Gov. Kemp Announces 66 Appointments to State Boards, Commissions, and Authorities

Atlanta – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment and re-appointment of the following 66 Georgians to various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

Georgia Ports Authority

David Cyr, Don Grantham Sr., Alec Poitevint II, and Christopher Womack were reappointed.

Board of Homeland Security

Kenneth J. DeSimone is the Chief of Police for the Sandy Springs Police Department (SSPD). DeSimone has over 35 years of law enforcement experience and has been with the SSPD since 2009. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 2014 following 32 years of continuous active and reserve service primarily in the Military Police. DeSimone is both an Afghanistan and Iraq War Veteran, where he led police advisor teams in the Anbar, Najaf, and Helmand Provinces. He has been an advisor to law enforcement, intelligence, provost marshal, and gendarmerie forces in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. DeSimone has a bachelor’s degree in Police Administration from the University of Louisville and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He is the recipient of the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Counterterrorism Investigation and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Medal of Valor. He and his wife, Beth, have two children and reside in Fulton County.

State Board of Education

Leonte B. Benton will now serve as the Sixth Congressional District Representative.

Richard J. Valladares will now serve as the Seventh Congressional District Representative.

Jennifer Fennell is the Gwinnett District Manager at Jackson Electric Membership Corporation. In her role, she is responsible for internal and external affairs, including leadership, engagement, and government relations. Fennell is active in multiple civic organizations and community groups. She serves on the boards of The Gwinnett Chamber, Council for Quality Growth, Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Leadership Gwinnett, Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation, Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, Gwinnett Police Foundation, The Gwinnett Chamber Foundation, and the Water Tower at Gwinnett. She is President of the Rotary Club of Sugarloaf, where she has been a member since 2016. Fennell is a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2022, Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2018, and, in August 2022, was presented the Moxie Award by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. In May of 2024, Fennell was appointed by The Georgia Supreme Court to the Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee for Judicial Administrative District 9. Fennell graduated from the University of Georgia with both a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and an MBA. She and her husband, Benjie, live in Lilburn with their three children.

State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia

Joseph Hsiao and Carvel Lewis were reappointed.

Board of Community Affairs

David J. Burge and Joyce Stevens were reappointed.

Georgia Council for the Arts – Chairman

Colt Chambers is an advocate for the arts and nonprofit sectors, with nearly a decade of experience in arts administration, operations management, fundraising, development, and strategic planning. As the owner and producer of The Alley Stage on the Marietta Square, he has transformed the venue into one of Cobb County’s premier live entertainment destinations since its opening in July 2023. He previously served as Director of Development & Marketing for The Georgia Ballet and Executive Director of the Atlanta Lyric Theatre. He holds a master’s in Arts Administration and a certificate in fundraising and development from the University of Kentucky. He has completed advanced coursework in arts strategy, administration, and innovation at Vanderbilt University, Emory University, the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania. In October 2022, he received his Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation. In 2019, he was appointed by Governor Kemp to serve on the Georgia Council for the Arts. Chambers resides in Marietta and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta, Communities in Schools of Marietta-Cobb, Marietta Arts Council, Cobb Chamber, and Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre.

Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council

Glenda Anderson, Garrison Baker, Jeff Bishop, Christina Davis, Beth English, Toby Graham, Kaye Minchew, Angela Stanley, Sheryl Vogt, and JoyEllen Williams were reappointed.

Board of Trustees of the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund

Timothy Milligan was reappointed.

Board of Trustees of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia

Jason Branch and Chris Swanson were reappointed.

Board of Natural Resources

Steve Hufstetler is the founder and CEO of Teramore Developments. In addition to Teramore, he is president of Hufstetler Properties, LLP, a real estate development and management company, and is the past chairman of the Thomasville National Bank Financial Services Board. Hufstetler began his career at the University of Georgia Campus Police Department, serving in law enforcement for several years before joining IBM. Active in his community and passionate about giving back, he and his wife, Teresa, started the Colquitt County High School: Steve and Teresa Hufstetler Scholarship Fund and have helped Colquitt Regional Medical Center expand its heart center, which is now named the Hufstetler Heart Center. Hufstetler received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and continues to support the institution as a member of the UGA Athletics Silver Circle, a founding board member of the Kirby Smart Family Foundation, and the University of Georgia 1785 Society. Hufstetler and his wife, Teresa, reside in Thomas County with their two children.

Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission

Amanda Shailendra is an economic and community development specialist whose experience includes corporate recruitment, expansion strategy, and leading negotiations between corporations and communities. She is a partner with Pendleton Consulting Group and consults with both public and private organizations throughout the southeast. During her time at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) she worked with more than 100 economic development projects for the State of Georgia. While working for Google Fiber, Inc., she led expansions in metro Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, providing governmental, community, and public relations advice. Shailendra currently serves on the Advisory Board for Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College. She has previously been appointed to serve on Georgia Non-Public Post-Secondary Education Commission (GNPEC) by both Governor Nathan Deal and Governor Brian Kemp. She is a 2011 graduate of Leadership Georgia and a 2008 graduate of L.E.A.D. Atlanta. She serves on the Honorary Board of Trustees for Atlanta Ballet, the Alliance Theater Company’s Corporate Committee, and previously served on the Board of Directors for Dad’s Garage Theatre and the Georgia Economic Development Association. A native of Augusta, Shailendra earned an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech, where she was a MacArthur Fellow. Shailendra and her husband, Paul, have two daughters and live in Atlanta.

Upper Oconee Regional Water Planning Council

David L. Keener is the Mayor of Social Circle, Georgia. Prior to being elected Mayor in 2019, Keener served more than 10 years as Councilman for District 3. He retired as director from AT&T after 35 years of dedicated service in a leadership role managing more than 300 employees in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, and now owns a successful computer/networking business, Keener Computer Services. Keener currently serves as President of District 5 for the Board of Directors of the Georgia Municipal Association, member of the Walton County Municipal Association, board member of the Walton County Development Authority, board member of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce, and ex-officio of Social Circle Main Street. He is involved in the Downtown Development Authority, the Social Circle Development Authority, the Planning & Corridor Commission, the Social Circle Housing Authority, the Tree Board, the Cemetery Committee, the Library Board, Main Street, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing. Keener and his wife, Penny, have lived in Social Circle since 1994.

State Board of Accountancy

Aubrey Harrell is an audit partner for KPMG, a United States audit, tax, and advisory firm. He has over 34 years of experience in a broad array of industries including aerospace manufacturing, alternative investments, food and beverage, real estate, sports teams, media and communications, and professional services. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children and reside in Dekalb County.

Ryan Inlow is a partner at Mauldin and Jenkins, specializing in audit and tax services for closely held entities, non-profit organizations and employee benefit plans. He joined Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC after spending six years with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Atlanta, Georgia. Inlow has a wide variety of industry experience with current and former clients in the technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and not-for-profit industries. Inlow graduated from Auburn University in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is a member of the AICPA and a past president of the Albany Chapter of the Georgia Society of CPA’s. Inlow is a graduate of Leadership Albany and Leadership Georgia. He and his family are active within First United Methodist Church of Albany. He and his wife, Kimberly, have three daughters.

Paula Mooney is a senior lecturer at Georgia Southern University. Mooney teaches accounting courses as assigned, including Principles of Financial and Managerial Accounting, Auditing, Accounting Information Systems, and Introduction to Business. She has earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Georgia. Mooney and her husband, Julian, have three children and reside in Bulloch County.

Evelyn Rosier has over 45 years of experience in the fields of finance, accounting, and project management. She holds a M.S. in accounting and a B.A. in Public Accountancy. As a CPA, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and Project Management Professional, she has demonstrated expertise in a wide range of areas. In addition to her professional achievements, Rosier is actively involved in professional organizations. She is a longstanding member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Georgia Society of CPAs, where she served on the Board of Directors and the Leadership Council. Rosier has also served as an officer on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Chapter of the Project Management Institute. Continuing her commitment to excellence, Rosier recently became a Georgia Registered Neutral for General Civil Mediation.

Professional Standards Commission

Kedrione Harris, Nathan Lewis, and Jane Rookard were reappointed.

Georgia Technology Authority

Sonya Jenkins was reappointed.

Board of Trustees of the Subsequent Injury Trust Fund

John Fervier was reappointed.

Board of Economic Development

Mark Bassford, Scott Blackstock, Dennis Chastain, David Tyndall, and June Wood were reappointed.

Shehzaan Chunara received his undergraduate and graduate business degree from Emory’s Goizetta School of Business. Since graduating in 2014, Chunara has chosen to follow in the footsteps of his father and greatest mentor by joining the family business full time in which he currently serves as Vice President of Development for the Chunara Group of Companies. He directly oversees the expansion of the family’s partnership with Dunkin Brands, Checkers, Popeyes, Church’s, Take 5 Oil, Blaze Pizza, Kale Me Crazy, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and BurgerFi. It has always been his mission to help foster the growth of the operating partners, which in turn allows those partners the resources they need for the retention and success of their restaurant-level team members. Chunara also oversees the expansion of the family’s real estate holding company as well as the family’s diverse bucket of private equity investments. He is passionate about giving back to his community and is actively involved with the Aga Khan Foundation.

Georgia Board of Dentistry

Michael Knight and Ami Patel were reappointed.

Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

David Glass and Jan Ligon were reappointed.

Board of Public Health

Cynthia Mercer was reappointed.

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Jerry Bruce, John Melvin, and Joseph Vignati were reappointed.

