Deal appoints 45 to boards

Steve Wilson, Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (reappointment)
Wilson has been a law enforcement officer for 33 years. He was elected sheriff of Walker County in 1996 and is currently serving his fourth term. Wilson serves as vice president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes and is a board member of the Family Crisis Center of Walker, Dade, Chattooga and Catoosa counties. Wilson is a graduate of the Georgia Police Academy and Naval Post Graduate School. He and his wife, Sandy, have three adult children. They live in LaFayette.

Bill M. Hutson, Board of Commissioners of the Sheriffs Retirement Fund (reappointment)
Hutson is a retired sheriff of Cobb County. He served as executive director of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and as president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, the Peace Officers’ Association of Georgia, and the County Officers’ Association of Georgia. He served on the State Board of Corrections, the Georgia State Crime Commission and was on the board of directors of the National Sheriffs’ Association. He has received numerous awards including Sheriff of the Year and being named one of Georgia’s Most Influential People by James Magazine. Hutson attended Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University, the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, and the National Sheriffs’ Institute at the University of Southern California. He and his wife, Jackie, have two adult children and four grandchildren. They reside in Marietta.

Sheila Studdard, Board of Commissioners of the Superior Court Clerks Retirement Fund of Georgia (reappointment)
Studdard is the clerk of Superior, State and Magistrate courts for Fayette County. Prior to being elected in 2000, Studdard was an Atlanta police officer with 10 years of service. Studdard earned a bachelor’s degree from Mercer University and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She is a 2006 graduate of the Coverdell Leadership Institute. She and her husband, David, have three children and one grandchild and reside in Fayetteville.

James E. “Trey” Allen, Board of Community Affairs (reappointment)
Allen serves as the founding president and CEO of Learning Express Toys of Evans, a company he and his wife co-founded. He also serves on the Columbia County Commission, overseeing county planning, zoning, permitting and emergency management issues. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in Small Business Management from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Suzy, have two children. They live in Martinez.

Lee C. Hunter, Board of Governors of the George L. Smith II World Congress Center Authority (reappointment)
Hunter is the owner of Midtown Vending, LLC and Heritage Tree Farm, LLC. He is a member of the Georgia Amusement and Music Operators Association. He serves on The Lovett Alumni Association Board. Hunter received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama. He has two children.

Brent E. Bracewell, Board of Public Health (reappointment)
Bracewell is the director of joint staff for the Georgia National Guard. He has more than 25 years of active duty experience serving in Desert Storm, Bosnia and Iraq. He is a rated pilot and serves at the rank of colonel. Bracewell earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Army War College. He and his wife, Jill, have six daughters. They reside in Sharpsburg.

L.C. (Buster) Evans, Board of Trustees of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Georgia (reappointment)
Evans is currently the superintendent of Forsyth County Schools. Prior to his work in Forsyth County, he served in the same role in Bleckley County for 11 years. He has also worked for Heart of Georgia RESA, with one the world's largest Fortune 500 agricultural corporations, and as an adjunct faculty member at both Brewton Parker College and Mercer University teaching sociology, research and psychology courses. At a regional and state level, Evans has served as president of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and president of the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association. He is a graduate of Leadership Georgia. Evans earned his doctorate in Education from the University of Georgia and also has degrees from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Valdosta State University. He and his wife, Debbie, have two grown children, Jed and Laura. They reside in Cumming.

Nealie M. McCormick, Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
McCormick has been in law enforcement for 34 years and has served as the chief of police in Pelham for the past 27 years. He is the past president of the Georgia Jail Association. McCormick is a Muskogee Creek Indian and is a member of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. He has served as an adviser for federal, state and local agencies on Indian Affairs. He is a graduate of the Albany Regional Police Academy. McCormick and his wife, Marian, have two children and one grandchild. They reside in Pelham.

Royce McCrary, Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
McCrary is a third generation farmer in Worth County. He is a member of the Lower Muscogee Tribe and is active with the Worth County Young Farmers. He and his wife, Deborah, reside in Sylvester.

Robert T. “Bobby” Tuggle Jr., Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
Tuggle is the current owner and operator of the Bobby Tuggle Insurance Agency, Inc. He served in the U.S. Army for two years. He is a member the Perry Kiwanis Club, the American Legion and the Georgia Indian Culture Association. He serves as national trustee and national trustee emeritus of Ducks Unlimited. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Auburn University. Tuggle and his wife, Irene, have two children and five grandchildren. They reside in Perry.

