Gov. Kemp Announces 48 Appointments to Boards, Authorities, and Commissions

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment and re-appointment of 48 people to various state boards, authorities, and commissions. Governor Kemp also recently appointed the following members of the Georgia General Assembly to serve on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee, a Joint House and Senate Committee responsible for the oversight of MARTA: Senator Tonya Anderson, Senator Gloria Butler, Senator Steve Gooch, Representative Demetrius Douglas, Representative Scott Hilton, and Representative Martin Momtahan.

Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Deb Bailey is the former Executive Director of Government Affairs at Northeast Georgia Health System. She began her nursing career as a psychiatric nurse before becoming the head nurse in a Drug and Alcohol Unit. Later, she became a Computers in Nursing Consultant, serving on the editorial board of the first-ever Computers in Nursing Journal. Baily was one of the first women to speak publicly on this issue in the United Arab Emirates and also served as a Professor of Nursing at Brenau College for several years. She then transitioned into healthcare administration, as a VP of Nursing at Northeast Georgia Health System.

Bailey was appointed by former Governor Perdue to the Committee on Public Health and former Governor Deal appointed her to the Georgia Board of Nursing, the Georgia Hospital Medicaid Financial Program Advisory Committee, and numerous other state committees. Bailey currently serves on the Brenau Professional Advisory Board, the University of North Georgia Professional Sciences Advisory Board, and the Emory Doctorate Nurse Practitioner Board. She has also served on the Legislative Taskforce of the Georgia Hospital Association, Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, and Safety Net Coalition of Hospitals. Bailey has a bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and Nursing, a master’s in Nursing, and is a Wharton Business School Fellow.

Bubber Epps is a former member of the Georgia General Assembly, representing State House District 144 from 2008 to 2019. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, he was a member of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Motor Vehicles, Insurance, and Natural Resources and Environment Committees. He served as Chairman of the Small Business Development Committee and Secretary of the Transportation Committee.

Epps spent the early years of his adult life in education and then joined his family’s paving business, Epps Brothers Construction Company, Inc. He studied at Brewton Parker College and Mercer University, earning a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's in Education. He and his wife, Kathryn, live in Dry Branch.

Board of Natural Resources

Dwight Davis was reappointed.

Kevin Jackson serves as CEO of EnviroVac Holdings, LLC, which he formed in 1999. Prior to EnviroVac, he served as Vice President of Marketing at Scapa Group and began his sales career in 1985 as a salesman for Georgia Fastener and Safety Company in Savannah. He currently serves on the State Workforce Development Board and is a past member of the Georgia Economic Development Board, Georgia Lottery Corporation Board of Directors, and the Georgia Ports Authority. Jackson also served as Chairman of the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) and on the Board of Trustees for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Jackson was a proud member of the University of Georgia 1980 National Championship Football Team, the 1982 and 1983 Southeastern Conference Championship Teams, and was voted co-captain of the 1983 team. In 1984, he was a graduate assistant coach under Coach Vince Dooley’s Cotton Bowl Championship Team and is also a member of the Letterman’s Club. Jackson received the Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2015, and Savannah State awarded him Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017. He and his wife Libby, reside in Savannah, Georgia.

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

Erin Hames and James M. Hull were reappointed.

Board of Education

Frank Griffin and Leonte B. Leonta were reappointed.

Nick Ellis is the former chairman of the Wayne County Board of Education and is a lieutenant patrol commander with the Jesup Police Department. Ellis began his career in law enforcement as a juvenile corrections officer and, in 2010, joined the City of Jesup Police Department. He is the senior vice president of the Police Benevolent Association of Georgia.

Ellis is heavily involved with the Boys and Girls Club of the Altamaha Area, serving on the board as chair, and was recently inducted into the BCG Georgia Hall of Fame. Ellis was elected to the Wayne County Board of Education in 2015. He and his wife, Krystal, have three children.

