5 Questions with Charles Lawhon, a PTA advocate and pest control sales manager

You grew up in Columbus. How has it changed over the years?

Columbus has always been a wonderful place to live for me. Growing up here as a child there was always something to do. Neighbors communicated and did things together as the kids played outside together. It seemed like back then we had neighborhood schools and you could walk to school and would talk to your friends along the way.

As time progressed and the city began to grow, things began to change. You look around now and there is congestion everywhere you go. It's as if all of a sudden we had all these vehicles and not enough roads for them to travel.

After the textile mills packed up and left, Columbus was able to shed the "mill town" image and became more of a nationally known city with new technology everywhere. It's no longer just a military or an old mill town. With the growth, of course, have come opportunities for new businesses that we've never had. Who would've ever thought we would have an ice hockey team here with a new ice skating rink and a brand new natatorium that everyone can use all year? There are bigger and brighter schools that our children can be proud to call their own that are going up all over town. That's my hometown.

Through your involvement in PTAs on the local, state and national level, what is the most important aspect of parental involvement in public education?

In my years of serving on the national PTA level along with the state and local organizations, I traveled a tremendous amount speaking to fathers in schools at assemblies and parents in general about the importance of parental involvement in their child's school and life.

I witnessed firsthand just how much the presence of a child's parents can influence his or her education -- and life as well. Teachers and other educators who I worked side by side with saw the changes that would come in a child's classroom behavior and how much more attentive and aware the child would be in class.

So many times a child that was quiet or reserved would come out of their shell.

Nothing touched me more than to see a child's face light up when their dad would walk into the room and read a book to the class or help patrol the bus lines in the morning. So many of these dads would basically adopt fatherless children and help them through some tough days in school.

So, you recently lost an Auburn-Georgia bet with your boss. How did it feel to wear that Georgia football jersey all day?

My employer John Allen is the owner of Pesty John's pest control and about two weeks before the Auburn-Georgia game we started talking some smack back and forth about who was going to win. We finally came up with a small wager and if Georgia won, I would wear a Georgia jersey; and if Auburn won, he would have to wear a Auburn jersey.

Well, everyone knows who won. So, I had to pay up on Monday morning. I got into the office around 6:30, and sure enough there hung a Georgia jersey in my office.

I itched all day and everyone said "How Bout Them Dawgs?" It was all in fun and I made it through the day.

What is the biggest challenge you see Columbus facing in the near future?

Because of all the growth across our city, I really believe that transportation is going to be an issue. You look at the widening of Moon and Whittlesey roads and the problems with Veterans Parkway north along Williams Road, it is a mess right now.

It's like we were waiting on all this growth and did not really prepare for the traffic count.

I also believe with all of my heart unless we can get the public safety issues taken care of we are going to have some major issues. We should never lose any public safety personal to other cities. If you want to be a thriving metropolitan area, you have to be willing to come off the pocket book to hire -- and keep -- the finest public safety people available.

We have got to find a way to make our public safety personal feel that they are appreciated and needed. Talk is cheap.

What is the best kept secret in the Chattahoochee Valley?

Columbus is full of loving and caring people that will go beyond the call to help out someone that is down and out. You can go down to the Chattahoochee RiverWalk or water plant on any Saturday and you will find church groups, families and many other organizations spreading the love of God to those who are going through life's tough journeys and trials. They are feeding, clothing, educating, providing personal hygiene items and mostly just love and a kind word. One of the great things that I love about my boss is the fact that he has never refused to help out someone who may be in need. It could be with a job or financial aid or just his time to share life's struggles as well as life's success stories. There are a lot of companies across Columbus that offer kindness and caring to our less fortunate but I guess I am just a little bias because Pesty John's has been and always will be a hometown, home-grown pest control company that will never be too big to help those in need and do it all with a clear conscience.

This story was originally published November 30, 2014 at 7:57 PM with the headline "5 Questions with Charles Lawhon, a PTA advocate and pest control sales manager."