Jace G. Weaver, Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
Weaver is the Franklin Professor of Religion and Native American Studies at the University of Georgia. He is also the director of the Institute of Native American Studies and has been the author or editor of 10 books. Weaver earned his bachelor’s degree from the Columbia College of Columbia University, his law degree from Columbia Law School, and his doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in New York. His wife, Laura, also teaches at the University of Georgia. They reside in Winterville.

Charles L. White, Georgia Composite Medical Board (reappointment)
White is a board certified family physician associated with Mount Yonah Family Practice in Cleveland. He has served as chairperson of the Georgia Composite Medical Board for the past year. He has Pharmacy degrees from both Mercer University and the University of Tennessee. White earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He and his wife, Debra, have three adult sons.

Steve Croy, Jekyll Island State Park Authority (reappointment)
Croy is a principal in Croy Group LLC, a consulting and real estate firm. He is also an associate broker with KW Commercial Real Estate. He currently serves as chairman of the Bryan County Development Authority and is on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Croy and his wife, Diane, have two children. They reside in Richmond Hill.

Michael S. Yeager, Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (reappointment)
Yeager is the sheriff and a lifelong resident of Coweta County. He serves on the State Immigration Enforcement Review Board, is past president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, and past president of the Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes. He is also a past recipient of the Georgia Sheriff of the Year award, and received the Governor's Public Safety Award for Outstanding Contribution to Profession in 2006. Yeager is a past president of the Newnan Kiwanis Club, past director of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, and past chairman of the Hero’s Campaign for the local American Red Cross. He studied criminal justice at West Georgia College and Brenau College. He is a graduate of the Clayton Regional Law Enforcement Academy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law Enforcement Executive Development Program, the National Sheriffs’ Institute, the U.S. Secret Service DPS School and the Georgia Police Academy. He and his wife, Beverly, have two children. They reside in Moreland.

William L. Prather, State Board of Pharmacy (reappointment)
Prather is a retired pharmacist, having owned and operated Blue Ridge Pharmacy until 2007. He is currently chairman of the Board of Directors for United Community Bank in Fannin County, a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, and the president of the Fannin County Scholarship Foundation. Prather is a graduate of Mercer University, where he received a degree in Pharmacy. He and his wife, Layne, have two adult children. They reside in Blue Ridge.

John T. Fervier, Subsequent Injury Trust Fund Commission (reappointment)
Fervier has been employed by Waffle House, Inc. for 24 years and currently serves as vice president of development. He also serves as a board director emeritus of the Georgia Self Insurers Association and a member of the Board of Directors for Kid’s Chance of Georgia. Fervier is on the Rules Committee for the Chairman’s Advisory Council for the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. Fervier earned his bachelor’s degree from Berry College and served as an officer in the U.S. Army before joining Waffle House. He and his wife, Sarah, have one child. They reside in Norcross.

Sylvia Russell, Technical College System of Georgia Board (reappointment)
Russell is president of AT&T Georgia. In 2012, she was named co-Georgian of the Year by James Magazine, one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians by Georgia Trend and one of Atlanta’s 100 Top Black Women of Influence by the Atlanta Business League. She serves on the board of directors for the Commerce Club, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Landmarks, the Georgia Corporation for Economic Development, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Woodruff Arts Center. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and received her law degree from Rutgers School of Law. She is married to Herman J. Russell Sr., and they have four sons and a daughter. They reside in Atlanta.

David B. Glass, Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Glass is a senior vice president with Glass Financial Group, Inc., an independent financial advisory and estate planning firm. He serves on the board of directors for Parent to Parent of Georgia, the ARC of Georgia and is a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council. He is a certified financial planner, chartered financial consultant, and certified life underwriter. Glass earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Insurance and Estate Management from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Betsy, have two young daughters. They reside in Atlanta.

Jason E. Buelterman, Board of Community Affairs
Buelterman is the coordinator of the international baccalaureate program at Johnson High School where he also teaches history. He is also the current mayor of Tybee Island. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati and a graduate degree in Secondary Education from Xavier University. Buelterman and his wife, Jody, have two children. They reside on Tybee Island.

Albert M. Hodge Jr., Board of Community Affairs
Hodge is president and CEO of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce in Floyd County. Hodge is the former vice chair of the Georgia Board of Education and has served as president of the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. He is a previous board member of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association and the U.S. Department of Energy Citizen’s Leadership Board. He graduated from the University of Georgia and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Rome and have one adult daughter.

Kiera L. von Besser, Board of Community Health
Von Besser is an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University and serves as an attending physician in the emergency department of Emory University Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital. She is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. Von Besser earned a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and a medical degree from the University of Chicago as well as a doctorate degree in Philosophy focusing on Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology. She resides in Atlanta.

