Richard Higgins was first elected as chairman of the Hall County Board of Commissioners in 2016.
Higgins previously served for 11 years as chairman of the Hall County Board of Education where he guided the Hall County School System through a difficult environment of increased demand on resources while working to maintain its standard of excellence for county students. During his tenure, the school system grew by more than 8,500 students, built ten new schools, and made many additions to existing buildings to accommodate the exploding student population. In the face of these challenges, Hall County schools were honored for their quality education, quality teaching and yearly progress by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
A graduate of the UGA Terry College of Business, Higgins served as president and owner of Carrier Services Inc., a Gainesville-based freight logistics firm until his retirement in 2018, when he sold the company. He is married to his wife, Connie. They have three children: Josh, Anna Katherine, and Nathaniel.