Charlie Bethel is proud to offer himself for public service in his hometown of Dalton. Charlie has a vision for the future of this community forged by his experience, education, and upbringing.  Charlie’s initial interest in community service started early watching his Grandfather Tom Jones serve on the Board of Education for Dalton Public Schools.  Charlie’s parents, Jim and Trisha Bethel, emphasized the importance of giving back to the community and often engaged their children in discussions about the future of the community.  Holding both Business and Law degrees from the University of Georgia, Charlie has an educational background suited for a job which calls for the analytical and advocacy skills of an attorney and business man.  Charlie brings a unique blend of respect and reverence for the history of this community and exciting new ideas and perspective on the future of our shared home.  Finally, Charlie is a leader dedicated to seeing this job through.  He is committed to a brighter future for the next generation of Daltonians and has the courage of his convictions to lead us there.

Charlie graduated from Dalton High School in 1994, from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business in 1998 (B.B.A. in Management, cum laude), and from the University of Georgia's School of Law in 2001 (J.D.). He was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2001. He joined Minor, Bell & Neal in 2003 after completing a two year clerkship with Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  He now practices out of his own office in Downtown Dalton.

Charlie and his wife, the former Lynsey Nix also of Dalton, are the parents of two sons, Henry and Jeb. The Bethel Family attends the First Baptist Church of Dalton where Charlie serves as a Deacon and a Trustee for the First Foundation. Charlie also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Dalton Education Foundation.  Mr. Bethel serves on the Legislative Action Committee of the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce and is a graduate of Leadership Dalton-Whitfield and the Advanced Leadership Academy.  Charlie is a member of the Dalton Rotary Club and volunteers as a youth athletic coach for the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department.  Charlie has served as the Chair of the Professional Division of the Annual Campaign of the United Way of Northwest Georgia.  Mr. Bethel is a member of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

Mr. Bethel is admitted to practice in all of the courts of the State of Georgia as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Charlie has been admitted to practice pro hac vice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Central District of California.  He is a member of the Conasauga Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, and the American Bar Association. Mr. Bethel has concentrated his practice in the areas of Civil Litigation, Governmental Law, Healthcare Law, and Utility Law.  Charlie was an Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Dalton from 2003-2004.

As a law student, Mr. Bethel served Judge Gary B. Andrews of the Georgia Court of Appeals as a summer law clerk. Mr. Bethel also participated in the Law School's moot court program as a member of the ABA and National teams. Charlie was selected as best oralist in the region during the National Moot Court Competition. During law school, Mr. Bethel also worked in the District Attorney's office for the Western Judicial Circuit in Athens through the Prosecutorial Clinic. Mr. Bethel served on the editorial board of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. The faculty of the Law School selected Charlie for membership in The Order of Barristers based on excellence in courtroom advocacy. Mr. Bethel was a pupil in the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court. He was also initiated into the University of Georgia's chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society and was awarded the Tucker Dorsey Scholarship by that organization.

As an undergraduate student, Mr. Bethel was a member of the Arch Society, numerous honor societies, and was initiated into the Gridiron Secret Society. Charlie is a brother of the Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity. As a Junior, Mr. Bethel received the T.W. Reed Scholarship from the Management Department which recognizes the top Junior in the Department. In his Senior year, the membership of the Arch Society awarded Charlie the Fred Brown Award. Charlie served as both Treasurer and Secretary of Gridiron during his years at the University.

Lynsey Bethel received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Georgia in 2000 and continues the practice of pharmacy on a part time basis while devoting the balance of her time to raising children, church ministries, and community service.