Deal appoints 17 to boards

Michael W. Kleinpeter, Board of Community Health

Kleinpeter is the chief executive officer of Optim Healthcare. He serves on the advisory board for the Health Services Administration program at Armstrong Atlantic State University and is a member and past-president of the Georgia Association of Orthopedic Executives. Kleinpeter earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University and a doctorate degree from Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Ruth, have two children. They reside in Savannah.

Norman “Norm” L. Boyd, Board of Community Health

Boyd is a senior partner at the Newport Board Group. He previously served as a corporate officer of AGCO Corporation in Duluth. His leadership background includes multi-disciplinary positions in sales, marketing, corporate development, strategy planning, international business unit management and human resources. Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University and completed the Executive Management program at Dartmouth College. He and his wife, Colleen, reside in Johns Creek.

John “Clay” Cox, Board of Community Health (reappointment)

Cox is president and chief executive officer of Professional Probation Services Inc. He was the 2002 Republican nominee for Congress from Georgia’s 13th Congressional District and served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives. He served as the House chief deputy whip, chairman of the Gwinnett County legislative delegation and chairman of the House Human Relations and Aging Committee. Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Western Carolina University. He and his wife, Alisa, have two sons. They attend Grace Fellowship Church in Snellville and reside in Lilburn.

Alan C. Gravel, Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority (reappointment)

Gravel is president of Willow Construction, Inc. He has held numerous positions in the Georgia Utility Contractors Association and the National Utility Contractors Association. He is active in the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association. He was named “Engineer of the Year in Construction” by the Engineers of Greater Atlanta and “Contractor Member of the Year” by the Georgia Utility Contractors Association. Gravel earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Louisiana Tech and a master’s degree from the University of Texas. He and his wife, Sheri, have two children. They reside in Marietta.

Alexander “Whit” Whitaker IV, Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

Whitaker is chief of staff and secretary of the board at Berry College. He is a retired U.S. Navy captain and judge advocate. He is a member of the Georgia and Virginia bars and serves on the boards of SunTrust Bank of Northwest Georgia, the William S. Davies Homeless Shelter, Mercy Care Rome and Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., where he earned a master’s degree in Religion. Whitaker earned a law degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s of laws degree in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University. He and his wife, Maria, have three children and are members of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. They reside in Rome.

Arthur D. Vaughn, Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

Vaughn serves as the budget and strategic planning director at Morehouse School of Medicine. He serves as board chair for the City of Marietta Ethics Committee, as well as a board member for the Northwest Atlanta Advisory Board for the Branch Banking & Trust (BB&T). Vaughn earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University and a master’s degree in Accounting from Southern Polytechnic State University. He is currently enrolled in the executive doctorate program in Higher Education Management through the University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education. He and his wife, Octavia, have three children. They reside in Marietta.

Katherine Strayhorn, Sexual Offender Registration Review Board (reappointment)

Strayhorn is currently in her 15th year as director of Victim Services for the Dawson County District Attorney’s Office. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is a graduate of the National Victims Assistance Academy. Strayhorn has one son and resides in Dawsonville.

Gary Holstad, Sexual Offender Registration Review Board (reappointment)

Holstad is a licensed professional counselor and is employed as a therapist at Family Recovery, Inc. in Gainesville. He was employed as a correctional counselor for 22 years in the Iowa Department of Corrections prison system. Holstad earned a bachelor’s degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and a master’s degree in Counseling at Iowa State University. He and his wife, Marcia, have five children and eight grandchildren. They reside in Duluth.

Matthew B. Connolly, Sexual Offender Registration Review Board

Connolly is the director of A Better Tomorrow Counseling Services. He serves on the board for the Georgia Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Connolly earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Georgia College and State University. He and his wife, Eva-Maria, reside in Atlanta.

Jessica Moss, Sexual Offender Registration Review Board (reappointment)

Moss currently serves as the solicitor general of Cherokee County. She has been a prosecutor for more than 28 years. Moss was awarded the J. Roger Thompson award from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council and was previously named Assistant Solicitor General of the Year by the Georgia Association of Solicitors General. Moss earned a bachelor’s degree from Brenau College and a law degree from Mercer University. She has three step-children and 2 step-grandchildren. She and her husband, Garry, reside in Ball Ground.

Donna E. Andrews, Sexual Offender Registration Review Board

Andrews is a senior U.S. probation officer for the Northern District of Georgia, serving as an intensive supervision specialist. She is recognized nationally as an expert in the field of location monitoring. She completed the Federal Judiciary’s Leadership Development Program, has received numerous awards and has served on several national committees during her 24-year career. Andrews earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Georgia. She and her husband, Robert, have one son and two granddaughters. They reside in Ball Ground.

Lee Robinson, Sexual Offender Registration Review Board (reappointment)

Robinson is the current circuit public defender for the Macon Judicial Circuit. He served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and retired after 31 years of active and reserve duty with the rank of colonel. He has been inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame and was also awarded the Justice Robert Benham Award for community service. He has served as mayor of the city of Macon and in the Georgia state Senate. Lee earned a bachelor’s degreee in industrial management from Georgia Tech and a master’s in business administration and law degree from Mercer University. Lee and his late wife, Irene, have two children and four

Toby Graham, Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee (reappointment)

Graham is university librarian and associate provost at the University of Georgia, serving as chief executive officer for the UGA Libraries. He is the former deputy university librarian and director of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. He has also served as director of the Digital Library of Georgia. Graham earned a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and a master’s and doctorate degrees in Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama. He and his wife, Suzanne, have two children. They reside in Athens.

Sheryl B. Vogt, Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee (reappointment)

Vogt is the director of the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia. She is a fellow of the Society of American Archivists and a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists. She serves on the advisory committee on the Records of Congress and is past-president of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. She was named the Scone Foundation’s 2004 Archivist of the Year. She is a fellow of the Society of Georgia Archivists, serving as president in 1983 and editor of its professional journal Provenance for ten years. Vogt earned a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees and an Education Specialist degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, John, have two children and two grandchildren. They reside in Athens.

Kaye L. Minchew, Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee (reappointment)

Minchew has served as director of the Troup County Archives since 1985. She oversees operations of the Legacy Museum on Main in LaGrange. She served as co-chair of the Coalition to Preserve Georgia Archives in 2012 and 2013. Minchew holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She and her husband, Greg, reside in LaGrange. 

Garrison Baker, Georgia Historical Records Advisory Committee (reappointment)

Baker was elected as the judge of the probate court for White County in 1983 and has served in that position for the past 31 years. He also serves on the board of directors for the Probate Judges Retirement Fund of Georgia, the White County Historical Society and serves as chairperson of the Ninth District Opportunity Board of Directors. Baker is actively involved in the preservation and conservation of Northeast Georgia’s local history and cultural heritage. He has authored two books on local history, In The Shadow of Yonah, A History of White County, Georgia and  A History of Crescent Hill Church. He resides in Cleveland.

Marian S. McCormick, Statewide Independent Living Council

McCormick is the principal chief of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. She is the counselor for the tribe’s program Muskogee Vocational Rehabilitation. McCormick earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology at Oval Bible College. She and her husband, Nealie, have two children and three grandchildren. They reside in Pelham.