Governor Deal Appoints 29 to State Boards

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Monday, July 13th, 2015

Larry Edward Haynie, Board of Corrections

Haynie is co-owner of Georgia Arms and Master Cartridge. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children and three grandchildren. They reside in Carrollton.

Duke C. Blackburn, Jr., Board of Corrections (reappointment)

Blackburn retired from the Georgia Department of Corrections after a 20-year state career. He is a former executive assistant to the commissioner and former director of special operations. He is a founding member of the U.S. Marshal Southeast Region Fugitive Task Force. He previously served on the board of trustees of the Heritage School in Newnan. Blackburn is a sixth-generation member of Central Baptist Church and attended Georgia Southwestern College and DeKalb College. He and his wife, Lynn, have three sons and six grandchildren. They reside in Newnan.

Alton Russell, Board of Corrections (reappointment)

Russell is a territory manager for Copaco, Inc. He currently serves on the board of the Columbus Literacy Alliance, the Muscogee County Board of Equitation and the Columbus Charter Review Commission. He served as chairman of the Third District Republican Party and the executive committee of the Muscogee County GOP. Russell attended North Georgia College and Columbus State University. He and his wife, Karen, have four children and four grandchildren. They reside in Columbus.

Andrea Shelton, Board of Corrections (reappointment)

Shelton is president and founder of HeartBound Ministries. She is a member of the 2006 class of Leadership Georgia and a 2007 Leadership Georgia program chair. She received the Spirit of Oglethorpe Award from Oglethorpe University in 2005 and the E. Dale Threadgill Community Service Award from Leadership Georgia in 2013. Shelton earned a bachelor’s degree from Oglethorpe University and a law degree from the University of Tennessee. She and her husband, Joe, have two children. They reside in Atlanta.

Jan Ligon, Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (reappointment)

Ligon is an associate professor of Social Work at Georgia State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s and doctoral degree in Social Work from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Ann, reside in Atlanta.

David B. Glass, Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (reappointment)

Glass is the vice president of Glass Financial, Inc. and has earned industry designations of CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®.  Glass is a member of The Breakaway League and a past president of Parent to Parent of Georgia. He has also served as an advisory member to the Georgia Council of Developmental Disabilities and is currently vice president of the board for The Arc of Georgia. Glass earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University Of Georgia. He and his wife, Betsy, have two children. They reside in Sandy Springs.

Kim Ryan, Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (reappointment)

Ryan is president and chief executive officer of Southern Regional Health System in Riverdale. She serves on the boards of VHA Georgia and the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce. Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany, a master’s degree from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Georgia College and State University. She and her husband, Rich, have three children and three grandchildren. They reside in Snellville.

H. Clifford Sheppard, Jr., Board of Community Affairs (reappointment)

Sheppard is president and chief executive officer of Howard Sheppard, Inc. He is chairman of the Citizens Bank of Washington County board of directors and The Brentwood School board. Sheppard earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Georgia Southwestern. He and his wife, Dianne, have two sons and six grandchildren. They reside in Sandersville.

Jeff Brown, Board of Community Affairs (reappointment)

Brown is currently a real estate investor. He previously worked for Armstrong World Industries, Milliken and Company and is the former owner of Comprehensive Search. He is a former Georgia State House representative and LaGrange City Council member. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree from Ursinus College, a master’s degree from Temple University and is a Colson. Brown and his wife, Shirley, reside in LaGrange. 

Pedro Cherry, Georgia Board of Economic Development

Cherry is senior vice president of the Metro Atlanta Region for Georgia Power. He serves on the board of the Latin American Association, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, First Tee of Atlanta, Atlanta Police Foundation, Central Atlanta Progress and is vice chair of the Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance. He is also a member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and the NAACP and Auburn’s Alumni Engineering advisory councils. Cherry earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Business Administration from Auburn University. He and his wife, Tomeka, have two children. They reside in Atlanta.

Mark Glass, Board of Economic Development (reappointment)

Glass is the founder and president of Glass Enterprises, Inc.  He has served on the board of directors for Georgia Farm Bureau, Mitchell County Farm Bureau, Flint River National Bank, United Poultry Growers Association and FUEL, LLC. He is a member of the Camilla Rotary Club.  He is a graduate of the 2003 Leadership Georgia, serving as program chair in 2004. Cherry was also awarded Mitchell County Entrepreneur of the Year.  Glass earned a bachelor’s degree in Management from Georgia Tech.  He and his wife, Susan, have four children. They reside in Camilla.

