia an economically resilient region and that falls in line with my wishes for Cairo. I believe this is a unique opportunity and I’m honored to be asked to participate,” he said.

The mayor is active in civic affairs and his church, Cairo First United Methodist Church.

He is currently serving as the chairman of the board of trustees of Roddenbery Memorial Library and has served as a trustee for the past five years. Thrower’s devotion to the public library dates back to his childhood. When he was 12 years old, he was hired by former librarian Wessie Connell to work at the library.

Thrower, a fifth generation Cairoite, and his wife Frances are the parents of three adult children: Katie, an attorney who lives in Marietta with her husband Daniel Parvis; Nick, an English teacher and soccer coach in his tenth year at Statesboro High School; and Macy, who is associated with the internet marketing management company Logical Position in Austin, Texas.

Upon graduating from Cairo High School in 1968, Thrower moved to Statesboro where he attended Georgia Southern University. He earned a B.A. degree in English and B.S. degree in journalism and also minored in psychology, anthropology, music and building technology.

While in Statesboro, he owned and operated a restaurant and lounge named The Bistro and it was there that he met his wife, Frances, who was a Georgia Southern English major minoring in journalism who interviewed him for an article in the college newspaper.

The mayor is a retired registered investment advisor with Valic, where he managed retirement accounts for the 2,500 school system and healthcare employees who were his clients.

Other city offices up for election this fall include District 2 and District 4 city council posts. Qualifying will be held August 16 through August 18, 2021.