Deal names new leadership in various state government roles

Prior to joining GOSA, Todd was the associate superintendent of Teacher and Leader Effectiveness at the Georgia Department of Education. She has more than 30 years of experience in education, in both public and private schools, serving kindergarten through 12th grade. Her teaching experiences range from instructing a kindergarten class to teaching high school algebra as well as everything in between. Todd has also served in a wide range of leadership roles throughout her career at the school, district and state levels. She holds a bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Emory University, a master’s in Educational Leadership from Columbus State University, and an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Georgia College & State University. Todd lives in Greenville with her husband, Robert Lee Todd IV. She is the mother of two grown children and has two grandchildren.

 

With more than 19 years of higher education finance experience, Ireland has broad and progressive knowledge of the student finance industry. His experience includes finance and operations, marketing, budgeting, strategic planning and general management. Ireland joined GSFC in 2001 and has served in a variety of leadership roles in the areas of operations, postsecondary school outreach, legislative affairs and media relations. Prior to joining GSFC, Ireland worked for College Foundation, Inc., a private, nonprofit student loan provider in Raleigh, where he held a variety of positions including director of North Carolina’s National College Savings Program, Call Center Manager and Electronic Services Coordinator. Ireland is currently a member the Georgia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the Southern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and the National Council of Higher Education Resources. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and lives in Cumming with his wife, Judy, and their two sons. Tracy and his family attend Brown’s Bridge Community Church and are actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America.

 

Tomlinson currently serves as the deputy executive director and general counsel for the State Road and Tollway Authority. He also serves as SRTA’s primary liaison for the Georgia Department of Transportation’s P3 program. Prior to joining SRTA, Tomlinson served as general counsel for GDOT, where he was responsible for the Office of Legal Services, GDOT’s legislative unit, and the Office of Human Resources, including GDOT’s investigative unit. He has also served as director of legal services or as general counsel for several other state entities, including the Georgia Technology Authority, the Georgia Building Authority, the State Properties Commission and the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission, where he also served as the deputy director for the construction division. In addition to his agency management experience, he has extensive experience in public procurement, contract and employment law. Tomlinson is a graduate of Morehouse College and obtained his law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. He lives in Loganville with his wife, Lillian, and their two kids.

 

Pope began her state career in 1994 with the Georgia Department of Audits, served two years with the Office of Fiscal and Treasury Services and joined GSFIC in 1998. Upon the retirement of the former director Weyman Smith in 2006, Diana served as interim director of the Financing and Investment Division. In 2008, she resigned her position as director to pursue more time with family and other personal commitments, but continued to work with GSFIC on a special projects basis, which included the state’s Debt Management Plan, assisting with the development of GSFIC’s web-based eBonds system, performing internal bond compliance reviews, and most recently, working on the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 project. She received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting  from the University of Hawaii and received her CPA in 1995. Pope would succeed Susan Ridley, who has been named Associate Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.