When Oakwood Mayor Lamar Scroggs called Stan Brown in 2004 to see if he might be interested in the job as the city manager, Brown admits he wasn't even sure where Oakwood was.
"I was actually [working] over in Jackson County and I had heard of Oakwood, but I didn't know where it was physically located," Brown said. "I knew where Gainesville was, I knew where Flowery Branch was, but I had to get a DOT map to really get a feel for where Oakwood was."
It didn't take Brown long after he found Oakwood on that map to embrace the city as his own. He took the city manager's job with the goal of making sure the rest of North Georgia would know exactly where Oakwood was located.
At a Tuesday night retirement reception at Oakwood City Hall, Brown reflected on the challenges that prompted him to remain in the job for 16 years.
"The challenges we had with growth and the economy and trying to provide services during difficult times, you get really vested - you want to make a difference," Brown said. "When you're the manager...it's kind of like it's your ship and you want to see it succeed."
Brown pointed to three areas of pride during his tenure - coordination of sewer service for Oakwood, transportation improvements for the city and working with the University of North Georgia as the campus expanded.
"There's a lot of energy around here and I think the infrastructure that we've been able to work on and transportation and sewer have really helped us to be ready for growth," Brown said.
The sewer system project was one that required collaboration with Braselton, Flowery Branch and Gainesville. Mayor Scroggs said building bridges between Oakwood and other municipalities was one of Brown's areas of expertise.
"He just a true leader all the way around," Scroggs said. "He worked close with Flowery Branch, close with Gainesville...he worked close with Braselton, Buford, all of the cities, and not only that, [but] the counties through the Carl Vinson Institute."
While Scroggs said he will miss Brown's leadership, he'll likely miss his friendship more. He said Brown was a true friend when Scroggs' wife was battling cancer four years ago.
"He's just a really good Christian man, and that's the bottom line for me," Scroggs said. "He and I could pray about things...you have to have that kind of relationship...the trust was there, you know."
Brown said his retirement from the City of Oakwood aligns with his retirement from the U.S. Air Force Reserve. However, he's not quite ready to leave his professional life for a life of leisure.
"I will start next month working with the Georgia Municipal Association," Brown said. "I'll be a member services consultant with them. My main focus will be on North Georgia."
Brown's last day on the job in Oakwood is Friday, Feb. 28. Oakwood Community Development Director B.R. White will transition into the city manager's post after that date.
