Deal announces City of South Fulton and City of Stonecrest commissions

Gov. Nathan Deal today named the Governor’s Commission on South Fulton and the Governor’s Commission on Stonecrest. The General Assembly passed HB 514 and SB 208 in the 2016 legislative session, which created referendums to establish the City of South Fulton and the City of Stonecrest. Following approval, the governor is to create a five-member commission, consisting of a chairman and four others, to oversee the establishment of each new city. The referendums for each were approved with 59 percent.

Under the legislation, each commission is to prepare for the establishment of its respective city by facilitating the provision of community services and facilities, the collection of taxes and fees, and the negotiation of intergovernmental agreements.
 
The members of the Governor’s Commission on South Fulton are as follows: 

Camilla Moore, Chair
Moore is the president and CEO of Moore, Johnson, Williams & Associates LLC. She was previously the director of housing and community development with the Fulton County Manager’s Office. Moore is a member of the American Planning Association, the American Political Science Association, the American Society of Public Administration and the International Economic Development Council. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of West Georgia. Moore has two children and resides in Atlanta.

Sen. Donzella James
James represents the 35th District of the Georgia State Senate. She sits on the executive advisory boards for Tapestry Ministries, Sonje Yo, Keep South Fulton Beautiful, the African Women Leadership Organization and the International Women’s Think Tank. James earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Morris Brown College. James has one child and three grandchildren. She lives in Atlanta.

Rep. Roger Bruce
Bruce represents the 61st District of the Georgia House of Representatives. He is the vice president of human resources for Atlanta Life Financial Group. Bruce sits on the board of directors for the Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority and All Children Are Special. He is also a trustee for the Interdenominational Theological Center. Bruce earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Morehouse College. He and his wife, Angela, have three children and reside in Atlanta. 

Josh Belinfante
Belinfante is a government and commercial litigator at Robbins Ross Alloy Belinfante Littlefield LLC. He previously worked as the executive counsel to Gov. Sonny Perdue and as counsel for U.S. Sen. David Perdue’s campaign committee. Belinfante sits on the University of Georgia Law School Alumni Council and the board of directors for the Atlanta chapter of the Federalist Society. He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Sandy Springs and the Coverdell Leadership Institute. Belinfante earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Karina, have three children and live in Atlanta.

Kevin Grimes
Grimes is the CEO of CFO Leasing Inc. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he was a part of the Nuclear Submarine Force. Grimes teaches compliance, contracting and procurement courses at universities, including The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech. He is a member of the finance committee of Twelve Centennial Park and the mentorship committee of the New Leaders Council. Grimes also sits on the board of directors of ExecuSys Inc. He is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and the Naval Submarine School. He earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Florida Metropolitan University. Grimes and his wife, Nakeedra, have one child and reside in College Park.

The members of the Governor’s Commission on City of Stonecrest are as follows:

Joel Thibodeaux, Chair
Thibodeaux is the director of audits and compliance with the DeKalb County School System. He was previously a program analyst with the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office and a financial planning and analysis manager with Premiere Global Services. Thibodeaux earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from DeVry University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Stacey, have two children and one grandchild. They live in Lithonia.

Jim Burgess
Burgess retired as the executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association. He was previously the mayor of Social Circle and the president of Public Research and Management Inc. Burgess was also a legislative liaison for the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the City of Savannah. He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. Burgess and his wife, Madeline, have three children and four grandchildren. They reside in Social Circle.

Markus Butts
Butts is the manager of land acquisition and real estate for the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. He is also a commissioner on the DeKalb Planning Commission. Butts is a member of the International City/County Management Association, the Project Management Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers. He is a past co-chair of DeKalb County SPLOST Citizen Review Committee and a graduate of Leadership DeKalb. Butts earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Morris Brown College. He and his wife, Sonya, have three children and live in Stone Mountain.

Michelle Emanuel
Emanuel is an account manager for Oracle Corp. She is the secretary and social committee chair for her homeowners association. Emanuel earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Walden University. She has three children and one grandchild. Emanuel resides in Lithonia.

Shawn Jones
Jones is a programmer with Northrop Grumman and contracts with the Centers for Disease Control. He is a volunteer mentor with the Atlanta 5th Ward Boys Association and Malachi Ministries. Jones is a past president of the Fairington Farms Homeowners Association and a member of the Stonecrest City Alliance. He earned a bachelor’s degree from York College and lives in Lithonia.