Deal appoints eight to boards
Rey Martinez, Board of Commissioners of the Commission on Equal Opportunity
Martinez is a member of the Loganville City Council. He is a veteran of the United States Navy and operator of Rey’s Cuban Café. Martinez sits on the board of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. He is a member of the American Legion Post 233. Martinez and his two children reside in Loganville.
Rep. Calvin Smyre, Capitol Arts Standards Commission
Smyre is a 41-year veteran of the Georgia House of Representatives and represents the 135th District. He serves on the Appropriations, Rules and Higher Education Committees. Smyre is the Chairman Emeritus of the House Democratic Caucus and the President Emeritus of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. He was the first African-American to chair the Democratic Party of Georgia and was appointed to be a presidential elector seven times. Smyre was the executive vice president of corporate external affairs for Synovus and the president of the Synovus Foundation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Fort Valley State University and holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Morehouse School of Medicine. Smyre resides in Columbus.
Julia Worthy, Georgia Board of Nursing
Worthy is an account executive with Myriad Genetic Laboratories. Prior to this role, she was a regional medical specialist for the south central region for Myriad and was the assistant director of oncology services at Tanner Health System. Worthy is an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in Nursing from Yale University. She and her husband, Thomas, reside in Atlanta.
Iesha L. Redden, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group
Redden is a student at Georgia Military College and a graduate of the Youth Challenge Academy (YCA). While attending YCA, she participated in the debate team, softball team, basketball team, yearbook club, drill team and Boy Scout Club. At YCA, Redden was promoted from Private First Class to Cadet Corporal and served as YCA treasurer. She resides in Fayette County.
Donna Seagraves, Public Defender Standards Council
Seagraves is the public defender for the Piedmont Circuit. She began her career as a public defender in Clarke County and Fulton County. Seagraves earned two bachelor’s degrees from Jacksonville State University and a law degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Brian, have one child. They reside in Athens.
W. David Sims, Public Defender Standards Council
Sims is a retired lawyer who worked most recently as in-house counsel for Nationwide Insurance Company. Sims previously practiced law for more than 29 years in Savannah. He was an officer in the United States Army and a United States Secret Service agent. Sims was president of the Savannah Trial Lawyers Association and the Savannah Bar Association. He earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Mercer University. Sims and his wife, Joyce, have three children and five grandchildren. They reside in Atlanta.
Jeff Wilkinson, State Board of Registration of Used Car Dealers and Motor Vehicle Part Dealers
Wilkinson worked at Wilkinson Used Cars for more than 50 years. He is also a veteran of the Georgia National Guard. Wilkinson has been a member of the Georgia Independent Automotive Dealer’s Association for more than 30 years and served as the association’s president and treasurer. He is a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Wilkinson and his wife, Patricia, have two children and four grandchildren. They reside in Milledgeville.
Nicholas Haynes, State Board of Veterinary Medicine
Haynes is co-owner and partner of Muddy H Holsteins in Gainesville. He is on the board of the Hall County Farm Bureau and resides in Gainesville.