Georgia Real Estate Commission

DeAnn Golden is President and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, a full-service brokerage with 29 offices throughout the state. Golden has held several positions during her career, including Sales Associate, Trainer, Coach, Managing Broker, Regional Manager, Executive Leadership Team Member, and 2019 Atlanta REALTORS® Association President. In 2017, the Atlanta REALTORS® Association named her REALTOR® of the Year.

Golden received her M.B.A. in Real Estate, Marketing, and Strategic Management from the University of Georgia.

State Board of Optometry

Jeffrey Hackleman was reappointed.

Ellen Drury Fitzgerald opened Fitzgerald Family Eyecare in Douglas, Georgia in 2005. In addition to being an optometric physician, she is an active member of the community. Fitzgerald is a member of the Coffee County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Douglas Lions Club, a former board member of South Georgia State College Foundation, and currently serves as a member of the Coffee Regional Medical Center Hospital Board of Directors. She is a member and former trustee board member of the Georgia Optometric Association as well as a member of the American Optometric Association.

Fitzgerald earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Valdosta State University while working as a clinical and surgical technician. After college, she went on to obtain a Doctorate of Optometry from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. Fitzgerald completed internships at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins and at Eye Associates of Southeast Georgia in Valdosta. She and her husband, Clay have two children.

Board of Directors of the Georgia Lottery Corporation

Tyler L. Barr is President and CEO of Vexiom Corporation, a private investment and holding company that manages and invests in multiple businesses and real estate valued at more than $1 billion. Barr is a member of the local and national board of directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts of America, United Way, Georgia Parent Teachers Association, National Parent Teacher Association, and other nonprofit organizations. He also serves as treasurer for his local homeowner's association and church and previously served as President of the Georgia Parent Teacher Association, where he led the effort to secure $120 million in funds for the Douglas County School System.

Barr attended Campbell University and pursued his education in business administration, finance, and other areas of special interest in business law, venture capital, and private equity. He completed an executive management program from the Harvard Business School of Executive Education and also earned a Project Management Certification and Life, Property & Casualty Insurance License. He and his wife have two children and reside in Douglas County.

Georgia Student Finance Commission

Robert Grigsby is a managing partner at BSW Capital Group, LLC. In his early career, his real estate activities included corporate relocations, lease restructuring, business tax incentive negotiation, real estate finance, monetization of tax credits, and investment sales. Grigsby served as Managing Director of Fairlead Private Client Group, a multi-disciplined platform providing risk adjusted returns in real estate related investment opportunities. He also served as Managing Director of Mandalay-FCRE Management Company LLC, an independent real estate investment firm with offices in the US and Asia. Mandalay-FCRE built a $335 million portfolio of value add and core plus office properties around the Southeast US. After the sale of FCRE, Grigsby founded BSW Capital Group, LLC, a boutique private equity firm focused on real estate investment, real estate development, as well as investment in traditional operating businesses. He serves on the board of the Rome International Film Festival, Warrior2Citizen, the South Rome Alliance Development Committee, and is active in several other community related organizations. He and his wife, Julie, have three sons and reside in Rome.

State Board of Pharmacy

Michael Farmer is the President and Owner of Farmer's Prescription Shop Inc. He previously served as president of the Georgia Pharmacy Association and as the Chairman of the Georgia Pharmacy Association Insurance Trust. Farmer has been named a University of Georgia College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumnus. He also received the Merck Outstanding Achievement in Profession of Pharmacy Award and the Wyeth Bowl of Hygeia Community Service Award. Farmer has served as president of the Winder Kiwanis Club and as a deacon at First Baptist Church Winder.

State Forestry Commission

Ben Gillis and Robert Pollard were reappointed.

Behavioral Health Coordinating Council

Nathan Call is the Clinical Director at the Marcus Autism Center, Vice-Chief of the Psychology Section at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory. He has been at Marcus Autism Center since 2006, where he has held many positions as a clinician and leader of treatment programs. Call has an active research agenda that includes publishing in and serving on the editorial board for several journals, including as an associate editor for Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. His current research interests include the assessment and treatment of severe behavior disorders. Call has also conducted translational research in behavioral economics and measure development. He received his doctorate in School Psychology from the University of Iowa in 2003.

