Gov. Kemp Announces 66 Appointments to State Boards, Authorities, and Commissions

Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment and re-appointment of the following 66 Georgians to various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

GRACE Commission

Sam Hill serves as the Director of Legislative Affairs for Georgia Power, where she is responsible for the company’s state political activities as well as monitoring legislation and its impact on the company and its 2.7 million customers throughout the state. Prior to joining Georgia Power, Hill was the Director of State Legislative Affairs at Troutman Sanders Strategies, where she gained over a decade of experience in public and government relations, representing a myriad of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. In the community, Hill currently serves, or has served, on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Council Executive Committee, the Technology Association of Georgia’s Government Affairs Task Force, the State Government Affairs Council Membership Committee, the Wellroot Family Services Board, and the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs Alumni Board. A native of Georgia, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia and currently resides in Atlanta with her husband and daughter.

Christian Murphy is the newly appointed CEO of Wellspring Living. Murphy began her journey in nonprofit leadership as a champion for children within the foster care system at DeKalb County Court Appointed Special Advocates. Her passion for philanthropy and social service continued to blossom during her time at Spelman College, where she recognized the transformative power of education and community support. She went on to work for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, playing a pivotal role in cultivating community support and advancing initiatives to empower young girls and women. Her time at Girl Scouts reinforced her belief in the importance of mentorship, education, and holistic support in nurturing every child’s potential. Now, as CEO of Wellspring Living, she brings a wealth of experience and a steadfast commitment to addressing the complex challenges faced by women and children affected by trafficking and exploitation. Dedicated to expanding Wellspring’s reach and empowering survivors, she fosters a future where every woman and child can thrive. Murphy is also passionate about advocacy and is committed to increasing diversity in the philanthropy field, serving as a past president for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Atlanta Chapter Board of Directors. She is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc., LEAD Atlanta Class of 2022, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She proudly serves on the boards of DeKalb County CASA and Amana West Charter School. Murphy and her husband, Chris, have two children.

Nina R. Hickson was confirmed in August of 2018 as the City Attorney for the City of Atlanta, where she is the chief legal officer for the local municipality of almost 500,000 residents. Immediately prior to her appointment, she served as Vice President and General Counsel for The Atlanta BeltLine Inc. She has also served as the Ethics Officer for the City of Atlanta; Interim City Manager for East Point, Georgia, where she had been the City Attorney for six years; inaugural Chief Assistant Public Defender for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit and Director of the Juvenile Division of the office; and Judge to the Fulton County Juvenile Court, where she served as its Chief Presiding Judge. Before her judicial appointment in May of 1999, Judge Hickson practiced law for 15 years in a variety of capacities, including Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, General Counsel for the Atlanta Housing Authority, General Counsel and Vice President for Atlanta Life Insurance Company, and the first African American female Vice President and Associate General Counsel to Primerica Financial Services. Her extensive community involvement has included membership on the former Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers Board of Directors, the Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates Program Board, the Georgia Board for the Covenant House, the Community Advisory Board of the Atlanta Junior League, the Board of Metropolitan Atlanta Boys and Girls Club, and the Advisory Board to the Sister-to-Sister mentoring program which she initiated with the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and first time juvenile female offenders. She is a member of the 2004 class of Leadership Atlanta. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Journalism from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and her Doctor of Law degree from Emory University in Atlanta.

State Forestry Commission

Sandie Sparks and Larry Spillers were reappointed.

Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission

John Bleacher was reappointed.

Terry Cobb has been with Laurens County Emergency Medical Service for over 28 years, serving as the EMS Director for the past 21 years. In this role, Cobb oversees all budgetary and operational aspects of the county-operated EMS system in Dublin, Georgia. With a career spanning 31 years in Emergency Medical Services, he has held roles as a Paramedic and EMT-A in various counties, including Telfair, Bleckley, and Laurens. Outside of professional duties, Cobb actively contributes to the EMS community, currently holding the position of Chairman of the Region 5 EMS Advisory Council. His recognitions include the 2022 GEMSA Chairman’s Award, leading Laurens County EMS to be named Georgia’s “EMS Service of the Year” in 2011, and receiving the Region 5 EMS Director of the Year award in 2005.

