Ben Jarrard always dreamed of following his father and grandfather into the military. As it turned out, his mother's suggestion led him down a different path and ultimately to a job with the University of North Georgia (UNG).
"My grandfather and my dad were officers," Jarrard said. "I wanted to be an officer in the Army."
The Lumpkin County High School graduate enrolled in UNG – his parents' alma mater — and joined the Corps of Cadets. Jarrard also signed up to play golf, becoming one of the first members of the school's team.
"It was a great experience being part of a new organization," the Dawsonville, Georgia, resident said. "I was part of the team that won the first tournament for the school."
It wasn't his only team at UNG that made an impact on his life. Jarrard said his time as a cadet was invaluable.
"What I don't think I realized at the time was the impact the Corps was going to have on me and the friendships I created," he said.
However, his career in the Army was not to be. During his sophomore year, Jarrard learned a medical condition would keep him from serving his country. So he switched gears, enrolling in the Summer Language Institute and studying in Beijing, China, for four months.
"My mother emailed me while I was in China and told me the governor's internship program was accepting applications. She said 'You should apply,'" Jarrard said, admitting at the time he never considered working for the civil service side of government since he was not politically driven.
Jarrard followed his mother's advice.
"I thought, 'OK. If mom wants me to do it, I should apply,'" the 2013 UNG graduate said.
That single decision put Jarrard on a path to government service that led to Nathan Deal's gubernatorial campaign and ultimately the governor's office. Jarrard worked as a special assistant to the governor and the natural resources, transportation and economic development policy adviser for Deal.
During his tenure with the governor, he learned not only about politics but about the man as well.
"Gov. Deal is a very intelligent man with the heart of a servant leader, and it was such a great experience to have the opportunity to learn from him," Jarrard said. "As his staff, we often talked about how easily he could do any of our jobs!"
While there, Jarrard learned about the inner workings of the political process and increased his skills working with state government officials. He also helped develop policies, which made a difference.
After working for Deal for three years, Jarrard heard about a new position at UNG in summer 2017. The job involved being a liaison between the state government and the school. While he knew working for the governor was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, representing his alma mater at the state Capitol was tempting.
"After talking with my boss and others, I decided to throw my hat into the ring," Jarrard said.
His decision proved successful. Jarrard was named UNG's director of state government relations Aug. 14, 2017. He has since been named executive director for government relations and economic development. On an average day, he speaks with state legislators and officials in order to build the relationship between them and UNG.
"I'm very lucky and feel humbled to have had this position and represent the University of North Georgia," he said. "I feel like this is a perfect position for what my strengths are. I hope to continue the recent trend of UNG President Bonita Jacobs and her senior leadership have done since consolidation. I look to continue to build upon UNG as the senior military college of Georgia, and as one of the leaders of higher education in the state and Southeast."
In late 2022, Jarrard was named chief of staff to Georgia Sen. Steve Gooch, another UNG alumnus, who leads as Senate majority leader.