Charlotte J. Nash, Board of Directors of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
Nash is chairman of the Gwinnett County Commission. She serves on the Board of Managers and Executive Committee for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, the Atlanta Regional Commission Board and the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Board. Nash earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Michael, have two children and two grandchildren.They reside in Lawrenceville.

Elizabeth “BJ” Mathis, Board of Directors of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
Mathis is the chairman of the Henry County Commission. She chairs the county board of health and is on the Board of Directors of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Atlanta Regional Commission Board and is involved with the ARC executive, environmental and land use, transportation and air quality and regional transit committees. Mathis and her husband, John, have three children and three grandchildren. They reside in McDonough.

Tom P. Worthan, Board of Directors of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
Worthan is the chairman of the Douglas County Commission, where he has served since 2004. He is a retired account executive with the Fulton Paper Co. During this time, he served as a district commissioner and in the state House of Representatives. He currently serves as chairman of the Douglas County Board of Health and Community Service Board, the Joint Study Committee on Indigent Defense, and the Atlanta Regional Commission where he is the chairman of the Transportation and Air Quality Committee. He was recently added to the Transit Governance Task Force. Worthan was a member of the Georgia National Guard and attended Georgia State University. He and his wife, Linda, have three children and four grandchildren. They reside in Douglasville.

H. Jerome Russell Jr., Board of Economic Development
Russell is president of H.J. Russell & Co. and Russell New Urban Development, LLC. He serves on the boards of Citizens Trust Bank, H.J. Russell & Co., Concessions International, the Metro Atlanta YMCA, the American Kidney Fund and Central Atlanta Progress. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, Atlanta Rotary, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Young President Organization and the 100 Black Men of Atlanta. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Stephanie, have four children. They reside in Atlanta.

W. Timothy Attaway, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Attaway is retired from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with more than 30 years of state law enforcement experience. He is currently employed with Cathey & Strain, attorneys at law in Cornelia. Attaway obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Carol Ann, have one son. They reside in Clermont.

A. Drew Ferguson IV, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Ferguson is currently the mayor of West Point, serving in his second term and is also an active dentist. He is a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia. Together, he and his wife, Buffy, have four children. They reside in West Point.

George N. Turner, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Turner is the chief of police for the city of Atlanta. He serves as the president of the Atlanta Police Athletic League and as past chairman of the Atlanta METROPOL. He is a board member for the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, board chairman of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and a member of the Major Cities Chiefs. Turner is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Police Executive Research Forum and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. He received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University and holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University. Turner and his wife, Cathy, have four children. They reside in Conyers.

E. Daniel DeLoach, Georgia Composite Medical Board
DeLoach is a board certified plastic surgeon practicing in Savannah. He is the immediate past president of the Medical Association of Georgia. He also serves on the board of the Chatham County Hospital Authority and the Medical Association of Georgia Mutual Insurance Company. DeLoach is a graduate of Valdosta State University and earned a medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia. He and his wife, Cameron, have three sons. They reside in Savannah.

Jane Camille “Cami” McGarity, Georgia Composite Medical Board
McGarity is the marketing manager for her family’s business, McGarity’s Business Products. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in Journalism. She and her husband, Scott, have two daughters. They reside in Gainesville.

H. Kenneth Cronan, Georgia Ports Authority
Cronan is currently the co-owner and past president of Gainesville Salvage Disposal. He began his professional career as an electronic technician with the Xerox Corp. and then began Recovery Services, Inc. in 1990. Cronan is also the owner of Georgia Waste and Recycling, LLC. He and his wife, Angela, have two children and five grandchildren. They reside in Demorest.

Hugh M. Tarbutton, Georgia Ports Authority
Tarbutton is currently the president of the Sandersville Railroad Company. He also serves as the secretary and treasurer of the B-H Transfer Company. Tarbutton is the chairman of the development authority of Washington County and the director of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of the Emory University School of Business with a degree in Business Administration. He and his wife, Gena, have four children and six grandchildren. They reside in Sandersville.

James A. Walters, Georgia Ports Authority
Walters is the president of Walters Management Co., a financial services company which operates in Georgia, Texas and Tennessee. Walters serves as a trustee for Brenau University, a board member for the local YMCA, chairman of the board for Chattahoochee Bank of Georgia and a member of the President’s Advisory Board at Gainesville State College. He aids the Elachee Nature Center and the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Foundation. Walters attended North Carolina State College. He and his wife, Peggy, have two daughters, five granddaughters, and one great grandson. They reside in Gainesville.

