Brian Tam
Forsyth County Commissioner
District 2
by Judy Le Jeune
photography by Heather Smith
3651 Peachtree Parkway Suite 425 - Suwanee, GA 30024
Brian Tam ran for a position as a member of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners in 2004. He was elected and began serving his four year term as Commissioner of District 2 in January 2005. As a resident of District 2, Brian's decision to run for Commissioner was based on his previous experience working with: neighbors and other local homeowners, local schools as a parent and as a Partner in Education, and with the City government as the General Manager for restaurants in Cumming and, eventually, the owner of his own restaurant. "I thought that I could help make a difference because of the relationships that I had already formed with homeowners, the Forsyth County Board of Education and local schools, and the local government," said Brian of his decision to run for Commissioner.
Forsyth County Commissioners are elected by all the voters in the County, but serve their term as Commissioner in the specific district in which they live. District 2, the southern-most geographic area of the County, has been home to Brian and his wife, Kelly, since 1994. The Tam children: Robert, 11; Dorothy, 9; and, Rene, 7, are all students at Sharon Elementary.
Brian is involved in numerous civic issues that affect the quality of life for all residents and businesses in this rapid-growing County. He is dedicated to assuring that the growth in the County be accomplished in ways that are the most advantageous to the quality of life for homeowners and business owners. Brian knows that quality growth will continue to be a challenge and he is of the mindset that "given the choice to resist or to make the most of the opportunity of expansion, I have chosen to negotiate and work with the highest quality developers, whose projects can provide the best advantages for Forsyth County." Brian considers the tax revenues that make an immediate impact to provide dollars for building roads and improving schools to be a definite advantage of the growth in the County. Specifically, one of the issues he recently advocated for was the development of The Avenues of Forsyth that is currently under construction on Peachtree Parkway. This open-air specialty retail center will open Phase I of its master plan in April. Brian is extremely positive about the tax revenues, employment opportunities, and enhancement to the quality of life that this development will bring to Forsyth County. "The Avenues of Forsyth will be like no other retail development that has come to Forsyth County or, for that matter, to the North Georgia area," said Brian. "It is being built by a top-notch developer and will be occupied by high-end retailers. The Avenues of Forsyth is a very exciting addition to our community."
Water supply is an issue that has severely affected Forsyth County as well as other areas in Georgia, and the nation. A topic of extreme controversy, Brian supports a 3-step plan to address this issue: work with the city and lobby for a larger withdrawal permit; raise the allowed level of Lake Lanier two feet when not in a draught situation; and institute deep-well technology for withdrawal from the Chattahoochee. Brian recognizes that the water issue is a regional tri-state issue, but he is especially concerned because, in the tri-state area, Forsyth County has the highest per capita usage of water. Last spring, Brian traveled to Washington to meet with national representatives regarding the water supply issue. He traveled at his own expense because he feels that "we need a voice at the national level." Brian will make this trip again in the spring of 2008.
As the parent of three children and an extremely active Partner in Education, Brian has had a history of making contributions to the schools, most recently the outdoor classroom at Sharon Elementary. For his contributions to local schools as a Partner in Education, Brian received the Don Hendrix Award in 2004 and was selected by the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce as the Gold Level Small Business of the year for 2007. "I think the school system is the benchmark from which a community is measured. Excellent schools are a major attraction for any community and we are fortunate that our top-ranked schools provide a positive environment for quality growth, which also elevates every homeowner's property value," said Brian. As a parent, Brian contributes his time and interest to Sharon Elementary where he is an elected School Council representative. As a Commissioner, he works closely with the Forsyth County Board of Education; and, as a local business owner, he is a Partner in Education with Sharon Elementary and others. A unique project that combined Brian's roles as a Commissioner and Partner in Education was the construction of a playground at Daves Creek Elementary for use by both the school and Forsyth County. Joint Venture Park was built on land that was not being used by the school and is shared by Daves Creek and Forsyth County. Brian was instrumental in blending the efforts of Forsyth County government and Forsyth County Schools to benefit both the school and the community.
On February 5th, voters in Forsyth County will be asked to vote on a one hundred million dollar Park and Recreation Bond Referendum. Brian initiated this referendum and has been working to get this bond on the ballet for the past two years. His contributions have included participation in: updating the Park and Recreation Master Plan; analyzing funding; conducting a feasibility study to determine if this issue could become a bond to be voted on; and, a survey of residents that culminated in a three-to-one favorable result for the bond initiative. Brian identifies needs in Forsyth County and goes to work to fill those needs with results.
Brian graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelors degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He spent his career working as a General Manager for restaurant corporations until June 2005 when Brian and his wife, Kelly - who also has a career background as a General Manager and Franchise Trainer in the restaurant business - fulfilled their dream by opening Tam's Backstage located in the Old Schoolhouse building in Cumming.
Brian is busy with Tam's Backstage, his position as Commissioner, and as an active Partner in Education with the Forsyth County Schools, but he also makes sure that he takes time to spend with his family. All the Tam children are active in year-round sports and Brian enjoys attending their games and practices. The Tams spend as many weekends as possible boating on the lake or sitting on the dock and fishing. Brian says, "The children love to fish from the dock, while Kelly and I watch them and catch up on our busy week and what is coming up for us next week." The Tams also enjoy traveling and Washington, DC is a favorite for all of them. Brian especially enjoys exposing the children to the different branches of government by visiting monuments and government buildings. Seeing The White House is always a favorite for the entire family. Brian and his family are members of the congregation of Johns Creek Methodist Church.
Brian Tam is a Forsyth County resident who cared enough for his community to run for a position as Commissioner. During the three years that Brian has served District 2, he has initiated and been a proponent for many issues that have favorably affected the County and led to the highest median-priced housing in the State. In a rapidly growing area, the challenges to progress with results that benefit the entire community have presented extreme challenges, but Brian addresses each and every one and goes to work to overcome these challenges with the most favorable solutions. Brian gets results. Perhaps this is because he approaches every issue, not from the perspective of a government official, but from the perspective of a father and husband, local business owner and neighbor. Brian puts his heart, as well as his knowledge and understanding, into every decision he makes as a Forsyth County Commissioner and this passion has resulted in many improvements that will continue to make Forsyth County a better place to live.