James L. Smith, Jr. is the Emergency Department Medical Director at Envision Healthcare. He attended the Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard. Smith’s professional journey includes roles such as an Emergency Medicine Physician at Gwinnett Emergency Specialists, PC, Northside Gwinnett Medical Center Emergency Department, and various committee appointments, elected positions, and teaching roles in the medical community. In addition to his clinical work, Smith is actively engaged in organizations like the MAG Council on Legislation, the Georgia Physician’s Leadership Academy Steering Committee, and the Board of Directors for GAMPAC, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, and Gwinnett-Forsyth County Medical Society. He holds a Georgia medical license, Board Certification in Emergency Medicine, and has been a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians since 2012.

Board of Public Safety

Susan Treadaway currently serves as District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, having been appointed by Governor Kemp in April 2023. Previously, she held the position of Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial District and, prior to that, she was the Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Cobb Judicial Circuit. Treadaway previously served on the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force and as representative chair for the District Attorney on the Child Fatality Review Panel. She is an active member of the Rotary Club of Canton and the Malon D. Mimms Boys & Girls Club. Treadaway is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Cherokee and was recognized as a Woman of Achievement at the 37th Annual LiveSafe Tribute to Achievement, honored as SafePath Honorary Children’s Hero for her work against child abuse, and received the 2023 W. Lee Arrendale Award for Vocational Excellence. Treadaway earned her J.D. from Georgia State University and obtained a B.B.A. from Florida State University. She has two children and resides in Canton.

Georgia Mountains Regional Commission Council

Kim Waters is a career real estate broker. She has built and sold a real estate firm and currently works as an associate broker and partner with The Norton Agency. Additionally, she and her husband are real estate investors, doing renovation resales and single-family rental homes in Northeast Georgia. Waters’ community and civic involvement includes serving her church as a trustee and volunteer and as an End Polio Now Coordinator for the State of Georgia with Rotary International. She has served as a Rotary District Governor and routinely presents on Rotary International’s polio eradication efforts. In the past, she has served as a board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Lanier, finance fundraising chair for the Georgia YMCA, as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and CASA volunteer. She is a member of the North Georgia Health Systems Auxiliary and Alliance of Therapy Dogs, volunteering with a Havanese dog, Maxx. Waters has served as President of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA Chapter 611), an organization supporting and promoting aviation. For the past 25 years, she has been a private pilot with an instrument, land, and sea rating.

State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia

Lee Chapman will now represent the 9th Congressional District.

Corey Lebron Ferguson will now represent the 6th Congressional District.

Joseph Poan Hsiao will now represent the 5th Congressional District.

Artesius Miller will now represent the 13th Congressional District.

Timothy Perryman will now serve as an At Large representative.

Daren Culbreath Wayne will now serve as an At Large representative.

Board of Community Affairs

David Belle Isle will now represent the 7th Congressional District.

David Burge will now represent the 6th Congressional District.

Kwanza Hall will now represent the 5th Congressional District.

Tung “Tim” Quang Le will now represent the 4th Congressional District.

Frank Turner, Jr. will now represent the 13th Congressional District.

Vince Williams will now serve as an At Large representative.

Board of Natural Resources

Dan Garcia, Duncan Johnson, Jr., and Jeff Bodine Sinyard were reappointed.

Randy L. Dellinger will now represent the 13th Congressional District.

Charles K. DePriest will now serve as an At Large representative.

David “Penn” Hodge will now represent the 7th Congressional District.

Paul Shailendra will now represent the 6th Congressional District.

Brent Layton is the CEO of Sharecare. Formerly president and chief operating officer of Centene Corporation, he has served on Sharecare’s board of directors since January 2023. Layton has more than 30 years of healthcare and public policy experience, with expertise in building, scaling, and operating businesses focused on government-funded programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. During his more than two decades at Centene, Layton served in many roles and capacities. This included serving as chief business development officer, during which time the company scaled from three to 31 health plans, becoming the nation’s largest Medicaid-managed care company. He oversaw many divisions and products, including provider contracting where he led Centene into value-based care. As president and COO of Centene, Layton also oversaw Ambetter, the nation’s largest health insurance exchange provider, and WellCare, the nation’s sixth-largest Medicare Advantage company. Layton announced his retirement from Centene in late 2022 and stayed with the company as senior advisor to the CEO. Centene grew annual revenues from roughly $300 million to $144 billion during his tenure. Prior to joining Centene, Layton ran a managed care consulting firm and created and managed various healthcare companies including vision and dental provider Avesis, Absolute Care Medical Centers, and other managed care companies in the areas of ENT, podiatry, chiropractic, and behavioral health. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. Layton will serve as the Fifth Congressional District Representative on the Board of Natural Resources.

Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists

Annjeanen “Angie” Smith was reappointed.

Sandra Mullings has over thirty years of health care experience and spent more than sixteen years as Director of Care Coordination at Emory University Hospital Midtown. Her leadership experience includes overseeing all aspects of Care Coordination, Transition of Care Models, Collaborative Practice, and Strategic Planning. Mullings is a focused and committed leader who has excelled in improving service delivery for patients in a complex healthcare system. She has served as a National Board Member of the American Case Management Association (2013). Currently, she holds the position of Secretary for the Georgia Chapter of the American Case Management Association.

Endsley Real is a native of Atlanta and has been a social worker for 24 years. She obtained her MSW from Clark Atlanta University in 1997 and obtained an MPH from Emory University in 2014. Real has spent most of her career working with those with substance use disorders and mental illness. She has over 10 years of administrative experience in directing programs for those with substance use disorders, mental illness, and those living with HIV. Real joined the staff of the Atlanta VA Health Care System eight years ago and is currently the Professional Practice Specialist for the Social Work Service Line. As the Professional Practice Specialist, she oversees the evaluation of the practice of social workers at the Atlanta VA, coordinates the clinical supervision provided to those working towards advanced licensure, and supervises the director of the social work internship program as well as the professional development program for the service line. Real serves on several national committees for the VA including co-leading the National Social Work Emergencies Tiger Team and the workgroup updating clinical practice guidelines for The Use of Opioids in the Management of Chronic Pain.

Deborah Sills is an Assistant Professor of Social Work and the MSW coordinator at Fort Valley State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from Clark Atlanta University with a focus on spirituality in clinical counseling. She has held teaching roles at the University of Georgia and Clark Atlanta University. Sill has served as a Clinical Social Worker and Program Manager at Liberty Healthcare/Fulton County MH/DD/AD. She has expertise in autism spectrum disorders and substance abuse. Sills also works as a Network Manager at Optum, managing the Autism Network and overseeing mental health and substance abuse provider networks. Additionally, she is involved in contracting work, providing mental health and autism evaluations for county probate courts, and co-owns Level Up Community Service Program, LLC, and Exceptionally Yours Autism and Educational Services, LLC.

Board of Corrections

John B. Edwards started his law enforcement career as a uniformed officer in 1977 and served 30 years in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation retiring as a Special Agent in Charge. Next, he served four years as a Chief Deputy Sheriff. Since 2014, Edwards has served as Executive Director of the Peace Officer Association of Georgia and CEO of J.B. Edwards and Associates Consultants. His experience ranges from working undercover in the street, major drug operations, investigation of major homicide cases, high profile cases, and politically sensitive cases, to special event security. His management background includes narcotics supervision, multi-jurisdictional task force supervision, general investigation supervision, and co-chair of crisis management for the 2004 G-8 summit. Edwards has created and developed nationally recognized police operations programs and has over thirty years as a law enforcement trainer. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University, a former adjunct at the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College graduate school at Columbus State University, a Georgia P.O.S.T. certified instructor, and has a National Instructor Certification from the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training in Meridian, Idaho. Edwards serves on the Advisory Board for the Georgia Public Training Center, Savannah Regional Police Academy. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Law Enforcement Education and Trainers Association and the Peace Officers Association of Georgia. He is the author of two books, thirty-one different law enforcement training curriculums, and many national and international publications regarding police operations, leadership, and management. He has received national awards and recognition from IACP and the BJA for operations and innovative programs and in 2014 was selected for the State of Georgia’s Governor’s Award in Public Safety for Outstanding Contribution to Profession. Edwards currently travels throughout the United States lecturing for many federal, state and local agencies and law enforcement associations regarding police operations, leadership and management, and conducts three-day seminars based on his book, “The Burden of Command.”

Board of Juvenile Justice

Adam Kennedy will now represent the 12th Congressional District.

Timothy D. McCully will now represent the 11th Congressional District.

Penny Penn will now serve as an At Large representative.

