Deal appoints 10 to boards

Thomas M. Blanchard Jr., Augusta University Health System Board of Directors
Blanchard is the CEO of Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Company, Blanchard and Calhoun Insurance Agency, and Augusta Mortgage Company. He sits on the boards of directors for Central Savannah River Area Community Foundation and First Tee of Augusta. Blanchard is also a trustee for the Academy of Richmond County. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Virginia. Blanchard and his wife, Lynda, have two children and six grandchildren. They live in Augusta.

Cynthia Mercer, M.D., Augusta University Health System Board of Directors
Mercer works in private practice in gynecology and obstetrics with the Athens Women’s Clinic.  She is a fellow with the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology and serves as chair of the Georgia Board of Public Health. Mercer is a past president of the Georgia OB/GYN Society and a former chair of the Georgia section of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia and a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Mercer completed her residency training at Emory University-affiliated hospitals. She and her husband, Thomas Rogers, have two adult children and one grandson. They reside in Athens.

Kevin Little, Board of Community Supervision (reappointment) 
Little is the chairman of the Walton County Board of Commissioners. He previously worked with the Georgia Department of Transportation as a traffic and safety engineer in Walton County. Little is a past president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and a former chairman of the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission. Little earned bachelor's degrees in Public Administration and Political Science from Georgia College. He and his wife, Wendy, have four children and reside in Monroe.

Fredettena “Tena” Fletcher, Georgia Board of Nursing
Fletcher is the director of marketing and admissions at Westbury Health and Rehab in McDonough. She is a certified nurse assessment coordinator and a graduate of Leadership Lamar. Fletcher was previously the secretary of the Lamar County College and Career Academy board of directors. She is currently enrolled in the Excelsior College of Nursing. She and her husband, James, have two children and live in Barnesville.

Robert D. Alexander, Georgia Circuit Public Defenders Supervisory Council (reappointment)
Alexander is a state court judge in Jackson County. He previously worked in the Atlanta office of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. Alexander earned bachelor’s degrees in English and History from Presbyterian College and a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served on the Georgia Law Review editorial board. He and his wife, Lori, have two children and live in Jefferson.

Benjamin A. Vaughn, Georgia Circuit Public Defenders Supervisory Council
Vaughn is the principal of Dillon & Vaughn, P.C., Attorneys at Law. He serves as the attorney for Monroe County and the Monroe County Board of Education. Vaughn sits on the board of directors of the Bank of Dudley and Meals on Wheels of Middle Georgia. He is the immediate past president of the Forsyth Monroe County Rotary Club. Vaughn earned a bachelor’s degree in Forestry from Auburn University and a law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He and his wife, Kris, have one child and reside in Forsyth. 

Joy Lampley-Fortson, REACH Scholarship Board
Lampley-Fortson is the executive director and administrator of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity. She previously served as assistant chief counsel with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Office of the Chief Counsel, and as an assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Lampley-Fortson is a former president of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and a member of the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Access, Fairness, Public Trust and Confidence Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and Leadership Georgia, and is currently the chair of the Leadership Georgia board of trustees. Lampley-Fortson earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a law degree from the University of Florida. She and her husband, Reggie, live in Fairburn.

Michael Patrick, REACH Scholarship Board
Patrick is a senior consultant of innovation and new ventures with Chick-fil-a. He previously founded a startup company, worked as an investment advisor with Goldman Sachs and was the head of business development for Anasteel and Supply Company LLC. Patrick played basketball at the University of Georgia and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business. He also earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Patrick and his wife, Brittany, reside in Atlanta.

Charlie Sutlive, REACH Scholarship Board
Sutlive is the Vice Chancellor for Communications and Governmental Affairs of the University System of Georgia (USG) and serves as USG’s chief communications officer. He was previously the vice president of public affairs and communications for Coca-Cola North America. Sutlive previously sat on the boards of the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Smithgall Woods Foundation. He is a graduate of Leadership Georgia and previously sat on the organization’s board. Sutlive earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Nell, have two children and live in Atlanta.

Cory Rayburn, Stakeholder Advisory Board
Rayburn began his career at the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) and is now a member of Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District. He is a GSWCC Trainer, a Level II design professional and a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment. Rayburn earned bachelor’s degrees with honors in Environmental Health Science and Anthropology from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Kennesaw State University. He and his spouse, Jordan, reside in Roswell.