Deal appoints 19 to boards

Russell currently works as territory manager with Copaco Inc. He serves on the Board of Columbus Literacy Alliance, the Board of the Republican Leadership of Georgia, and as the 3rd District Chair of the Georgia Republican Party. Russell attended North Georgia College and Columbus State University. He and his wife, Karen, have four children and four grandchildren. They reside in Columbus. 

 

Plemons recently retired as the assistant director of Engineering and Construction Services for the Georgia Department of Corrections. He previously served as an administrative assistant in Catoosa County and as county manager of Gilmer County. Plemons was inducted into the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Hall of Fame in 2010 and the South East Region Soil and Water Conservation Hall of Fame in 2011. He served on the Georgia State Soil and Water Commission for 19 years. He and his wife, Glenda, have two children. They reside in Ringgold.  

 

Good is the state director for the Office of School Improvement with the Georgia Department of Education. She previously served as the overseeing partner for the New Teacher Project/Georgia Teaching Fellows. Prior to that role, Good served as the managing director for Teach for America’s School Leadership Initiative. She began her career in education as a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school English. Good earned a master’s degree from Georgia State University and is current doctoral candidate for Mercer University’s 2013 class. She and her husband, Antwaun, have two children. They reside in Lithonia. 

 

Haynes has been president of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and Office of Tourism Development since August 2012. She currently serves on the Downtown Dawsonville Steering Committee, Dawson County Family Connections Board, Dawson County Development Authority, and the Veterans Affairs of Dawson County Board. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Haynes serves on the School of Public and International Affairs Alumni Board and was named to the UGA Alumni Association's 2012 "40 Under 40" list. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Dawson County and attends Grace Presbyterian Church. She resides in Dawsonville. 

 

Grady is currently employed at Coxe Curry & Associates where she serves as a campaign assistant. She is a seventh generation Georgian and sixth generation Atlantan. Grady attended the Westminster Schools and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in French and minor in Sociology with high honors from the University of Georgia. She resides in Atlanta. 

 

Persons is mayor of the city of Douglasville and a retired businessman. He currently serves on the Douglasville Water and Sewer Authority, the Douglas County Development Authority, the Cobb & Douglas Board of Health, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Metro Arts and Culture Committee and the executive board for the Metropolitan Atlanta Mayor’s Association. Persons also served on various community boards including Habitat for Humanity, the Council for Battered Women and the Douglas County Community Character Coalition where he served as vice chairman for 10 years. He and his wife, Sherrie, have three children and eight grandchildren. They reside in Douglasville. 

 

Pritchard is vice president and chief financial officer with Donaldson Garrett & Associates, Inc., Professional Land Surveyors, in Macon and Charlotte. She now serves on the Board of Career Women’s Network, she was a past president of the board and received the 2004 CWN Woman of Achievement Award. She is an officer of Middle Georgia Republican Women and is active in the Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Society of American Military Engineers, Houston County GOP and Trinity United Methodist Church. Pritchard earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and is a graduate of Leadership Macon. She and her husband, Ken, reside in Warner Robins. 

 

Silcox is an attorney and community activist. She currently serves on the executive committee and board for the Chastain Park Conservancy and has previously served on the board of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Junior League of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Speech School. Silcox earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a law degree from Emory University. She and her husband, Hal, have two children. They reside in Sandy Springs.  

 

Wilkins currently serves as a senior manager of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in Georgia, Alabama, Central and North Florida. He previously worked as director of Corporate Affairs for Century Strategies. A native of New Mexico, Wilkins graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Communication and Journalism. He and his wife, Nicole, have two children. They reside in Lawrenceville. 

 

Wilkinson currently serves as the county and local government liaison on the staff of Gov. Deal. He serves on the Young Professionals Council for Everybody Wins Atlanta, a nonprofit organization advocating for child literacy. Wilkinson earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia College and State University. He is also a graduate of the Conservative Policy Leadership Institute. He currently resides in Sandy Springs. 

 

Mitchell is vice president of Clinical Services and corporate compliance officer for Magnolia Manor, Inc. Prior to this role, she was the nursing home administrator of Magnolia Manor in Buena Vista for 11 years. She currently serves on the board of the Georgia Health Care Association and is the board liaison to the Georgia Association of Nurses in Long Term Care. She previously served on the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Practical Nurses. Mitchell has been a licensed registered nurse since 1980 and a licensed nursing home administrator since 1996. She and her husband, Bill, live in Americus.

 

Patterson currently serves as the administrator for Roswell Nursing and Rehab Center. She has practiced nursing for the past 40 years, with the last 24 years specializing in gerontological nursing. Patterson is a certified Gerontological Nurse and Legal Nurse Consult; she has been a licensed Nursing Home Administrator since 2009. She is an active member of the Georgia Healthcare Association and Mountain View United Methodist Church. She and her husband, David, reside in Marietta. 

 

Bonk has been in private practice for 20 years at Atlanta Gynecology and Obstetrics and is affiliated with DeKalb Medical. She is an officer of the Georgia OB/Gyn Society and a board member of the DeKalb Regional Health System and the DeKalb Medical Physician Hospital Organization. She is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a Certified Physician Executive. Bonk earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a medical degree and OB/Gyn residency at Emory University. She has two children, and and they reside in Atlanta. 

 

Herdener currently serves as chief financial officer of Northeast Georgia Health System. He has served in this capacity since 1995. Prior to that role, he served as chief financial officer of Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta. He was the past chairman of Elachee Nature Center and is current president of the Rotary Club of Gainesville. Herdener earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and teaching certificate from the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, Wash. He and his wife, Cathy, have two grown children. They reside in Gainesville. 

 

Healy currently serves as chairman, chief executive officer and president of Peach State Health Plan, a Georgia Medicaid CMO. Prior to joining Peach State, he held a number of executive positions with health care organizations such as Mayo Health Plan, Cleveland Clinic Florida Health Plan, Diversified Clinical Services, the Travelers Insurance Company, and Continucare Corp. Healy earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Stetson University. He and his wife, Kelly, have one son. They reside in Mableton. 

 

Lyons has worked for the Gwinnett County Planning and Development for 18 years and currently serves as the chief building inspector for the Trade Inspection Electrical, Heating and Plumbing Division. Lyons earned an associate’s degree from DeKalb Technical College. He and his wife, Toni, have five children and six grandchildren. They reside in Bethlehem.

 

McMurtrey is a construction inspector supervisor in the Community Development Electrical Division for Cobb County. He previously worked as a building inspector for the city of Kennesaw and as a self-employed electrical contractor. He is a member of the Cobb County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals, the Cobb County Home Builders Advisory Board, the Cobb County Electrical Advisory Board and past chairman of the Metro Code Council. McMurtrey has three children. He resides in Marietta. 

 

McGahan currently serves as board president of From Houses to Homes, a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization. He is a former investment banker and sits on many community and nonprofit boards, including the Atlanta Academy, the Paces Civic Association, the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction, and the United Way’s Regional Commission on Homelessness. McGahan earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Virginia. He and his wife, Lisa, have four children. They reside in Atlanta. 

 

Unterman currently serves a state senator representing the 45th District. She is a former mayor of Loganville and a former Gwinnett County commissioner. She serves as chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, vice chairman of Senate Appropriations, and chair of the Lake Lanier Caucus. Unterman earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and a nursing degree from Georgia State University. She and her husband, Phil, reside in Buford.