Lander County welcomes Lamont Edgar as the new District 4 Commissioner.
A lifelong resident of Battle Mountain, Edgar has spent almost 50 years in this community.
He and his wife Sarah raised their family while he built a 28-year career in the mining industry.
Edgar and his wife raised four children: Adam, Alyssa, Andresa and Michael. They all graduated from Great Basin College. Including Edgar.
For Edgar, pursuing education wasn’t something that happened right out of high school. It came later in life, after he was already working, raising a family and managing the demands of shift work.
But he was determined to push himself — and his family — to succeed.
"I went back and got my bachelor's degree in management and a certification in HR," Edgar said. "Those things were completely unknown to me at first. I had no experience in management, and honestly, I was the last person anyone would expect to lead anything. That’s just not my natural personality."
But he moved forward. He saw a need and took action.
"Sometimes, the people you don’t expect are the ones who end up doing well," Edgar reflected. "It’s not always about being the obvious choice — it’s about recognizing what needs to be done and figuring out how you can contribute."
His educational journey wasn’t a solo endeavor. Edgar sees his family as a team. They support one another. And they hold each other accountable for their goals.
"We all went to school, we all earned college degrees and we made sure to support one another along the way," he shared. "For me, it’s about understanding your team — knowing your strengths and weaknesses and how you can work together for the collective good."
Edgar believes that, to succeed, one must help where needed. This mindset has been key to his success.
"If there’s one thing I excel at, it’s finding what needs to be done and stepping in where I’m needed," he said. "And I’m not afraid to ask for help when I need it, either."
For Edgar, leadership is not determined by who's the loudest or stands out the most.
It's about teamwork and adaptability. And making sure everyone is working toward a shared goal.
As he encouraged his family to grow and achieve, he wants to do the same for Lander County.
“I wouldn’t ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do myself,” he said. “Leadership means holding yourself to a standard and leading by example.”
Running for office was a way for him to serve Lander County more after retiring from his mining career. Something he couldn’t do while working full-time.
“I’ve lived here most of my life. We raised our kids and now we’re raising our grandkids here,” Edgar said. “This place has given me a lot, and it’s my obligation to give back.”
Edgar describes himself as an introvert. He avoids public attention. But he believes it's his duty to serve even if it draws him out of his comfort zone.
“I’m not in this for attention. I’m in it for the functionality and the result,” he said.
One of Lamont’s top priorities as commissioner is beautifying and cleaning up Lander County’s towns. He believes small actions can create big change.
It starts with efforts to revitalize Main Street and improve public spaces.
Before he took office, Edgar and his wife bought a run-down building on Front Street. They began cleaning it up. His philosophy is simple: “Do your part.”
“We don’t need to wait for big-picture plans. We just need to start cleaning things up,” Edgar said. “Rather than telling people what to do, I decided to lead by example. I started cleaning up that property, and soon, other people began to get involved. It just takes a few people to get things started.”
Edgar is also passionate about smart, purposeful growth for Lander County. He wants to ensure the county's growth benefits all residents. He's excited about several major projects that will do so, including a new event center, a fire hall and EMS bays.
“Growth has to have a purpose. We can’t just grow for the sake of it. We need to make sure it’s enhancing the community and improving the quality of life for residents,” he said.
Lamont hopes to create more open communication channels between the county and residents. He believes that transparency builds trust and prevents misunderstandings.
“The best leaders explain why they’re doing something,” Edgar said. “We need to do a better job of communicating the purpose behind our decisions.”
He also wants to empower more residents to join boards. And, to support projects that strengthen the community.
“I want to encourage people like me—those who maybe haven’t been at the forefront of things—to get involved,” he said. “The more people we have engaged, the better it’s going to be.”
Edgar thanks the people of Lander County for placing their support and trust in him with their vote. As he steps into his new role, he highlights the importance of patience and teamwork.
“This was a very close race, and if anyone thinks their vote doesn’t matter—it mattered to me,” Edgar said. “I want to thank everyone for their words, their concerns and their encouragement.”
“Let’s start over with a clean slate. Let’s take a break from pointing fingers and complaining and see what we can achieve when we work together,” he said. “It’s going to take all of us rowing the boat to make Lander County the best it can be.”
After he takes the oath of office, Edgar plans to celebrate by being productive saying, “I’m going to get sworn in and go immediately to work."