Veda Johnson is a Marcus Professor in General Academics and Pediatrics and Director of PARTNERS for Equity in Child and Adolescent Health for the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. Prior to her current position, Johnson was the Director of Community and School Based Clinics for the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. In that position, she served as Medical Director of the Whitefoord Community Program which consists of two school-based health clinics and the Boatrock and Lindbergh Women and Children’s Health Clinics affiliated with the Grady Health System. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves on the executive committee for the Academy’s Council on School Health. She also serves as Chair of the School Health Committee for the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Alexia Jones is the founder and Executive Director of R2ISE Inc., a nonprofit Recovery Community Organization in Atlanta. Jones has worked with individuals, families, and children in recovery for 26 years. She is a certified addiction empowerment specialist and certified peer specialist trainer for trauma-informed care. By utilizing the arts, R2ISE hopes to provide a safe place that fosters and promotes the maintenance of wellness for those recovering from mental health challenges and/or drug addiction. During her own recovery journey, Jones wrote several plays that illustrate the process. Her artistic work includes "Chronicles of Hope,” featuring recovering artists in a collaborative effort to share stories of hope throughout the state.

Jones has a bachelor’s in Dance from Florida State University and an M.B.A. from Phoenix University.

INVEST Georgia

Charles Thompson was reappointed.

John F. Carter is CEO and Vice Chairman of Carter Brothers Management Services, LLC. As CEO, he leads one of the nation’s top integrated facility management firms specializing in project and program management. Along with his partner and brother, Cris Carter, the CarterBrothers Companies have created the CarterBrothers Playbook, A Strategic Approach to Relationship Development, producing training materials and programs to facilitate relationships with the minority and disadvantaged business community. He is a member of the board of directors for the YMCA, a founding member of Carter Brothers Charities, a member of the board of directors of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, a former member of the Hampton University Sports Advisory Board, and the Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business Alumni Board.

Carter attended West Liberty State College where he studied business management and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Education Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. He is active in the community and supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Hosea Feed the Hungry, and the National Urban League.

Professional Standards Commission

Mark Kauffman is the retired CEO of Treadmaxx Tire Distributors, formerly Kauffman Tire. Today, Treadmaxx has 14 distribution centers located in seven states throughout the country. Kauffman joined the family business, founded by his grandparents in 1936, in 1984. In 2011, the Kennesaw State University Cox Family Enterprise Center named Kauffman Tire the Large Family Owned Business of the Year in Georgia. He presently serves on the board of the Special Olympics of Georgia, the Lovett School Board of Trustees, and the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta System Board. He previously served on the Trinity School Board of Trustees, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation Board, the Emory Winship Board of Advisors, the UGA Terry College Dean’s Advisory Council, and Truist Bank Atlanta Advisory Board.

Kauffman graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He and his wife, Andrea, have two children.

State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors

Michael Brown is a Senior Technical Advisor at J.R. Hobbs Co. In his role, Brown oversees multi-family projects and advises on code compliance and feasibility in order to provide technical training to personnel. Brown has obtained 34 additional licenses, qualifications, and/or certifications for the J.R. Hobbs family of companies. He served as the CAAG representative to the Georgia DCA Mechanical Code Board in 2018 and 2019. He is currently the chairman of the HVAC advisory committee at Gwinnett Technical College.

Brown is a veteran having completed two back-to-back tours in the Army: West Germany (1988) and Saudi Arabia and Iraq (1990). He continued his military service with the Georgia National Guard until 1995. He and his wife, Jamia, have two children.

Certificate of Need Appeals Panel

Carl P. Dowling has practiced law in Augusta for the last thirty-five years. He spent the first seven years of his legal career working as a prosecutor before transitioning into private practice. He is experienced in civil and criminal litigation, family law, real estate law, fiduciary law, and business law. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Fiduciary Law Section and is an active member of Trinity on the Hill Methodist Church, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees. He also serves as a Trustee and board member for Columbia County Cares, Inc., Columbia County's largest food pantry.

Dowling Dowling graduated with a J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law after earning a bachelor's in business management from the University of Houston and Augusta State University (formerly Augusta College). He and his wife, Susan, have been married for 32 years and have four children.

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

J. Terry Branch was elected as the Mayor of the City of Claxton in 2015. He retired from the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) as an Agency Manager that same year after 25 years of service. Previously, he worked in the retail clothing industry for 27 years and served in the Air National Guard. He is the former chairman of the Claxton Downtown Development Authority, the Claxton-Evans County Chamber of Commerce, Claxton Jaycees, the Claxton Rotary Club, Evans County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Men’s Retailers Association of Georgia, Statesboro area Life Underwriters Fellowship Training Council, and the Georgia Southern University Fundraising Drive. Branch also served on the Evans County Recreation Department Board of Directors, Tattnall Campground Trustees, and Claxton City Council. He currently serves as President of the Evans County Gideons International, Chairman of the Daisy United Methodist Church Board, is a member of the Claxton Rotary Club, the Altamaha Regional Water Planning Council, Evans Memorial Hospital Authority, and the Economic Development Authority of Claxton-Evans County. Brach and his wife, Vickie, have three children.

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

Jennifer Vann is the owner and Director of Services at Cornerstone, which opened in 2011. Her specialties include working with whole families, parents, couples, adolescents, and individuals, particularly those going through life transitions such as divorce, loss, and launching. She is an AAMFT-approved supervisor and currently sits on the executive board of the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy where she has been an active member on both the local and state levels for the past 13 years.

Vann holds a master’s degree in Family Studies, specializing in marriage and family therapy from the University of Kentucky.

Stone Mountain Memorial Association

Erica Rocker is an economic development professional for the Clayton County Board of Commissioners with over 20 years of experience in municipal government. She has previously served on several boards and commissions throughout her work in North Fulton and South Fulton County, including Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta Medical Center -South, Westlake High School Touchdown Club, and the ATL Airport Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Currently, she serves on the Southern Innovation Crescent Board and the Atlanta Regional Marketing Alliance, is a member of the Arts Clayton Board of Directors, 2017 Class of Leadership Sandy Springs, the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA), International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Clayton County Chamber of Commerce BOD, ATL Airport BOD, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Emory University Alumni Association.

Jeff Mullis is President and CEO of the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority. He is a former member of the Georgia General Assembly and proudly served in the State Senate for over two decades. During his time in the State Senate, Mullis served as Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, a member of the Senate Appropriations, Subcommittee Chair of Economic Development and Tourism, Regulated Industries and Utilities Committees, and Reapportionment Committee. Mullis has been recognized by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Georgia” for ten consecutive years for his work on several issues, including transportation and economic development. Also, James Magazine listed Mullis as one of the “Most Influential Political Leaders in Georgia” for eight consecutive years. He is an active member of his community. His affiliations include the Fort Oglethorpe Kiwanis Club, Chickamauga Lions Club, Georgia Historic Society, Georgia Music Hall of Fame – Co-Chair, and is a member of the Chickamauga First Baptist Church.

State Charter School Commission

Lina Milan was reappointed.

Jim Cole is the Director of Athletics at Mercer University, a role he has held since July 1, 2010. Previously, he served as Mercer’s Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs, heading up the Mercer Athletics Foundation while also working in private business. In 2003, Cole was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served until 2010. A native of Augusta, Cole came to Mercer as a student-athlete and graduated in 1993 before being drafted as a pitcher by the Milwaukee Brewers. He returned to Mercer in 1997 to earn his M.B.A. while serving as a graduate assistant and pitching coach for the baseball team. He has served as the 8th Congressional District Representative on the State Board of Transportation and is a board member for local chapters of the Salvation Army and Methodist Children’s Home. He and his wife, Gaylyn, have two children.

