He ‘defined servant leadership.’ Ex-Columbus mayor and police chief Jim Wetherington dies
Jim Wetherington, who served Columbus as mayor and police chief, has died.
Muscogee County coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed the news to the Ledger-Enquirer. No cause of death was available, but the Rev. Jimmy Elder of First Baptist Church, where Wetherington was a deacon, told the L-E that Wetherington was in declining health for several months and died at home Monday while surrounded by family.
Wetherington was 87.
Jim Wetherington’s background
After graduating from Campbellton High School in Florida, Wetherington joined the U.S. Army and served as a military police officer, including a stint at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D. C.
In 1963, Wetherington joined the Columbus Police Department as a patrolman. He was promoted through the ranks as a sergeant and lieutenant in the Traffic Division, director of the Alcohol Safety Action Project and commander of the Patrol/Detective Division.
Then-Mayor Harry Jackson appointed Wetherington as police chief in 1981. By the time he retired in 1995, he had served as CPD’s top cop under five mayors.
During his tenure as police chief, Wetherington was credited with:
- Developing a new promotional system to eliminate appointed ranks, which helped increase the number of promoted minorities.
- Implementing the Crime Prevention Unit.
- Creating the Neighborhood Watch Program, Crime Stoppers, Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (DARE), Gang Task Force and the Juvenile Diversion Program.
- Upgrading training facilities.
- Obtaining national accreditation for CPD.
- Helping form the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College at Columbus State University.
In 1995, then-Gov. Zell Miller appointed Wetherington to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, which he served for three years, including two years as vice chairman.
In 1999, then-Gov. Roy Barnes appointed Wetherington as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections. During his four years in that role, he created programs for offenders to decrease their recidivism rate.
In 2004, Wetherington returned to a servant leadership position in Columbus, this time as headmaster of Calvary Christian School.
In 2006, Wetherington was elected mayor of Columbus. He served as the city’s 67th mayor from 2007-11.
Jim Wetherington as a servant leader
Among his accomplishments as mayor, Wetherington led the campaign that convinced voters to approved a 1% sales tax that funded 100 new police officer positions, increasing the size of the force by 26%, and continues to generate revenue for public safety salary supplements.
Wetherington also led the 2008 effort to bring the grieved family and community leaders together to settle a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit filed in 2004 against the city, then-Muscogee County Sheriff Ralph Johnson and the officers involved in the 2003 death of Kenneth Walker, who was unarmed when he was fatally shot by then-Deputy David Glisson during a roadside stop.
Columbus Councilor Judy Thomas, one of the 10-member council’s two citywide representatives, was Wetherington’s executive assistant during his mayoral administration.
“He always did what he thought was the right thing to do, whether it was the popular thing or not,” Thomas told the Ledger-Enquirer.
The controversy surrounding the Kenneth Walker family settlement is a prime example.
“He pulled together funding to set up a fund for (Walker’s) daughter so that she could go to college,” Thomas said. “I mean, that’s the kind of thing he did.”
Thomas also appreciated Wetherington for the way he treated folks behind the scenes. Whether they were a distinguished international guest, such as a university president from Taiwan, or an untitled woman who stopped by the mayor’s office to thank him for supporting her hospitalized son, “he had such an impact on people,” Thomas said. “… He never looked for the limelight. He just looked to make sure that people were taken care of and that they had what they needed.”
As his pastor, Elder saw Wetherington as a servant leader even when he wasn’t performing an official duty.
“He was one of those people who could usher on Sunday morning or offer the prayer at the morning worship service or help move the plates on Wednesday night after dinner,” Elder told the Ledger-Enquirer. “He kind of was an everyman who was in a servant leadership position, and his life defined servant leadership.”
All of which makes helps explain why Wetherington was the right man to lead the Kenneth Walker family settlement, Elder said.
“In a situation like that, you have to know that the leader at the helm is the person that you can trust,” Elder said. “And the one thing about Jim is people always knew they could trust him.”
Just ask Ricky Boren, who was in the upper ranks of CPD leadership while Wetherington was chief and was chief while Wetherington was mayor.
“He didn’t tell you anything that he wouldn’t stand behind,” Boren told the Ledger-Enquirer. “He always looked out for the wellbeing of the citizens in Columbus.”
In fact, Boren recalled, Wetherington insisted CPD officers should stop assist anyone clearly in need of help, regardless whether a crime was suspected, such as motorists with a flat tire.
“That was at the heart of serving as a professional officer to him,” Boren said.
Boren also was grateful to Wetherington for striking the fine balance between supporting him as chief and letting him do his job.
“We were all on the same sheet of music,” Boren said. “… If you didn’t agree with him on something, you went in and talked to him. You sat down, gave him your part or your opinion as to what was going on, and then you had another conversation, and then you came out of there as one.”
Disagreeing agreeably and pursuing unity are leadership lessons Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson saw Wetherington exemplify while Henderson was a citywide councilor during Wetherington’s term as mayor.
“We’ve had some great mayors, and everyone has left their mark on Columbus, but, from my personal perspective, Jim was the one I tried to emulate,” Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer. “… It’s putting people first, thinking about how the actions that we take as a legislative body impact the individual lives of people in this community.”
When discussions about controversial issues grew heated, Wetherington’s cool demeanor prevailed, Henderson said.
“Jim was very steady,” Henderson said. “He was very calm. He never let a situation become overwhelming. Things got tough sometimes, but he just continued to maintain his composure. He just had humility and character and class. … Columbus is so much richer from him being here, and we’re going to be hurting for a while without him.”
City manager Isaiah Hugley told the Ledger-Enquirer that Wetherington was “a champion for Columbus. . . . Mayor Wetherington earned respect across all lines: race, party affiliation, all levels of economic strata.”
Hugley described Wetherington as “always firm, but you could not deny that he was always fair. Columbus would be a better city and better off if others could follow his example today. Jim Wetherington will be missed.”
In October 2009, Wetherington announced he would keep his promise to his wife, Shirley, and not seek re-election.
The awards Wetherington received include:
- 1995 Columbusite of the Year from readers of Columbus and the Valley Magazine
- 1994 Police Chief of the Year from the Georgia Police Chiefs Association
- 1987 Boss of the Year from the Sojourner Chapter of American Business Women’s Association
- 1986 Outstanding Man of the Year from the Columbus American Legion
- 1984 Distinguished Alumni Award from Columbus State University
- 1967 Police Officer of the Year from the Exchange Club of Columbus.
Funeral arrangements and an obituary haven’t been released.
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM.
