Bruce B. Holmes

District 5 Commissioner
Henry County Board of Commissioners

Bruce Holmes has had a lifelong commitment to helping others and giving back to his community. His election to the Henry County Board of Commissioners is a continuation of this service to others.

Although Bruce has deep family roots in Jones County Georgia, he was born on a military base in El Paso, TX while his father was serving in the United States Air Force. After being raised in Michigan he moved on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in 1987 and went on to earn his Masters in Business Management from the University of Minnesota St. Mary’s.

Shortly after his election, Commissioner Holmes established the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation (CBHYF) with mentoring components called “Project Exposure” & “Project Blossom” which helps to guide youth in a positive direction by exposing them to environments meant to open their minds to potentially new possibilities and horizons. The athletic component of the foundation works in conjunction with the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department and hundreds of young people in baseball, football, kick ball, wrestling, cheerleading and basketball year after year.

As District 5 Commissioner, he continues to create and grow opportunities to serve and support his community in areas of public safety, quality of life, transportation infrastructure and business development.

Commissioner Bruce Holmes is married to Antoinette "Toni" Holmes and has four children and two granddaughters. He is Vice President of WeAreHr, LLC.  Prior to his current position, Commissioner Holmes enjoyed a successful career in the Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Molecular Diagnostics Industry, with 20 years in national accounts managing large health care systems across the country.

He is a member of the Prince Hall’s St. James Lodge #4, Nabbar Temple #128 in Atlanta, GA, the Atlanta Consistory #24A, the Stockbridge-Jonesboro (GA) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, the Henry County NAACP and The DeKalb One-Hundred Black Men.

After just two years into his first term, Commissioner Holmes was honored by two prominent minority business organizations for his work in the community. He is the first and only person from Henry County to achieve these honors.

The Georgia Minority Business Awards (GMBA) named him the 2013 Commissioner of the Year. This award is presented to individuals who exemplify leadership, commitment to industrious and professional growth, charity towards their fellow man and most importantly their belief in living “success.” The GMBA Awards began 16 years ago as a way to recognize outstanding minority owned businesses in Georgia for their achievements in community, personal and company growth. Since then, it has grown to include other awards in different industries and business sectors, including entertainment, technology, education, non-profit, and government.

Over the last several years, Commissioner Holmes has enjoyed many honors, including being named as a prominent black business leader in the Who’s Who in Black Atlanta. The publication highlights the positive achievements of African-Americans who have made their mark in their professions or in service to others in their community while also providing a valuable resource and networking guide for the community.

Commissioner Holmes was honored by the Henry County Chapter of the NAACP at its 2013 Freedom Fund Banquet, where he was presented with the President’s Award. The President’s Award is given to an individual or group to recognize special achievement in furthering the cause of civil rights and public service. Commissioner Holmes was selected to receive the award because of his work as County Commissioner to help create jobs and promote economic development in the County and for his service to the community, particularly for his work on behalf of young people through the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation. Commissioner Holmes was also presented the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) Community Service Award.

Commissioner Holmes was honored by the Atlanta Business League (ABL) as one of 2014’s “Men of Influence.” For many years, the Atlanta Business League has recognized business owners, professionals, and community and civic leaders in Metropolitan Atlanta. The distinguished list reflects the names of black men in metro Atlanta communities who have reached senior level positions within their profession, are leading entrepreneurs in their industry, have proven history-making feats or have attained the ability to influence large public bodies politically and in government. In addition to professional accomplishments, the “Men of Influence” have demonstrated their commitment to the citizenry of Metro Atlanta by maintaining significant involvement and participation in community and civic activities.

Commissioner Holmes continually strives to best serve his constituents and in October 2014, completed the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia’s (ACCG) Lifelong Learning Academy Certified County Commissioner Program. To earn the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy core certification, he was required to complete eight courses as well as a two-day Leadership Academy for a total of 66 credit hours, which included County Government 101, County Government Law, Finance, Human Resources, Ethics, Property Appraisal and Taxation, Economic Development, Public Health and Safety and Leadership.

In January 2015, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) Board of Managers appointed Commissioner Holmes to the ACCG-Group Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund Board of Trustees. The GSIWCF's Board of Trustees is a seven-member board from participating counties that manages the Group Self-Insurance Workers' Compensation Fund, and Commissioner Holmes said he was “honored to have been chosen to help grow and maintain this important program.”

Additionally, he was appointed by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency as the County Commission representative on the AREA 7 all Hazards Council and the Georgia Homeland Security Council, where he helps to develop response and recovery strategies for all potential hazards. In August 2015, Commissioner Holmes helped facilitate and host the inaugural meeting of the NAB Vets of the Southern Crescent, Chapter 112, and during the group’s installation meeting, he was made an honorary member.

On February 6, 2016, Commissioner Holmes was honored by the Henry county Chamber of Commerce at its 49th Annual Awards Banquet and Dinner. He was given the W.L. “Billy” Carter Public Service Award in recognition of his significant and lasting contributions to Henry County.

Commissioner Holmes is honored to be recognized for his efforts to improve economic development and make Henry County a better place to live, work and play. He points to several projects and initiatives that he believes contributed to his receiving these honors:

• The Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation has received a lot of attention because of the dedicated volunteers that give their time and energy to help work with and develop our youth.
• Investments in District 5 and Fairview are developing it into a health & wellness community, providing connectivity through multi-use walking trails, bike trails and beautification, including the development of the Kelleytown bike trails and the Panola State Park walking trails.
• The opening of the New Fairview Police Precinct in the Fairview Business District is making residents feel safer and better supports businesses in the area.
• A new medical development is getting underway, in which more than $180,000,000 will be invested into the economy of Georgia, creating over 1,300 direct and indirect jobs through the development of a medical, retail and restaurant campus.

Another noted accomplishment for the community as a whole includes the successful passing of SPLOST IV during the November 2013 elections. Commissioner Holmes’ continued efforts and dedication to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Henry County directly resulted in District 5 contributing more than 70 percent of the total votes needed to win the SPLOST IV campaign.

Holmes was recently selected as an honoree of the Rho Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s 10^th annual Black and Gold Gala which is scheduled to take place on July 21, 2018. Holmes will be receiving the Martin Luther King Jr., Community Service Award and is being honored for “demonstrating extraordinary commitment to uplifting the community through his volunteerism.”

In August 2018, Holmes was presented with the Carter-Kennedy Award by  the Henry County Democratic Party during the Carter-Kennedy Fundraising Gala. The following month, he was selected by the Free and Accepted Ancient Yorkrite Masons to receive the Most Worshipful Smooth Ashlar Grand Lodge’s 2018 Community Service award for his significant accomplishments in “improving the lives of others and advancing the Arts, Sciences, Education, Politics and the community.”

 “I am really excited about what we have accomplished in 8 years, but I understand that there is still a lot of work that has to be done. I look forward to the hard work ahead and I am proud to continue to serve and impact lives in a positive way”

Commissioner Bruce B. Holmes