MEET MARCELLO BANES

Chairman Newton County Board of Commissioners

Marcello Banes is a life-long resident of Newton County. He is an alumni of Newton County High School where he lettered in football and proudly served as Captain for two years. After graduation from Newton High School, Marcello briefly attended Middle Georgia College on a football scholarship.

Upon Marcello’s return to Newton County, he worked in the field of logistics and transportation. In 1998, Marcello started his first company, providing part-time fleet maintenance to commercial trucks. Due to the success of his business, he was able to focus on the business full-time. He continued his entrepreneurial endeavors until he took office as the Chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners in 2017.

Marcello learned at an early age the value and importance of community service and involvement. He became an Ordained Minister in 2002 and formally dedicated his time to outreach. Almost all of his life, he has focused on bettering the community in which he loves and building relations amongst people in the community. He currently serves as a member on the View Point Health Board, the Newton County Tomorrow Board and the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. Marcello was the champion of the NEWFORCE program that assists in employing graduates of the RSAT Drug Program and other job placement programs in the Newton County Detention Facility. He was also instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Newton County Domestic Violence Task Force.

At the conclusion of his first year in office, Marcello was awarded the title of 2017 Newsmaker of the Year by the Covington News. He was the first Chairman to champion the implementation of a Strategic Plan in Newton County. The Strategic Plan includes an official County Mission and Vision. In 2019, Marcello completed studies through the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government to become a Certified County Commissioner. Marcello is currently enrolled in the Theology Bachelor of Arts Program at Luther Rice University. In 2019, Marcello was nominated for the Leadership Georgia Program, one of the nation’s oldest and most successful leadership training programs. Marcello is very proud and feels blessed to be chosen as a participant in the Leadership Georgia Class of 2020.

Marcello is married to Cheneeka Banes and has a blended family comprising of five children. He absolutely loves spending time with his family and creating "silly" memorable moments with his daughters. He is an active member of Springfield Baptist Church where he faithfully serves as a minister and leader of the Alter Intake Ministry.

In his free time, Marcello enjoys watching football and cheering on his favorite team, the University of Georgia Bulldogs.