Wayne F. Christian, Board of Economic Development (reappointment)

Christian is a partner at Christian Family, LLLP. He currently serves as a board director of the Georgia Agribusiness Council and vice chairman and director of Agritrust of Georgia. He previously served on the Governor’s Center of Innovation for Agribusiness Board, as director of the Dublin-Lauren’s County Chamber of Commerce and the USDA-Southern Region Risk Management Council. Christian is a past president of the Georgia Peanut Association and advisory board member of the Georgia Peanut Commission. Christian earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Ann, have three children and eight grandchildren. They reside in Dublin.

Kent Fountain, Board of Economic Development (reappointment)

Fountain is president and chief executive officer of Southeastern Gin & Peanut, Inc., Altamaha Oil and is chairman of Premium Peanut, LLC. He is president of the Southeastern Ginners’ Association and is a National Cotton Council director. He served as chairman of the Wayne County Board of Education from 2006 to 2010 and is also a past chairman of the National Cotton Ginners’ Association. Fountain earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Missi, have two sons. They reside in Screven.

Mike Campbell, Board of Economic Development

Campbell has been a wealth management advisor with Northwestern Mutual for 21 years. Prior to joining Northwestern he served with the U.S. Navy for 14 years. He retired from the U.S. Naval Reserves in 2001 after 20 years of service. Campbell earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in Financial Services from the American College. He and his wife, Chrystal, have two children.

Charles Randall Fox, Technical College System of Georgia Board

Fox is president of Fox Systems, Inc. He currently sits on the Gordon County College and Career Academy board of directors, the Calhoun Gordon County Development Authority and the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation board. He also served as past chairman of the board at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. Fox has two children and two grandchildren. He resides in Calhoun.

Anne Kaiser, Technical College System of Georgia Board

Kaiser is vice president of Community and Economic Development for Georgia Power. She is former vice president of Georgia Power’s Northwest Region and held senior marketing positions with KPMG, Westminster Schools of Atlanta and Alston & Bird. Kaiser currently serves on the board of directors of Berry College and is the chair of the Dean’s Council of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She is a graduate of the National Association of Corporate Director’s “Director’s College,” as well as Leadership Atlanta. Kaiser earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School. She and her husband, Mark, reside in Atlanta. 

Ben Copeland, Sr., Technical College System of Georgia Board (reappointment)

Copeland is president of Patten Seed Co. He is the current chair of the Lanier County Development Authority and is a member of the Suwannee - Satilla Water Council. Copeland is on the Turner Center for the Arts board, the Oaklawn Foundation board and is the chair of the Lanier Health advisory board. He previously served as a member and chair of the board of directors of Wiregrass Technical College and as a Lakeland City Councilman. In 2002, he was awarded Volunteer of the Year for Technical Colleges. Copeland earned a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, LaVonne, have two children and nine grandchildren. They reside in Lanier County.

W. Jackson (Jack) Winter, Jr., Technical College System of Georgia (reappointment)

Winter is president and chief executive officer of Winter Enterprises Corporation. He was previously vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago (now JPMorgan Chase & Co.) and senior vice president and chief financial officer of Rosser International Inc. He is vice chair of the Personnel Board of Fulton County, chair of the advisory board of the Georgia Development Capital Fund, Inc. and secretary of the board of directors of the Economic Development Corporation of Fulton County. He previously served on the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission, the Georgia Supreme Court Judicial Code of Conduct Rules Revision Committee and the Georgia House of Representatives Judicial Election Reform Study Committee. Winter earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a graduate of the Coverdell Leadership Institute. He resides in Atlanta.

Mary Paige Flanders, Technical College System of Georgia Board (reappointment)

Flanders is a retired school teacher and home builder. She has served as a board member of the Garden Club of Georgia, chairman of the Leconte Woodmanston Botanical Gardens board and on the Keep Savanah Beautiful board. She is currently chair of the Chatham County Republican Party. Flanders earned a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics from Georgia Women’s College. She and her husband, Dorsey, have two children and one grandchild. They reside in Savannah.

