Gov. Kemp Names 15 Appointments

Atlanta, GA – Today Governor Brian P. Kemp announced his selection of fifteen appointees to serve on the State Board of Registration of Used Motor Vehicle Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers, Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers, State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, and the Construction Industry Licensing Board - Utility Contractors Division.

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

James (Jimmy) Stephen Lydon is appointed as a consumer member for the Motor Vehicle Dealers Division. He is a territory manager for Flint Equipment Company in Brunswick. Lydon and his wife, Kim, live in Blackshear.

Darryl A. Hicks is appointed as a consumer member for the Motor Vehicle Dealers Division. He joined MassMutual Financial Group under the Capstone Agency in 2013 and worked for Morgan Stanley for nearly three years before building on a distinguished career in public service and the private sector. Currently, he serves on the Fayette County Board of Elections and as chair of the Fayette County Development Authority. Hicks earned an MBA in Executive Management from Georgia State University and a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Morris Brown College. He and his wife, Shirelle, have three children and live in Fayetteville.

Rajeev Saxena is appointed as a consumer member for the Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers Division. He earned a law degree from St. Thomas University School of Law, MBA from Columbus State University, and a BBA from the University of Georgia. He is a managing partner with AJR Hospitality, an attorney, and serves as chair for the Laurens County Board of Education Foundation. He and his wife, Amrita, have two children, and they reside in Dublin.

Gary Keith Massey is appointed as the insurance representative of the Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers Division. He is the president and CEO of Gary Massey Agency, Inc. in Covington, and he has been a licensed insurance agent since 1981. Massey and his wife, Deborah, live in Covington.

Georgia State Board of Cosmetology and Barbers

Van Dupree Council is the owner and president of Van Michael Salon. In 1984, he and his brother, Michael, launched the first Van Michael Salon, a full-service Aveda concept salon, in Atlanta. Council lives in Woodstock, and he has two children.

Amy Cooper Smith graduated from the Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology in 1999. She worked as a nail technician in the CSRA for twenty-one years. In 2015, Smith opened her own business, Olivia Paciano's Salon, in Augusta, where she employs eight master cosmetologists. She and her husband, Mike, have been married for twelve years and have two children. They live in Columbia County.

Jacqueline Brooke Jones is a full-time cosmetology instructor with Forsyth County High School and an adjunct cosmetology instructor for Lanier Technical College. She has worked as a stylist, salon manager, and as an educator since becoming licensed in 1990. Jones completed her cosmetology training at Gwinnett Technical College and earned her bachelor's degree from Oglethorpe University. She resides in Dahlonega.

T. Kay Kendrick, Virgil D. Ergle, and Philamenia Rivers were reappointed.

State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors

Jason Dickens is the director and owner of Dickens Farms, Inc. and Dickens Builders, Inc. He has been a general contractor since 1996. He holds bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business from the University of Georgia. Dickens, his wife, Stephanie, and their children live in Watkinsville.

Stephen M. Bauman has been in the contracting business since 1998 and currently serves as the president of Intersouth Builders, LLC. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama. Bauman and his wife, Alisa, live in Roswell, and they have two adult children.

Lana P. Cavassa is the general contractor and owner of Southeast Demolition & Environmental Services, Inc., La Fare, Inc., MLC Homes, Inc., and Maximus Builders, Inc. She earned a law degree from National University School of Law and bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. She lives in Sandy Springs, and she has a son, Maxwell.

Patrick Matthew Davey is the operating manager for Davey Construction, LLC. He earned a bachelor's degree in Building Construction and Contracting from Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Trish, have three children and live in Atlanta.

Construction Industry Licensing Board - Utility Contractors Division

Laura Weaver English earned a BBA from the University of Georgia in 1991 with a degree in Risk Management and Insurance. For the past twenty-five years, she has enjoyed employment with State Farm Insurance Company, serving in roles including agency team member, automobile claims litigation specialist, commercial field underwriting, and her current role as a business lines consultant. English and her husband, Ike, live in Jackson, and they have a daughter, Ivy, who is a student at UGA.