Interview by Abernathy Cochran Group Realtor Ricky Lewallen
Meet Mitch Taylor! Mitch is married to Patti Taylor, and he has four step-children and four step-grandchildren.
He attended Buford High School and played college baseball at Middle Georgia College on a baseball scholarship, after graduation he entered law enforcement with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office in 1991; continuing his family’s legacy as a fourth-generation public safety officer.
He worked his way through the ranks at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, served on the SWAT team for 14 years and retired as the Lieutenant in the Patrol Division. Now, Mitch is a certified law enforcement instructor and is running for Sheriff.
We want to thank Mitch for recently spending time with us and telling us more about his life and love of Hall County.
Question: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I’m actually the fourth generation law enforcement, my grandfather was Chief of Police in the City of Buford back in the ’50s and ‘60s whenever they had a police department there…I have an uncle, Bill Taylor, who’s retired from the City of Gainesville and had about 25 years of service here. When I got out of college I knew that I probably wouldn’t be a good office person or something like that and I enjoyed being outside and talking to people.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “I”ve lived in Hall County about 25 years.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
A: “My wife and I really enjoy going to Smokehouse BBQ, I love barbecue, I love to cooking.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “I would spend some time in Yellowstone, I love the outdoors and we love riding motorcycles.”
Q: What is your favorite movie or the first movie you saw in the theater?
A: “The first movie I remember seeing at the Buford Theater was ‘Amityville Horror’ in the 70s but one of my favorite movies is ‘Varsity Blues.'”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “I would probably remind them about the Golden Rule, treat others the way you want to be treated. That is what I always tried to do in my law enforcement career.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “To ride the U.S. on the Harley, I would love to go on Route 66.”
Q: What are the bands on the top of your playlist?
A: “I love Chris Stapleton, I was always a big Aerosmith fan and The Eagles.”
Q: What current or local business makes you most nostalgic about Hall County?
A: “It would be the poultry industry, just always knowing Gainesville was the poultry capital of the world and when I started working in Hall County I was able to see what an impact the industry has and all that it entails.”
Q: Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative: with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? Where in Hall County would you have lunch?
A: “President Donald Trump, I would like to hear his story and what led him into politics.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Hall County?
A: “I love the lake, I have a bass boat and I love to fish. My dad and I spent many days and nights fishing and just enjoying that fellowship. It’s probably my favorite thing in the world to be on the lake at the sunrise or sunset…the times when you know it’s just you and the good Lord out there. I couldn’t live far from the lake.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “I see myself leading our sheriff’s office and being involved in the Hall County community.”
Q: What three words or phrases that come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Food, family, fun.”
Q: Tell us something interesting about you that most people don’t know?
A: “I love to work outside in my yard, I enjoy a pretty landscape and flowers and trees. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and she taught me a lot about gardening and rooting plants. That would probably surprise a lot of people.”
