Jones County’s Extension coordinator, Frank Sears, spent his last day in his office as a full-time employee for the University of Georgia and Jones County March 31, and he said it was a busy one.

Beginning April 1, Sears will be working two days a week. The Jones County Board of Commissioners voted at their Feb. 3 meeting to pay the agent’s salary for three months. The county’s intervention was part of a plan by the university to keep an agent working in Jones County until their fiscal year begins July 1.

At that time Sears will be employed by UGA to work 2.5 days a week in Jones County with the plan to hire a full-time agent in 2010. The agent said he will do everything he can during the limited time he will be working.

He said his days in the office will be flexible, but the office staff will have his schedule. Clients need to call the extension office to set up an appointment.

Sears has worked for UGA for 29.5 years, and with his vacation and sick time, leaves with over 31 years on the books. His first day of employment was Oct. 1, 1979, and he was appointed County Extension coordinator in Jones county April 1, 2004, following the retirement of Diane Sumner.

He said the biggest difference he has seen over the years is technology.

“We can return information and respond to needs a lot more efficiently. Computers have made us more efficient and smarter,” he noted.

A party was held in the agent’s honor March 27, and at that time he was presented a resolution from State Rep. Bubber Epps issued from the Georgia House of Representatives in honor of his service.

Sears and his family have lived in Jones County since 1990 and before that lived here a year and a half, which was long enough to want to come back.

“We decided we wanted to make a home here. The school system is really good, and the people are the best,” he said.

Sears said, after moving away from Jones County, he realized this is where he wanted to raise his family. He and his wife Mary have two sons, Kyle and Derek.

“The Lord led us here, and this is where we want to stay,” he added.

Sears’ retirement plans include hunting, fishing, and maybe even a cruise with his wife. He said his son Derek is going to play in a golf tournament in New York, and he plans take the opportunity to watch his son play and do some sightseeing.

“And, of course, there is Georgia football. Kyle and I enjoy going to the games together,” he said.

Sears said people are Jones County’s biggest asset. He said he and his family enjoy attending Bradley Baptist Church. He said, when his boys were small and he had to go out of town, he did not worry about his family.

“I knew Mary had people she could depend on even though we didn’t have any family here,” he said.

Sears said when they first moved to Jones County, they put a trailer on a piece of land that belonged to George and Frances Thornton, who were also the first friends they made. When they came back the second time to stay, they bought a house.

“We may not have had family here when we moved, but now we feel like we have a lot of family here,” he commented.