Interview by Flowery Branch High intern Grace Slayton
Meet Lieutenant Kelley Edwards! Edwards is married to Kelly and has been working for the Hall County Sherriff’s Office for the past 25 years. Formerly, Kelley was a search and rescue dive team leader, and currently he is an instructor at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Edwards says his favorite thing about living in Hall County is the diversity.
“There’s a lot of good people here that still have small town values, but it’s grown to be bigger than a small town. It’s not metro Atlanta, but it’s not small town Hall County, like it used to be. It’s somewhere in between, but it still has that hometown feel to it,” he said. 
We want to thank Sgt. Kelly for recently spending time with us and telling is more about his life and love of Hall County.
Question: What lead you to your current career?
Answer: “I grew up in a law enforcement family, my dad was a deputy sheriff for the county, and it was just something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Q: What’s your favorite childhood memory?
A: “Probably, the lake.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “Be polite, and think about other people before you think about yourself.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in Hall County?
A: “I once met Arnold Schwarzenegger. They were doing a movie here, and I actually ate lunch with him. He was really cool, because he was someone famous without a famous attitude. He sat down and talked with us, and wanted to know what we did and all that stuff.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A: “Mac’s Pit Stop Grill. I love the breakfast there, because it reminds me of my dad.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I would love to drive a race car at Road Atlanta.”
Q: What local business makes you the most nostalgic about Hall County?
A: “The ones that are owner operated, like the small restaurants that families run, and put their heart and soul into.”
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “Well, one, it’s where I work, but that’s not my most favorite thing. It’s very diverse. There’s a lot of good people here that still have small town values, but it’s grown to be bigger than a small town. It’s not metro Atlanta, but it’s not small town Hall County, like it used to be. It’s somewhere in between, but it still has that hometown feel to it.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years?
A: “Probably still working for the sheriff’s office, and hopefully on a small piece of property, 10 or so acers, with a small hobby farm.”
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I would love to be a mom & pop restaurant owner. I like to cook, and I would love to have my own restaurant where families come to have breakfast or lunch.”
Q: What three words mean “Home” to you?
A: “Family, back yard fire, and coffee.”
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.