Mike Hawkes, originally from Austell (Cobb County) Georgia, has been the District 3 Commissioner since January 1, 2001. Mike has owned his own company, A&R Paint Co., Inc. for 30 years, a business that manages the interior and exterior painting of commercial and residential buildings.

Commissioner Hawkes' parents, Alvin and Martha, still reside in Austell. Mike's wife of 22 years, Patty Reeder Hawkes, is originally from Smyrna (Cobb County Georgia. She is a secretary at Lincoln County Farm Bureau. Mike has 2 sons, both who graduated from Lincoln County High School. Al, 20 and a former football player at LCHS, is now in the painting business with his dad. Reed, is a freshman at Georgia Southern where he is majoring in Accounting.

Hawkes has been a resident of Lincoln County for 8 years. He is a member and Deacon at Greenwood Baptist Church, a former member of the Lions Club and past president of the LCHS Athletic Booster Club.