Donna Thomas Moses, Board of Community Health (reappointment)

Moses is the founder of Periodontics, Implant Dentistry and TMJ in Carrollton. She currently serves on the Carroll County Housing Authority Board, as a delegate to the American Dental Association, on the advisory board of the Dental Hygiene School at West Georgia Technical College and on the advisory board of the LD Pankey Institute. She is a fellow of the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists, Pierre Fauchard Academy and an honorable fellow of the Georgia Dental Association. She previously served as the president of the Georgia Dental Association, the Georgia Society of Periodontists, the Northwestern District Dental Society and the West Georgia Dental Study Club. Moses earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Dental Medicine from the University of Mississippi and a certificate in Periodontics from the Medical College of Georgia. She resides in Temple.

Judy Greenlea Taylor, Board of Public Health (reappointment)

Greenlea Taylor has a private practice in Union City. She is president-elect for the National Dental Association and will serve as its 92nd president in 2016. She is a member of the Georgia/North Georgia Dental Societies, the American Dental Association, the Georgia Dental Association, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and the Georgia Public Health Association. She is a fellow in the International College of Dentists and received a WXIA Atlanta 11 Alive 2014 Community Service Award. Greenlea Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A&M University, a dental degree from the University of Iowa, completed her residency at Emory University and is a Emory Rollins School of Public Health 2015 MPH candidate. She resides in Atlanta.

Cynthia A. Mercer, M.D. Board of Public Health (reappointment)

Mercer has been in private practice in gynecology and obstetrics for 33 years in Athens. She 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 serves on the Georgia Health Sciences Medical Center board of directors and is a clinical assistant professor with the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Georgia Health Sciences University. Mercer earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her residency training at Emory University-affiliated hospitals. She and her husband, Thomas Rogers, have two adult children. They reside in Athens.

Jancito del Mazo, Georgia Board of Physician Workforce (reappointment)

Mazo is a gastroenterologist at a private practice in Atlanta. He earned a medical degree from Faculdad de Medicina in Madrid, Spain. He and his wife, Arlene, have 4 children and 13 grandchildren.

Norma Jean Morgan, Georgia Board for Physician Workforce

Morgan is the chief executive officer and nursing home administrator for the Effingham Health System.  She was previously the director of Aging and Community Services within the Georgia Department of Community Health. She is the current chairman of the board of directors for the Georgia Health Care Association.  Morgan is a fellow and certified nursing home administrator through the American College of Healthcare Administrators.  She and her husband, Ashley, have two adult children and four grandchildren. They reside in Springfield.

Deborah Lovell, State Rehabilitation Council

Lovell is the family outreach coordinator at the Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center. She was previously employed by the state of Georgia as a rehabilitation counselor and senior case manager. She is a member of the Georgia Rehabilitation Association, Georgia Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and a member of the Georgia Council of the Blind. Lovell is a graduate of Shorter College and earned master’s degrees at Auburn University and Western Michigan University. She and her husband, Todd, live in Augusta.

Tim Lowe, Board of Governors George L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority (reappointment)

Lowe is the chief executive officer of Lowe Corporation and a principal with Lowe Program Management. He is the 2015 chair of the Council for Quality Growth and chairs the Georgia Chamber’s Health and Wellness Committee. Lowe served for 30 years in the US Navy, retiring as a Captain. He is a graduate of Leadership Georgia and the Regional Leadership Institute. Lowe earned a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Emory University. He and his wife, Traci, reside in Atlanta.

Chris Cummiskey, Board of Governors George L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority

Cummiskey is the executive vice president of External Affairs for Georgia Power. Previously, he was commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development and a former manager and director of energy and gas derivatives trading for companies, including RWE Americas, Mirant and Mieco. Cummiskey was also a state director for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, chief of staff for the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives and director of state relations for the University of Georgia. He currently sits on the University of Georgia’s Honor’s Program advisory board and Athletics board of directors. Cummiskey earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Rebecca, reside in Atlanta.

Bill Jones, Board of Governors of the George L. Smith II World Congress Center Authority (reappointment)

Jones is president and chief executive officer of Jones Petroleum Co. in Jackson. He is a former Butts County school superintendent and a former Georgia state representative. He is a member of the Georgia State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He and his wife, Martha, have three children and four grandchildren. They reside in Jackson.

John M. Haupert, Board of Public Health

Haupert serves as president and CEO of Grady Health System in Atlanta. He is a member of the Health Advisory Committee to the Pew Charitable Trusts, the board of directors of America’s Essential Hospitals and on the member board of the University Health System Consortium. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Haupert earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Trinity University.