Scotty E. Hancock represents Post 5 on the Floyd County Board of Commissioners and is Director of Business Development for the Georgia Market at AdventHealth Redmond. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Shorter University. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Shorter University. Hancock served seven years in the United States Army with the 25th Infantry Division. Hancock was a Floyd County employee for over 18 years. He began his career in Floyd County in the Sheriff’s Office before being promoted to Animal Control Director and finally, to director of the Floyd County Emergency Management Agency. Hancock currently represents the Board of Commissioners on the Floyd County Public Safety Committee, Floyd County Department of Family and Children Services Board, Airport Commission, Alcohol Control Commission, Rome-Floyd Commission on Children & Youth, Rome-Floyd SPLOST Overview, Rome-Floyd Fire Overview, and serves as alternate on the Public Utilities & Transportation Committee. In 2021, Governor Brian Kemp appointed him to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. He and his wife, Ronda, are foster parents and have three children.

Michael M. Murphy is the president and CEO of M3 Innovations, LLC, which serves as a distributor for 360 Heath and Hygiene, Switch Lighting USA, and has a partnership with Aquatree Products who specialize in the vertical farming of micro greens. Murphy serves on the board of the Family Life Restoration Center, Star-C, and is the president of STING, Inc. He is the past chairman of the Austell Community Taskforce. Murphy spent over 25 years in corporate America with Ford Marketing Corporation and Dunkin Donuts, where he was Purchasing Manager, Director of Quality Control, and Director of Consumer Affairs. Prior to moving to Georgia, he was appointed by Massachusetts’ Governor, Bill Weld, to the Judicial Conduct Commission.

Georgia Rare Disease Advisory Council

Elizabeth Gosa is the Babies Can’t Wait State Interagency Coordinating Council and Family Support Manager in the Division of Women, Children, and Nursing Services at the Georgia Department of Public Health. Babies Can’t Wait is Georgia’s Early Intervention (EI)/Part C program that serves as the statewide resource for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or who are at risk for delays due to particular health conditions. Before she joined the Georgia Department of Public Health, Gosa served as the Director of Programs and Family Support at The Arc Georgia. In addition, she has 5+ years of experience as a paralegal at a law firm specializing in services for elders and those with disabilities. There, she gained an in-depth understanding of state programs and support for families and caregivers of persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities and other healthcare needs. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Emory University, and her master’s in social work from Georgia State University. In 2017-2018, Gosa was a fellow of Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Her deep concern for and commitment to public health and the rare disease community had very personal beginnings, as she is the parent of a child who had a rare disease.

Mary Barrett Yancey currently serves as a Project Consultant with Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services. She has held various roles during her 24 years with the agency including Case Management, Supervision, Field Program Specialist working special investigations, and providing program consultation for DFCS Region 5, in addition to various state office projects. Since 2014 Yancey has served in multiple DFCS County Director positions to include Barrow, Jackson, Clarke, and Oconee counties prior to her current role. As a Project Consultant, she works with the Office of Family Independence and has established the DFCS Customer Service Task Force. She attended the University of Georgia and received her Bachelor of Social Work in 1998. She was a recipient of the Title IV-E grant and, while working full-time, obtained her Master of Social Work in 2005 from UGA. In 2012 Yancey was selected to attend the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute Leadership Academy for Middle Managers in Delaware. She has also served as a part-time instructor in 2022 for the IV-E program with the University of Georgia School of Social Work teaching foster care and adoption classes.

Georgia Commission on Service and Volunteerism

Said Sewell has over two decades of experience in higher education and is currently the President and Managing Partner of The Empowerment Group (TEG), a consulting firm in the education sector. Sewell also holds a key executive role as the Chief Academic, Research, and Student Affairs officer for the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc. This consortium includes historically Black colleges and universities such as Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Morehouse School of Medicine. Throughout his career, Sewell has held various leadership positions, including Vice President for Student Affairs at Morehouse College and Provost at Lincoln University in Missouri. Sewell graduated from Morehouse College in 1992. He holds a Master of Public Administration in Public Policy from Texas Southern University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University. Sewell has been recognized for his contributions to higher education, appearing on media platforms like CNN, Larry King Live, and the Today Show. Notably, he founded the Young Republicans at Morehouse College in 1990, earning accolades and appointments for his efforts, including recognition by then-President George H.W. Bush. Sewell has received numerous awards for his outstanding contributions, including the Teacher of the Year Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists and being named among Georgia’s Best and Brightest by Georgia Trend Magazine. Active in professional, civic, and social organizations, Sewell also serves as an ordained Baptist minister.

