Deal appoints six to boards

Frank B. Turner Jr., Board of Community Affairs (reappointment)
Turner is a partner at Greer, Stansfield & Turner, LLP. He sits on the boards of directors of United Bank, the Newton County Industrial Development Authority and A Child’s Voice Child Advocacy Center, Inc. Turner also sits on the boards of advisors for Perimeter College at Georgia State University and the Newton County Boys & Girls Club. He serves as senior warden of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. Turner is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and Leadership Georgia. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University and a law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. Turner and his wife, Loy, have three children and reside in Covington.​

Michael Wall, Board of Directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority
Wall is the vice president of government and regulatory affairs for Comcast in Georgia. He sits on the boards of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Cable Association. Wall is also a member of the Georgia Chamber’s innovation and technology policy committee and serves as vice chairman of the Georgia Chamber’s travel and tourism committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University and a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Wall and his wife, Jessica, have three children and attend First United Church of Marietta. They live in Marietta.

Larry H. Hanson, Board of Economic Development
Hanson is the executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association and previously served as the city manager for the city of Valdosta. He is the president of the Valdosta State University Alumni Association and sits on the Valdosta State University Foundation board. Hanson is a member of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee and serves as a co-chairman of the FCC’s Model Code for Municipalities committee. He previously sat on the board of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Hanson was named one of Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” in 2018. He is a member, an elder and a former board chairman of First Christian Church of Valdosta. Hanson earned a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University. He has two children and resides in Valdosta.

Sen. William S. Cowsert, Board of Homeland Security
Cowsert was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 2006 and has served as Senate majority leader since 2014. He is a founding partner of Cowsert Heath, LLP, a law firm based in Athens. Cowsert’s legislative accomplishments include leadership on legislation to reform Georgia’s policies on domestic and international terrorism, increase punishments for acts of terrorism, and give the state attorney general authority to prosecute acts of terrorism. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Presbyterian College and a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. Cowsert and his wife, Amy, live in Athens.

Morgan McCombs, Capitol Arts Standards Commission
McCombs is Gov. Deal’s executive assistant. She started in Gov. Deal’s office as a deputy scheduler in 2015 and then served as director of scheduling. McCombs earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Communications Studies from Mercer University. She resides in Atlanta.

Michael Shaffer, Georgia Technology Authority (reappointment)
Shaffer is the executive vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development for Augusta University and Augusta University Health. He leads the efforts of Augusta University’s cyber initiatives and the Georgia Cyber Center on the Nathan Deal Campus for Innovation. Shaffer was previously a deputy chief of staff for Gov. Deal. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina.