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Jerry
Sweitzer: A Many-Careered Path
to Small Town Advocacy
 His careers have included stints in corporate management for RJ Reynolds, and
most recently, 15 years in the nonprofit field for organizations like the famed Atlanta
Botanical Gardens. But along the way, Jerry
Sweitzer, 62, had a vision of another, slower-paced life, when he took a job with a small
manufacturer in Asheville, NC. The next time
he leaves the congestion and urban sprawl of Lawrenceville,
Georgia (metro Atlanta) he has grown to dislike, he won’t be dropping out by
any means. In fact, the co-author of The
50 Best Small Southern Towns (Peachtree Publishers,
2001) will be fully occupied between promoting his book, continuing as a software
consultant, building up his website, www.ruralburbia.com,
and developing a newsletter on frugal lifestyles for mature
people that will also tout relocation as a means of cutting living costs. He launched the website in 1997 to help people explore the benefits and advantages of small town
living, and target potential relocation choices.
The idea for the book gained ground when, after living and
working in the Atlanta area for over 20 years, Jerry began living and working in two
smaller communities. Having accepted a job in
Gainesville, Ga. (pop. 20,000), he found himself commuting 20 minutes from Cleveland, Ga.
(pop. 1,500) – home of the Cabbage Patch Dolls – where he lived for two years. By then, he was hooked on the beauty of the
Georgia mountains and life in a slower lane. Affordable
housing and lower cost healthcare were two items that make small towns shine in the Cost
of Living index, he says, but a sense of being able to participate directly in the
community, even "being a big fish in a small pond," also contributes to a better
quality of life. Surprisingly, many small
towns are more “wired” than their urban cousins as “the digital
divide” ends and high-speed Internet access is generally available. This fact should not be lost on any would-be
entrepreneur, especially one like Jerry Sweitzer, who can choose to operate his website
and other ventures from home.
Seeing an opportunity to share his discoveries with others, Jerry
started teaching a class on relocating to small towns at a local university, and wrote
magazine articles on the topic. Along the
way, he teamed up with co-author, Kathy Fields, an Atlanta baby boomer desiring to
simplify her life. Their extensive research
on prospective small Southern towns included personally visiting those under 25,000 in population, within 75 miles of a city, to narrow the field. The book has received “excellent
reviews,” and has become an American Library Association’s recommended book.
By the way, the message of his book is not limited to mature urbanites
seeking bucolic alternatives. Jerry
Sweitzer’s three adult children, who all attended the University of Georgia in
Athens, have also become enthusiasts of beautiful, small towns in the South.
Check out:
The
50 Best Small Southern Towns (Peachtree Publishers,
2001). Criteria include Cost of Living Index, climate, median incomes, taxes,
and nearest cities, recreation, cultural housing, employment, education, healthcare,
spiritual life, media resources, and location. The guide is arranged alphabetically by
state (Alabama, the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and
Virginia) and by town within each state.
Jerry Sweitzer's website: www.ruralburbia.com
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