BETHEL – Innovation is one of George Driscoll’s specialties – after all, it was he who gave birth to the idea, as he puts it, of the world’s tallest snowman.

Constructed as part of a marketing campaign while Driscoll was at the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, the 113-foot-tall behemoth even earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

But Driscoll, who today runs his own sales and marketing business, has more serious things in mind for the Oxford County commissioners. Running as a Democrat against incumbent Steve Merrill, R-Norway, Driscoll hopes to put his marketing skills and his technological know-how to work for this part of western Maine.

In an interview in Bethel on Monday, Driscoll, 47, said he would like to see more collaboration between county, municipal and school officials, and even members of local chambers of commerce and redevelopment organizations.

He decided to run for the county commission because “it just seemed like there was an opportunity to make a difference on a more holistic level.”

Not enough is being done in coordination with other government entities, he said. Just agreeing to buy supplies together could save the county, schools and towns money.

In addition, Driscoll would like to see the county and others start using “open source” software, or computer programs that would be more affordable and allow for easier sharing of information.

While towns like Bethel are poised to attract more substantial economic development – Driscoll feels Bethel is the perfect place for a conference and performing arts center – the county commissioners need to work with other groups to help facilitate such growth.

Along those lines, creating a broad vision for the future should be considered a role of the commission, he said. While that may be a change in the way things are done, Driscoll said, “I always believe that in any leadership role you need to accept change and you need to accept responsibility.”

Driscoll has a 13-year-old daughter, Kate, and has lived in Bethel for 10 years. He first started visiting the area when he was a teenager, he said. “I fell in love with Bethel in 1974.”

If elected to the county commission, he hopes his several years of experience in sales and marketing will help with his new position. Driscoll has also served as a member of numerous organizations, including the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, Ski USA International Marketing and Meeting Planners International.