Deal appoints 20 to boards

Nicole Berger, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Berger is the prevention educator for the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy. She was the director of the Victim-Witness Assistance Program at the Fulton County District Attorney’s office and worked at the Rape Crisis Center for Grady Health Systems. Berger earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s degree from Nova University. She and her husband, Joel, have two sons. They reside in Brookhaven.

Jay Sanders, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Sanders is the deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support and Reentry. He was previously a special assistant to the director of Probation Services with the Georgia Department of Corrections. He is a POST-certified master instructor with certifications in Firearms and Defensive Tactics. Sanders earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Pensacola Christian College and a master’s degree in Social Administration from Georgia Southwestern State University. He and his wife, Cathy, have two children. They reside in Forsyth.

Steven Teske, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Judge Teske is the chief judge of the Clayton County Juvenile Court. Prior to this position, he was a partner at Boswell & Teske LLP. He has been appointed to serve on the Department of Juvenile Justice Judicial Advisory Council, Governor’s Children & Youth Coordinating Council, Governor’s Office for Children and Families, Family Violence Commission and the Criminal Justice Reform Commission. Teske sits on the board of directors of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He is a past president of the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges. Teske earned a master’s degree in Political Science and a law degree from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Sheryl, have five children and two grandchildren. They reside in Jonesboro.

Tim Burkhalter, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Burkhalter is the sheriff of Floyd County. He is a member of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, a member of Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes board of directors and serves on the Governor’s Office of Children and Families Advisory Board. Burkhalter is a POST-certified instructor and a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He studied Criminal Justice at Jacksonville State University. Burkhalter and his wife, Stephanie, have four children. They reside in Rome.

Adolphus Graves, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Graves is the chief juvenile probation officer for the Fulton County Juvenile Court. He is a member of the Juvenile Court Association of Georgia, the Georgia Council of Court Administrators, International Community Corrections Association and the American Probation & Parole Association. He is a member of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Applied Leadership Network. Graves earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Morehouse College. He and his wife have three children. They reside in Lilburn.

Joe Vignati, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Vignati is the deputy commissioner of the Division of Community Services for the Department of Juvenile Justice. He serves as the co-chair of the Juvenile Inventive Grant Funding Committee. Vignati is a recipient of the Georgia Juvenile Services Association’s Harold K. Ables Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Georgia Regents University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Georgia State University. Vignati and his wife, Kathryn, have four children. They reside in Decatur.

Melissa Carter, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Carter is a clinical professor of law and director of the Barton Child Law and Policy Center at Emory University Law School. She was a state child advocate with the Georgia Supreme Court’s Committee on Justice for Children. Carter earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Illinois. She and her husband, Theodore, have one child. They reside in Decatur.

Polly McKinney, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
McKinney is the advocacy director of Voices for Georgia’s Children. She serves on the executive board of the National Juvenile Justice Network and is chair-elect for the board of directors of ChildKind Inc. Prior to her work with policy for children, McKinney worked with the Southern States Energy board, the League of Women Voters of Georgia and in the Georgia film industry. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina. McKinney has two children. She resides in Atlanta.

Lisa Kinchen, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Kinchen is the publisher and editor of Southern Journal Magazine. She serves on the Governor’s Office of Children and Families Advisory Board and the Piedmont-Henry Foundation Board. Kinchen was previously a board member for Speedway Children's Charities, Leadership Henry, Youth Leadership Henry and Prevent Child Abuse. She attended Troy State University and Auburn University. Kinchen has one child. She resides in Locust Grove.

Ryan Newallo, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Newallo is a student at Fayette County High School. He is the treasurer for the Fayette County High Junior Student Council. Newallo is a member of the National Black MBA Association Leaders of Tomorrow, the Chick-fil-A Leadership Program, the Fayette County High School Future Business Leaders of Tomorrow and Troop 73 of the Boy Scouts of America. He resides in Fayetteville.

Alexis James, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
James is a student at Sandy Creek High School and an employee at the Ohio Hog Company. She is currently enrolled in college courses to become a certified nursing assistant. James plans to attend college to earn a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. She resides in Tyrone.

LeRoy Burke, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Burke is the presiding judge of the Chatham County Juvenile Court, Eastern Judicial Circuit. He previously served as a judge for the Chatham County Recorder’s Court. Burke is a member of the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative State Committee, the board of directors for Memorial Health University Medical Center and the Council of Juvenile Court Judges Education and Certification committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and a law degree from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. Burke has three children. He resides in Savannah.

Emily White, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
White is a senior at Georgia College and State University. She currently works at The 42nd Floor, a screen printing and embroidering company. White previously worked for BeLoved Atlanta which focuses on rescuing sexually exploited women in Atlanta. She is earning her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. White resides in Jonesboro.

William Womack, State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (reappointment)
Womack is the founder of Womack & Associates, an electrical consulting firm. He previously worked for Parson Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas, Inc. and Southwire Company. Womack earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University. He and his wife, Ellen, have one child and two grandchildren. They reside in Dunwoody.

Taylor Wright, State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Wright is an associate vice president and division manager for Atkins. He has more than 22 years of experience in transportation design and construction industries. Wright is on the board of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia and is a member of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Melanie, have two children. They reside in Smyrna.

Elmo Richardson, State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (reappointment)
Richardson is a consulting engineer specializing in civil, environmental and sanitary engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer and land surveyor. Richardson is the chair of the Middle Ocmulgee Regional Water Planning Council. He served as a Bibb County commissioner. Richardson received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Linda, have a daughter, Jennifer Nelson, and son, the late Samuel Richardson. They reside in Macon.

Julianne Busbee, State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (reappointment)
Busbee retired after 34 years of service in state government, most recently as a licensing supervisor for the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division in Macon. She previously worked for the River Edge Behavioral Health Center. Busbee attended Wesleyan College and the University of Georgia. She is an active member of Ingleside Baptist Church. She and her husband, Keith, reside in Macon.

W. Thomas Worthy, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Worthy is the director of Governmental and External Affairs at the State Bar of Georgia. Prior to this role, he served in the governor’s office as the public safety and criminal justice policy advisor and as deputy executive counsel. He is the co-chair of the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform, a member of the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Committee on Justice for Children and a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission. Worthy earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He and his wife, Julia, are active members of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church. They reside in Atlanta.

Blair Train, Georgia Board of Nursing
Train works with the Fund Development department for the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia as well as  the Career Women’s Network, the Rotary Clubs of Downtown Macon and Historic Macon and the Museum of Arts and Science. She was recognized as a Woman of Achievement by the Career Women’s Network. Train earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Salem College. She resides in Macon.

Amanda B. Shailendra, Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
Shailendra is the local partner manager for Google Fiber in Atlanta. Prior to this position, she worked in economic development for the City of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, where she supported projects for Mercedes-Benz, KIA Motors, Athenahealth and AT&T Mobility. She serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Economic Developers Association, Dad’s Garage Theatre Company and the honorary board for the Atlanta Ballet. Shailendra earned a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech. She and her husband, Paul, have two daughters. They reside in Atlanta.