UNIONTOWN — Johnny L. Flowers of Uniontown has announced his candidacy for the House of Representatives Seat in District 72.

Flowers is a native of Perry County.

District 72 includes Perry, Hale and portions of Bibb and Marengo counties.

The former chairman of the Perry County Commission for nearly 18 years, Flower said, “The time has come for District 72 to have more aggressive leadership. The time is right for these counties to reach the goals they have set for themselves. First they have to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Each one of them has great resources, but feels that there is not enough done at the state level to reach their potential goals. The time has come for these rural communities to be represented by someone who understands their needs and have the voice to make these needs known in Montgomery. There are two types of communities — urban and rural, and the time has come when urban ideas can no longer be used to solve rural problems.”

Flowers was educated at White Hill, Uniontown Elementary and Robert C. Hatch High Schools of Uniontown.

He joined the U.S. Air Force and specialized in air freight. After an honorable discharge, he attended Selma University, where he pursued a major in business administration. This business knowledge translated into the establishment and management of Flowers Construction Co., successfully managed for 38 years.

After becoming a commissioner, Flowers matriculated to Auburn University and was in the first class to graduate from Commission College and later participated on the Auburn University Kellogg’s Leadership Team for two years.

Flowers has also served as chairman of the Ala-Tom Resource Conservation and Development, Tombigbee Regional Council Board of Directors and as president for a year.

He is the first African-American president of Alabama RC&D. Johnny Flowers served as first-and second- vice president of Alabama Association of County Commissioners and in 2002 became state president of Alabama Association of County Commissioner for a year; served on the Alabama Association of County Commissioners Board of Directors for eight years. He was appointed this year to serve on the National Board for RC&D.

He is a member of First Baptist Church of Uniontown.

Flowers and his wife, Mary Ann, have two sons and three grandchildren.