Deal appoints 28 to boards

David O. Crews, Board of Community Health
Crews has 49 years of experience in the public sector, including 23 years in public education as a chief financial officer. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. Crews and his wife, Judy, have two children and six grandchildren. They reside in St. Simons.

Mark D. Trail, Board of Community Health (reappointment)
Trail retired as a managing principal with Health Management Associates, Inc. He was previously chief of the medical assistance plans for the Georgia Department of Community Health. Trail is an associate clinical professor in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University and a former adjunct faculty member in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia. He is a former president of the Georgia Public Health Association. Trail is also a former trustee for the Georgia Community Trust, a former member of the executive committee for the National Association of Medicaid Directors and previously sat on the board of directors for the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Directors. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bryan College and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. Trail and his wife, Carol, have three children and six grandchildren. They live in Tyrone.

Anthony Williamson, Board of Community Health (reappointment)
Williamson is the president of Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton and the southern market leader for Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). He was previously the vice president of Service Line and Greater Braselton Development for NGHS. Williamson earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Florida State University and master’s degrees in Business Administration and Health Science from the University of Florida. He is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Williamson and his wife have one child and reside in Hoschton.

Dr. Amy Lederberg, Georgia Commission for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Lederberg is a Regents’ Professor in the Department of Learning Sciences at Georgia State University. She has conducted research on childhood hearing for more than 35 years. Lederberg is the director of the Center on Literacy and Deafness. She has a severe-to-profound hearing loss that was identified at age five, and she uses spoken language to communicate. Ledberg earned a doctoral degree in Child Psychology. She and her husband, Julian, have three children and live in Atlanta.

Karla Jacobs, Georgia Commission on Women (reappointment)
Jacobs is a freelance writer and a member of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Literary Studies and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Jacobs and her husband, Stephen, have two children and reside in Marietta.

Mia Rice, Georgia Commission on Women (reappointment)
Rice is a teacher and a member of the administrative board for Brookstone School. She is also a member of the Women on a Mission committee at St. Luke Methodist Church. Rice earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi. She and her husband, Brooks, have three children and live in Columbus.

Tita Stewart, Georgia Commission on Women (reappointment)
Stewart is the regional vice president of marketing for Amerigroup Georgia. She was previously the executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. Stewart sits on the board of directors for the Atlanta Metropolitan College Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Savannah State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management. Stewart and her husband, Bobby, have two children and reside in Atlanta.

Melissa Tymchuk, Georgia Commission on Women (reappointment)
Tymchuk is the chief of staff to the president and CEO of the Northeast Georgia Health System.  She is the chair of the board for United Way of Hall County and sits on the boards of directors for the Edmondson-Telford Child Advocacy Center, WomenSource and Vision 2030.  Tymchuk earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Daniel, have two children and live in Gainesville.

Frances Crews, Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
Crews is the chief financial officer of the Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council and an ordained minister. She retired as an administrative assistant with Satilla Care Center. Crews is the secretary for the board of directors of the McKinney Medical Center. She earned a bookkeeping degree from Coastal Pines Technical College. Crews has five children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She resides in Waycross.

Donald Kirkland, Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
Kirkland is the policy and planning coordinator in the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s director’s office. He sits on the board of directors for the Governors’ Interstate Indian Council. Kirkland earned a bachelor’s degree in Managerial Science, a master’s degree in Education and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Georgia State University. He lives in Atlanta.

Nealie McCormick, Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
McCormick is the chief of police for the City of Pelham and has more than four decades of experience in law enforcement. He is a Muskogee Creek Indian and a member of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. McCormick is an advisor for federal, state and local agencies on Indian Affairs. He is a graduate of the Albany Regional Police Academy and the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange at Georgia State University. McCormick earned a public manager certificate from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Marian, have two children and four grandchildren. They reside in Pelham.

Frances McCrary, Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns (reappointment)
McCrary is a third-generation farmer in Worth County and a member of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. He is active with the Worth County Young Farmers and the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. McCrary is a member of Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Deborah, have six children and nine grandchildren. They live in Oakfield.

M. Jared Wood, Ph.D., Georgia Council on America Indian Concerns (reappointment)
Wood is an associate professor at Georgia Southern University, where he focuses on American Indian Studies and Archaeology. He is a member of the Register of Professional Archaeologists, the Society for American Archaeology, the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, the Society for Georgia Archaeology and the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists. Wood earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Middle Tennessee State University and a doctoral degree in Anthropology from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Inger, have one child and reside in Statesboro. 

Gabe Evans, Georgia Rural Development Council
Evans is the chief strategy officer for R.W. Griffin Feed, Seed & Fertilizer, Inc. He sits on the board of directors for Premium Peanut LLC and previously sat on the board for the Coffee Regional Medical Center. Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Alissa, have two children and live in Douglas.

Karl Zimmer, Georgia Rural Development Council
Zimmer is the president and CEO of Premium Peanut. He previously worked in manufacturing and supply chain operations for several Fortune 500 companies. Zimmer sits on the board of directors for the South Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is the president of the American Peanut Shellers Association and a graduate of Leadership Georgia. Zimmer earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He and his wife, Joan, reside in Douglas.  

Shuntel Beach, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
Beach is the director of admissions at King’s Ridge Christian School. She is a member of the Cherokee County Educational Foundation and the Alpharetta Recreation and Parks Commission. Beach earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. She and her husband, Brandon, have two children and one grandchild. They live in Alpharetta.