Ben Scafidi is a professor of economics and director of the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University. He is also a senior fellow with the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. Previously, he served as the Director of Education Policy for the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, the first chair of the state of Georgia’s Charter Schools Commission, a member of the Charter Advisory Committee, an Education Policy Advisor to Governor Sonny Perdue, a staff member to both of Governor Roy Barnes’ Education Reform Study Commissions, and as an expert witness for the state in school funding litigation. Scafidi received a bachelor's in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in Economics from the University of Virginia.

Board of Public Safety

Roy Fickling is President of Fickling & Company, Inc., a regional real estate development, brokerage, management, and consulting firm based in Macon. He is also President of Riverside Automotive Inc. and a director and officer of various operating and investment companies. Previously, he was Founding Director & Partner at Beech Street, U.K., Ltd., Founding Director of Rivoli Bank & Trust, Director of Piedmont Community Bank, and Director of Oxigene Inc. He currently serves on several boards, including those of the 1065 Institute, Georgia Public Policy Foundation, the Federal Reserve Middle Georgia Economic Advisory Council, Shield Club, 21st Century Partnership, Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame, and WRALC Museum of Aviation. He is an honorary life member of the Georgia Peace Officers’ Association. Fickling has previously served on the Georgia Ports Authority and Georgia Technology Authority, among others.

State Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians

Ben Steele is a clinical dietitian at Piedmont Henry Hospital. In this role, he provides clinical nutrition services, including nutrition assessment, modified diet formulation, and nutrition support in the acute and critical care setting. He is on the Piedmont Cancer Committee, serving as a nutrition representative for identification and intervention for cancer-related malnutrition. Steele has piloted the development, committee approval, and implementation of peri-operative nutrition intervention policy/protocol to improve surgical outcomes and reduce the length of stay for patients. Steele has a bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology from the University of Georgia and a master’s in Nutrition from Georgia State University.

Kate Wiley is the Clinical Preceptor Coordinator and a Clinical Instructor of Nutrition at Georgia State University. In this role, she is the acute care preceptor for all Coordinated Program Students at Grady Memorial Hospital. Her clinical expertise is in acute care clinical nutrition and diabetes education. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Greater Atlanta Dietetic Association. She has received several awards for her work, including the 2011 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year from the Georgia Dietetic Association, 2010 Distinguished Service to Greater Atlanta Dietetic Association, and the 2009 Emerging Dietetic Leader from the Georgia Dietetic Association.

Georgia Alzheimer's and Related Dementias State Plan Advisory Council

Deke Cateau is the CEO of A.G. Rhodes Health and Rehab, a nonprofit long-term care organization with three facilities in Georgia. He has been with the skilled nursing facility since 2009, serving in roles such as administrator, Chief of Strategic Implementation, and COO. Prior to joining A.G. Rhodes, Cateau held positions at Autumn Breeze Health Care Center and at College Park Health Care Center.

A native of Trinidad, Cateau graduated with a bachelor’s in History from the University of the West Indies and earned a master’s degree from the same university. He and his wife, Keya, have three children.

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

David Johnson and Lewis Page were reappointed.

Cornelius "Neil" Rawls is the President and CEO of Georgia Certified Motors and CEO of MaxPro Holdings Inc. He is responsible for overseeing all investment-controlled entities related to Georgia Certified Motors. Rawls has more than 16 years of experience working in the automotive and finance industry. He currently serves as an executive board member of the Georgia Independent Automotive Dealers Association and also sponsors and volunteers with different charities and organizations throughout Georgia.

Rawls attended Life University and the University of Phoenix. He joined the U.S. Marines in 1994 before beginning his career in the automotive industry.

Board of Health Care Workforce

Indran Indrakrishnan and William P. Kemp were reappointed.

Board of Trustees of the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund

Cody Whitlock was reappointed.