Sandy D. Adams, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Adams has taught in Elbert County Schools for 28 years. She sponsors a new club at Elbert County High School called Friends Helping Friends, which provides trips and special events for students who have special needs. She also spent three summers as a fitness instructor for the Governor's Honors Program at Valdosta State University. Adams received her master’s degree in Education from the University of Georgia and an education specialist degree from Piedmont College. She is the first teacher in Elbert County to obtain Georgia Master Teacher Certification and is also a national board certified teacher. Adams and her husband, Jeff, reside in Elberton.

James N. Defoor, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Defoor retired as assistant commissioner over rehabilitation services in the Georgia Department of Labor. He served as division director of rehabilitation services in the Department of Human Resources. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Education and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Georgia. Defoor is a member of the National Rehabilitation Association and past president of the Georgia Rehabilitation Association. He and his wife, Aurena, have three children and eight grandchildren.

Marsha T. Farrow, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Farrow is presently employed with Vision Rehabilitation Services of Georgia in Smyrna. She is a member of the American Council for Blind Lions, the Georgia Blind Lions and the Lions Club. Additionally, she is on the boards of the American Council of the Blind and the Georgia Council of the Blind, and she is president of the Chattooga County chapter of the Georgia Council of the Blind. Farrow received an associate’s degree from Floyd College, a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Presbyterian College, and a master’s degree in Visual Rehabilitation from Florida State University. She and her husband, Bob, have two children and two grandchildren. They reside in Summerville.

Robert R. Green, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Green retired as state coordinator of deaf-blind services with the Georgia Department of Labor’s vocational rehabilitation program. He served as an officer in several positions with the Georgia Association of the Deaf for 25 years. Green was also involved with the Georgia Association of the Deaf-Blind and was an advisory committee member for the Georgia Sensory Assistance Project. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Gallaudet University. He and his wife, Karen, have two grown adopted sons. They reside in Conyers.

Louise Hill, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Hill is a public service and outreach faculty member at the University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute where her focus is in community leadership development programs. Prior to her current role, Hill served as the director of development and alumni relations for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Before joining the university, she was director of program development and education for the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation. Hill holds an associate’s degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, a bachelor’s degree in Science and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Georgia.

Gregory M. Kirk, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Kirk is the executive director for Kirk Advocacy and Consulting Inc., as well as Kirk Properties, LLC. He is the immediate past president of the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia. He served four years on the board of directors for the Georgia Association of Community Care Providers. Kirk received a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Florida Baptist Theological College and completed a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Troy State University. He and his wife, Rosalyn, reside in Americus.

Fay R. Loggins, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Loggins is a practicing attorney. He earned an associate’s degree from Truett-McConnell College, a bachelor’s degree from Piedmont College and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Patricia, have one son. They reside in Gainesville.

Amy A. O’Dell, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
O’Dell is currently founder and executive director of Jacob’s Ladder, which focuses on education for children with neurological disorders. Before this role, she interned with the Shepherd Spinal Center and served as director of adolescent psychiatric services at Woodridge Hospital. At Woodridge, O’Dell ended her career there as director of an outreach program that served teens at risk for drug addiction. She is a graduate of Clemson University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Activity Therapy and master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance Services. She is also a licensed counselor in Georgia and South Carolina. O’Dell has two children and resides in Roswell.

Donald. W. Parks, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board
Parks retired as director for the north district under the division of rehabilitation services within the Georgia Department of Human Resources. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Piedmont College and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Nell, have one son. They reside in Murrayville.

B. Michael “Mike” Faulk, State Board of Pharmacy
Faulk has owned Shoppers Pharmacy for more than 30 years. He served on the board of directors at Gatewood Schools, board of directors at Eatonton Early Childhood Development Center, and the Good Neighbor Pharmacy advisory committee for Bergen Bruswig Drug Co. Faulk is a member of the Georgia Pharmacy Association’s Academy of Independent Pharmacy, the American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. and the Professional Compounding Centers of America. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Georgia. Faulk and his wife, Kathy, have three children and two grandchildren. They reside in Eatonton.

Howard Clifford “ Trey” Sheppard III, Technical College System of Georgia Board
Sheppard is vice president of Howard Sheppard, Inc., a family owned trucking company located in Sandersville. He serves as vice chairman of the Citizens Bank of Washington County. He also serves on the board of directors of the Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation and the Oconee Fall Line Technical College Foundation. He is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Georgia and serves on the Washington County Development Authority. Trey and his wife, Emily, have four children

Keith Thomas, State Workforce Investment Board
Thomas is currently the business manager for the Atlanta and North Georgia Building and Construction Trades Council. He served for several years as the Allied Workers Local #48 pension fund trustee and the executive trustee for the National Asbestos Workers Medical Fund. He and his wife, Deborah, have three children and four grandchildren. They reside in Loganville.