Nikki Berger joined the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy staff in February of 2007. She is the Prevention Program Manager for the Center’s statewide abuse and exploitation prevention initiative. Nikki is responsible for program implementation as well as the training and supervision of staff and graduate interns. Berger has conducted over 350 trainings and presentations, contributing to the overall training of more than 210,000 Georgian adults. She has collaborated and developed numerous training programs on mandated reporting, abuse prevention, trauma-informed care, human trafficking, and child protection policies. Most recently, Berger became a founding partner and Board Member of Connect to Protect Kids. She was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal in 2014 to serve on Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Berger is currently a member of the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group as well as the Georgia Human Trafficking Taskforce, both of which are led by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Before joining the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy, she was the Director of the Victim-Witness Assistance Program with the Fulton County District Attorney’s office. Prior to joining the District Attorney’s office, Berger was on staff for eight years at the Rape Crisis Center with Grady Health Systems. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Syracuse University and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Nova Southeastern University.

Kenneth Carson has served as Mayor of Adairsville for almost 10 years and has been in law enforcement for over 36 years, and he is currently employed at the City of Calhoun Police Department as a Major over the patrol division. Carson currently serves as the District 1 Representative on Georgia Municipal Association’s Municipal Training Board. As Mayor of Adairsville, Carson has served on the Board of Advisors for the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council for Pickens and Rome Regional Police Academies. Mayor Carson also currently serves on the Georgia Municipal Association Legislative Policy Council. Carson also serves his community as a member of the Kiwanis Club International, Adairsville Lions Club, and Lions Club International. He and his family reside in Adairsville.

Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board

Sandy Adams, Craig Camuso, and Thomas Wilson were reappointed.

Stone Mountain Memorial Association

Chris Sanders was reappointed.

Georgia Council for the Arts

Brandy Barker currently serves as Chief Creative Officer and Assistant Vice President for Placemaking at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, where she is also a part-time faculty member. Barker recently earned her M.A. in art and design with a concentration in museum studies from Kennesaw State University. Her commitment to the arts has been demonstrated through her service to the City of Carrollton as an Arts Council member from 2016 to 2018, as well as serving on the Board of Directors at the Atlanta Printmakers Studio from 2022 to 2024, where she contributed to the growth and support of the printmaking community in Hapeville.

Madia Cooper is a Liberian dance educator, West African and performing artist, choreographer, and scholar. She received her Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Fine Arts in dance performance and choreography from The College at Brockport and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance education from Brenau University. Currently, she serves as the Chair and Associate Professor and Chair of Dance at Brenau University. She is a performer of the Ghanaian dance company Mawre African Dance and Drum, which travels throughout the Southeast performing and conducting residencies. Cooper’s other company credits include the Bill Evans Dance Company and Sankofa African Dance Ensemble. In addition, she has collaborated with various musicians, visual artists, and singers to produce multi-artistic works and performance art in the U.S. Cooper and her husband, Eric, have two children and reside in Barrow County.

Karla Redding-Andrews is a native of Jones County, Georgia. She has a passion for education paired with music and the arts. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1985 with a B.S. in public relations and remains an active alumna, serving on the Public Relations Advisory Board. Redding-Andrews currently serves as the vice-chair of the Georgia Music Foundation and is a member of the Leadership Macon Class of 2015 and the Macon Rotary Club. She serves on the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings Board of Visitors at Mercer University and the boards of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Central Georgia Technical College, the Georgia Intellectual Property Association and the International Cherry Blossom Festival. She most recently was appointed to Macon, Georgia’s Bicentennial Commission appointed by Mayor Lester Miller. Redding-Andrews and her husband, Timothy, have two sons.

Board of Community Health

David Crews and Anthony Williams were reappointed.

Kathleen Ruth is a senior research scientist and CDC-trained epidemiologist with domestic and global health experience. She is currently the director of program development at CAI Global, a non-profit organization that works in numerous health and social services areas tackling public health and social issues that confront the most vulnerable worldwide. For nearly two decades, Ruth worked as a senior research science officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and served 14 years in the U.S. Public Health Service. She provided key leadership in the evaluation and implementation of strategies to reduce HIV infections in the United States and abroad. Ruth received a Foreign Duty Award for her work in CDC’s Global AIDS Program in Mozambique and Tanzania. Ruth holds a doctorate in child and family studies from the University of Georgia. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Belhaven University. She is an active member of her community, sitting on the board of the women’s ministry at her church, Mount Paran in Atlanta.

State Board of Workers’ Compensation

Neera Bahl was reappointed.

Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission

Bruce D. Smith graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in liberal arts in 1990. Smith has built a distinguished 30-year career as a Financial Advisor at UBS Financial Services and Merrill Lynch, where he earned the title of Senior Vice President. He currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development at Ryan Specialty, leading a team that distributes specialty property and casualty insurance products to retail brokerage firms. Smith is also a passionate mountaineer, an avid golfer, and has been a member of The Atlanta Athletic Club for over 30 years. Additionally, Bruce volunteers his time and expertise to various causes and initiatives.