Governor Announces Executive Appointments

Friday, August 28, 2009

Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the following executive appointments:

 

Regional Commissions

The Regional Commissions, formerly known as Regional Development Centers, are the official regional planning and development organizations for local governments and citizens. The Regional Commission Councils create policy direction for the area’s short and long-term comprehensive planning and serve as liaisons between regional communities and the state government. Governor Perdue has made the following appointments to date:

 

Northwest GeorgiaRegional Commission

Billy Croker, Polk County

Butch Jones, Gilmer County

Melissa Mathis, Superintendent of Walker County Schools

 

GeorgiaMountainsRegional Commission

Rex Farmer, Hall County

 

Three Rivers Regional Commission

Ed Bledsoe, Coweta County

John Edwards, Jr., Pike County

Lynda White, Superintendent of Butts County Schools

 

Northeast GeorgiaRegional Commission

Kay Lee, Newton County

Allyson Summerour, Barrow County

 

Middle Georgia Regional Commission

Hill Bentley, Monroe County

Neil Suggs, Houston County

 

Central Savannah RiverArea Regional Commission

Tat Thompson, Burke County

Joyce Blevins, McDuffie County

Carole Jean Carey, Superintendent of Warren County Schools

 

Heart of Georgia Regional Commission

Bill Rogers, Jr., Emanuel County

 

Southwest GeorgiaRegional Commission

David Maschke, Chairman of Dougherty County Board of Education

 

Southern Georgia Regional Commission

Terri Lupo, Lowndes County

Gary Strickland, Brantley County

 

Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia

Tom Ratcliffe, Liberty County

 

Judicial Nominating Commission

Stephen Louis A. Dillard, James, Bates, Pope & Spivey - Dillard is an experienced appellate lawyer who also practices in the fields of complex litigation, constitutional law, and telecommunications law. He clerked for the Honorable Daniel A. Manion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Dillard is president of the Macon Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society. He received his law degree from Mississippi College School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Samford University.

 

T.C. Spence Pryor, Alston & Bird – Pryor is a former assistant U.S. attorney and counsel to the Deputy Attorney General. Pryor concentrates his practice in the areas of white collar criminal defense, corporate compliance, health care, government and congressional investigations, and internal corporate investigations. He serves as treasurer of his neighborhood association and secretary of the Woodward Academy Alumni Board. He received a B.A. degree in political science from the University of Georgia and his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

 

J. Henry Walker IV, Kilpatrick Stockton - Walker rejoined Kilpatrick Stockton - where he practiced as a partner until 1996 - in 2007 after serving as Chief Litigation Counsel to BellSouth Corporation and its successor, AT&T South. At BellSouth, Mr. Walker managed a team of lawyers and paralegals responsible for a large and challenging litigation docket. He has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Atlanta Magazine. He won the BellSouth’s Presidents Award and the General Counsel’s Award for Excellence. Walker is active in the State Bar of Georgia, currently serving on the Board of Governors and numerous committees. He also played an active role in the passage of significant tort reform legislation in Georgia in 2005. Walker received his law degree from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law.

 

Charles E. Peeler, Flynn, Peeler & Phillips - A founding member of Flynn Peeler & Phillips, Peeler represents clients across the United States in the areas of complex business litigation and patent, copyright, and trademark law. Peeler preciously practiced at Jones & Askew and King & Spalding LLP. Peeler is a native of Marietta and in 2005, Charlie and his family moved to Albany and he formed what is now the firm of Flynn, Peeler, & Phillips LLC. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1995 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and he received his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

 

Keith R. Blackwell, Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs – Blackwell represents financial institutions, health care providers, manufacturers, telecommunications providers, and other businesses in complex civil litigation, arbitration, internal investigations, and appeals in Georgia and elsewhere. Before joining the firm, Blackwell served as an assistant district attorney in Cobb County and as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit for Chief Judge J.L. Edmondson.   Blackwell is   president of the Atlanta Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society. He received his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

 

Hillary S. Stringfellow, Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin - Stringfellow is an associate in the firm’s trust and estates and corporate practice groups. Prior to joining Gilbert Harrell, Hillary clerked for the Honorable Duross Fitzpatrick in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Stringfellow also served as the 1998 National FFA President. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in agricultural and environmental economics; she also received her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

 

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