Marvin S. Arrington, Jr., McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority (reappointment)
Arrington is an attorney and represents District 5 on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He is the southeastern regional director for the National Organization of Black County Officials and the vice chairman of the board of directors for the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority. Arrington also sits on the board of directors for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia. He is a member of Georgia Association of Black County Officials, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, and the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee and the Arts and Culture Commission for the National Association of Counties. Arrington earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from Emory University School of Law. He has four children and resides in Atlanta.

Cassius F. Butts, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
Butts is the founder and chairman of Capital Fortitude Business Advisors. He was previously the regional administrator of Region IV for the U.S. Small Business Administration. Butts was also a presidential management fellow with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He recently completed a two-year appointment as an executive in residence at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Butts is a graduate of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Emory University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University. Butts lives in Atlanta.

Jeremy Farmer, McPherson Implementing Redevelopment Authority
Farmer is an intellectual property and real estate attorney with more than 10 years of experience in monetizing intellectual assets and closing complex real estate transactions. He is a member of the East Point Downtown Development Authority. Farmer earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Middle Tennessee State University, a master’s degree in Management from Colorado Technical University and a law degree from John Marshall Law School. Farmer and his wife, Katrina, have four children and reside in Atlanta.

Ernestine Garey, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
Garey is the senior advisor to the CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority. She was previously the executive vice president and COO of Invest Atlanta. Garey is the president emeritus of the board of directors for the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies and the chairman of the board for the Diabetes Association of Atlanta. She sits on the board for HomeFirst Community Oversight and the boards of directors for the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and Atlanta Emerging Markets Inc. Garey is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta. She is a National Development Council (NDC) certified housing development finance professional and an NDC certified economic development finance professional. Garey earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Clark College and a master’s degree in French from Clark Atlanta University. She has two children and lives in Atlanta.

Liz Hausmann, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
Hausmann represents District 1 on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. She is also the vice chair of the Atlanta/Fulton County Water Resources Commission. Hausmann is a member of the House Commission on Transit Governance and Funding, the Governor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Community Resources Committee. She sits on the WellStar North Fulton Regional Health Board, the board of directors for the Fulton Education Foundation the Fulton County Retirement Board. Hausmann is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute. She has two children and two grandchildren. Hausmann resides in Johns Creek.

Marva Lewis, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
Lewis is the chief of staff for Atlanta Mayor Kiesha Lance Bottoms. She was previously the vice president of human resources for Cousins Properties. Lewis sits on the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Metropolitan Atlanta and is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Francis Marion University and a master’s degree in Human Resources from Central Michigan University. Lewis and her husband, Pascal, have three children and live in Atlanta.

Sondra Rhoades-Johnson, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority (reappointment)
Rhoades-Johnson is the founder and principal of Rhoades Strategies Consulting. She previously served as the Fulton County Tax Commissioner and as the chief planning officer of IT Strategic Planning for the Georgia Technology Authority. Rhoades-Johnson is a member of the AARP Georgia Executive Council. She is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Georgia, Leadership America and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute. Rhoades-Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University. She and her husband, Charles, have four children and six grandchildren. They reside in East Point.

Lisa J. Smith, McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority
Smith is the regional director for Georgia Power’s Metro South Region. She sits on the boards of directors for the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, Arts Clayton, the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. She and her husband, Derick, have one child and live in Newnan.

Barbara F. Ellingson, Professional Standards Commission
Ellingson is a math teacher at White County Middle School and has more than three decades of experience in education. She also works as a Check and Connect Interventionist at Mountain Education Charter High School. Ellingson earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Middle Grades Mathematics from Piedmont College, as well as an educational specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Lincoln Memorial University. She and her husband, Greg, have four children and two grandchildren. They reside in Clarkesville.

Diane McClearen, Professional Standards Commission (reappointment)
McClearen is the director of community and external relations for Oglethorpe Power Corporation. She is the chairman of the executive committees for the Georgia Energy and Industrial Construction Consortium and the Education and Workforce Development committee. McClearen is a former chair of the board of directors for the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, a former vice chairman of the PAGE Foundation Board of Trustees and a former member of the University of West Georgia College of Education Development Council. She is an Education Policy Fellow with the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and a graduate of Leadership DeKalb. McClearen earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Bob, have two children and live in Johns Creek.

Teri L. Schneider, Professional Standards Commission (reappointment)
Schneider is an Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science and pre-AP Biology teacher at Peachtree Ridge High School. She is also an AP Environmental Science exam reader for the College Board. Schneider is the assistant coach of the Peachtree Ridge High School competition cheerleading team and was named Peachtree Ridge High School’s 2017-2018 “Teacher of the Year.” She earned a bachelor’s degree from Anderson University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Georgia. Schneider has two children and three grandchildren. She resides in Suwanee.

Sen. Fran Millar, Southern Regional Education Board
Millar has represented the 40th District in the Georgia State Senate since 2011. He is the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, the secretary of the Health and Human Services and Rules committees, and a member of the Education and Youth Committee. Millar is also a member of the Governor’s Education Reform Commission, the Governor’s Child Welfare Reform Council and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education board. He was named the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education’s “Policymaker of the Year” in 2008 and the Georgia Chamber’s “Legislator of the Year” in 2014. Millar also serves as an ex-officio member of the board of directors for the Dunwoody Homeowners Association. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Millar and his wife, Mary, have three children and seven grandchildren. They live in Dunwoody.