Board of Commissioners of the Commission on Equal Opportunity

Karen Johnston, Kelvin King, Kelly McAloon, Ashoo Sharma, Travis Stegall, Shawnzia Thomas, and Sugandha Yadav were reappointed.

Daniel Le Huynh is a Partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, specializing in Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation. Huynh is Co-Chair of the IP Practice and Chief Diversity Partner and is the primary counsel in high-stakes IP litigation cases across various U.S. jurisdictions, offering strategic counsel to organizations for the development of long-term IP strategies. Additionally, he oversees the Diversity Initiative and serves on the DEI Steering Committee. Before joining Morris, Manning, & Martin, Huynh was at Alston & Bird, LLP, serving in roles as Counsel and Senior Associate, where he managed patent litigations and global arbitrations related to cellular telecommunications. He served as outside general counsel to a local Atlanta distillery, providing expertise in business negotiations, contracts, and intellectual property matters. Alongside his legal career, he was the General Partner and Co-Owner of The Luminary Restaurant Group, LLC. He was a Visiting Adjunct Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Public Policy. With multiple bar admissions, including USPTO, Georgia, North Carolina, and Washington D.C., Huynh earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and holds a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Awards, and has been listed by Best Lawyers for Intellectual Property Litigation since 2023.

Belisa Marie Urbina was born and raised in Puerto Rico and studied business administration at the University of Puerto Rico. In 2001, along with her husband Miguel, she co-founded Ser Familia, Inc. which is the leading program in Georgia providing coordinated multi-disciplinary family, social, and mental health services to Latinos. Through the years she has held leadership positions in various influential organizations. Urbina was a member of Cobb County’s 2020 Steering Committee and past chairperson of Kennestone Hospital’s Regional Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Advisory Board, Georgia’s Child Protective Services Advisory Council, Voices for Georgia’s Children, and United Way of Metro Atlanta Boards of Directors. She has been a part of Georgia’s Department of Public Health COVID-19 Health Equity Council. She has also been involved in many national efforts benefiting Latinos, including as a member of the Advisory Council of the National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health and SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Equity Steering Committee. Among the many recognitions she has received for her work, in 2014, she was chosen as one of the 11WhoCare by Atlanta’s 11 Alive Channel. In 2017, she was honored by the Georgia Women’s Legislative Caucus with the Nikki T. Randall Servant Leadership Award and recognized with the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award by the Atlanta Falcons. In 2018, the Atlanta Braves chose her along with her husband Miguel as Braves’ Community Heroes. Urbina has also been named as one of Georgia’s 50 Most Influential Latinos in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2021, she and her husband were inducted into the Georgia Latinos’ Hall of Fame. She is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta (2017) and the Regional Leadership Institute (2019).

Middle Georgia Regional Commission Council

Tommy Stalnaker is a lifelong resident of Houston County. He graduated from Warner Robins High School in 1968 and Georgia Southern College in 1972. Stalnaker worked for the Houston County Board of Commissioners for 38 years, retiring as the Director of Operations in September 2010. In his retirement, Stalnaker served three terms as Chairman of the Houston County Commissioners from January 2011, totaling 12 years of service. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Warner Robins and currently serves on the Houston Health Care Board of Trustees and the Central Georgia Joint Development Authority.

State Board of Long-Term Care Facility Administrators

Shanna Dupree, Staci Kennedy, Barbara Mitchell, Edward “Chap” Nelson, Kimberly Pitsenbarger, and Darcy Watson were reappointed.

State Workforce Development Board

Heath Clark is a former state legislator and financial services professional. After graduating from Middle Georgia State University, Clark pursued a career at Robins AFB as a defense contractor, specializing in Information Systems as a Software Engineer. In 2015, he was sworn into the Georgia General Assembly, serving as a State Representative. During his eight-year tenure in the legislature, he assumed the position of Chairman of the Committee on Defense and Veteran Affairs and served as a member on various other committees, including Insurance, Public Safety, Appropriations, Science and Technology, Intergovernmental Coordination, Special Rules, and several other study committees. In 2017, he began a new career in the financial services sector, and, even after leaving the legislature, he remains committed to serving the Warner Robins and Middle Georgia community in this capacity.

Merry W. Fort is the Executive Clinical Advisor for Health Advocates Network, a national healthcare contingent workforce provider. Fort is an industry veteran and has extensive experience in healthcare labor force management, having owned and operated two healthcare contingent labor companies prior to having each one acquired by a national firm. She joined the management team of the acquisition company where she served as Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer before leaving the company in 2012. Fort previously worked at Atrium Navicent, The Medical Center, as an Administrative House Supervisor, where she continued as needed until 2016. She continued her career as the company’s Executive Vice President of Clinical Services and led the Executive Team through the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2015, Governor Nathan Deal appointed Fort to the Georgia Board of Nursing and, in 2020, Governor Brian Kemp reappointed her to the Georgia Board of Nursing, where she served as Vice President. She holds a nursing degree from Macon State College, now Middle Georgia State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercer University.

Kenneth Warnock is the CEO of the Swainsboro-Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce and Emanuel County Development Authority and is a lifelong resident deeply committed to his community. With degrees in real estate and finance from the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University, Warnock’s local ties include an Associate of Arts degree from Emanuel County Junior College and an Emergency Medical Technician certification from Swainsboro Technical College. Previously, as vice president and CFO of James W. Buckley and Associates, Architects, and Engineers, Warnock managed day-to-day operations, served as project manager, and piloted corporate flights for 16 years. He played a pivotal role in launching Emanuel County 911 and presently chairs the East Georgia Regional Airport Authority. Warnock is presently serving as Chairman of the East Georgia Regional Airport Authority and is a member of the East Georgia State College Foundation, Pine Tree Festival, and Southeast Timber EXPO Foundation, and is a charter board member of the Georgia Aviation Authority. Additionally, he heads the Aviation Division of the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Department. He was a member of the charter Leadership Emanuel class and has served as an instructor and facilitator for subsequent classes. He is also a graduate of the Georgia Academy of Economic Development. He was the architect for Vision 2020, a workforce initiative to allow at-risk high school students to work while earning credits towards graduation while gaining life skills training and experience through an association with Great Promise Partnership.

North Georgia Mountains Authority

Dan Garcia is the President of C. W. Matthews Contracting Company. He joined the company in 2013. His expertise involves all facets of construction management, but his passion for the industry comes from building projects that have an impact in the community and for the people constructing these projects. Garcia was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to the United States at the age of 17 to attend The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. After graduating in 1996 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, he began his career in construction working in several states before moving to Georgia in 2012. In 2010, Garcia completed his M.B.A. from Mercer University. He was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp in 2022 to serve on the Board of Natural Resources.

State Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers

Tyler Wood is an entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience in real estate, finance, and automotive industries. Throughout his career, Wood has held leadership roles at companies like LTL Holdings, LLC, Elite Pre-Settlement, LLC, and Hamilton Mortgage Company. Most notably, Wood served as Vice President at Bank of America, N.A., where he managed loan origination sales and played a pivotal role in expanding operations in the central Georgia region. His other ventures include Wood Realty Group, LLC, and TMW Mortgage Investments, LLC. He earned his Bachelor of Science in education and business education from the University of Georgia. Actively involved in community service, Wood has been associated with organizations such as Kiwanis in Forsyth, Georgia, and served on the Residential Board of Governors for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. Wood’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors and awards, reinforcing his reputation as a distinguished professional.

Georgia Opioid Settlement Advisory Commission

Evan Meyers will serve as Chairman of the Georgia Opioid Settlement Advisory Commission. He is Deputy Executive Counsel in the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp. Prior to joining the governor’s staff in 2021, Meyers served as an attorney for the House Budget and Research Office with numerous committee assignments, including the House Judiciary Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in Criminal Justice and Sociology and a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law.

Chris Rustin is Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Public Health (DPH). As Deputy Commissioner, Rustin assists the Commissioner of Public Health with the direction and oversight of DPH and its 159 County Health Departments. Prior to serving as Deputy Commissioner, he served in senior leadership roles at DPH including the Director of Health Protection and Director of Environmental Health. Rustin holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a Master’s in Safety and Environmental Compliance, and a Doctor of Public Health with an emphasis on Community Health. He is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist with the Georgia Board of Registered Environmental Health Professionals, a Fellow with the CDC Public Health Leadership Institute, and the past President of the Georgia Public Health Association.