Northeast Cobb Commissioner Tim Lee has made the right choice. And so, apparently, have the other members of that board.

Lee told the MDJ on Tuesday he plans to qualify as a candidate for commission chairman following the April 13 meeting of that board. His decision to run for that post was expected. But his decision not to resign before qualifying means that he will automatically be removed from his seat and that the other commissioners will choose a replacement for him. That replacement will serve until the Nov. 2 election.

On the other hand, had Lee decided to resign before qualifying, that would have meant his seat would have remained empty until a July 20 special election to fill the remainder of his term, which expires at year end. In other words, his district would have been without any representation for nearly four months.

"In looking at the business of the county that's being done and what's best for District 3, I thought it was best to provide representation for the community and allow business to continue as normal as possible," Lee said.

That indeed was the right decision. By stepping aside the way he has chosen to, the path is clear for the remaining three commissioners to appoint his temporary successor. And all indications are that the three are poised to pick an excellent stand-in - former East Cobb Commissioner Thea Powell.

Powell, a fifth-grade teacher at a private school in Roswell, represented northeast Cobb in the late 1980s and early 1990s and does not plan to run for a full term representing that district this fall.

Her appointment has the endorsement, for one, of acting Commissioner Woody Thompson.

"She's a bright lady," Thompson said of Powell. "She was recommended to us, and when we contacted her, she said she was very interested in helping us."

Also in her corner is southeast Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott.

"She's very open, very direct. The most important thing is, she's already been a commissioner before, so there won't be a steep learning curve," Ott said.

Former state Sen. Chuck Clay, who served two years on the commission with Powell, describes her as "one of the single best, prepared, focused, conscientious person I've ever dealt with." "She will be a major asset for the short term, or the long term if she chooses," he said.

And Earl Smith, who chaired the Board of Commissioners when Powell previously served, recalled that "Thea represented her area very well, and I think she's a good selection."

We don't doubt that most of those who remember her, and most of those who are soon to get to know her, will come to the same conclusion.