Governor Perdue Announces Appointments to State Boards and Commissions

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the following appointments to State Boards and Commissions:

Georgia Council for the Arts

Mickey Foreman, 71, Fitzgerald, GA, 1st Congressional District - Foreman previously served as an English and Speech Instructor and Drama Director at Fitzgerald High School. She also served as a Language Arts Consultant in secondary schools for Chattahoochee Flint RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency). Foreman is currently Chairman of the Performing Arts Committee and Past President of the Arts Council in her community and served as the Director of many community productions. She has received the Star Teacher Award several times as well as the Leighton Ballow Award for outstanding work in drama in Georgia high schools. Foreman received her undergraduate degree from Tift College and her graduate degree from Rollins College in Florida. She has one child.

Elaine Trimble, 61, Atlanta, GA, 5th Congressional District - Trimble is currently a mortgage specialist for Southlake Mortgage Corporation. She has over twenty years of experience as a law enforcement officer and has served with several federal agencies. Trimble previously served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Inspector General of HUD. Her interests include art, music, and theatre. Trimble received her undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. She has one child.

Art Rosenbaum, 65, Athens, GA, 12th Congressional District - Rosenbaum is currently the Wheatley Professor in the Fine Arts at the University of Georgia, where he served as Chairman of Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking from 1991-1997. Rosenbaum was granted a Senior Fulbright Professorship at the University of Freiburg in Germany and his artwork has been exhibited frequently. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Council for Traditional Arts and was President of the Georgia Folklore Society. He also served as Director of the North Georgia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance for the Olympic Games at the University of Georgia. Rosenbaum received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Columbia University and a Fulbright Grant in Painting in Paris, France. Rosenbaum and his wife, Margo, have one child.

Gloria Ragland, 68, Perry, GA, At Large (Reappointment) - Ragland currently teaches art and conducts an annual one-woman art show in Perry, Georgia. Her paintings have been exhibited with the Southern Watercolor Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and in the Coastal National Juried Exhibition in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Ragland was awarded first place in the Fine Arts Society of Middle Georgia Summer Art Show and has won numerous awards and ribbons at the Georgia National Fair. She has been featured in American Artist Magazine and has served as Chairman of the Fine Arts Division of the Georgia National Fair. Ragland studied Watercolor at Macon State College and Wesleyan College. She and her husband, Jack, have one child.

Child Advocate Advisory Committee

Laura Eubanks, 43, Atlanta, GA, Social Worker Representative - Eubanks is currently a Practice Manager at the Center for Advocacy and Protection at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She previously served as Director of Behavioral Health Services of the Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center. Eubanks also served as Director of the Gwinnett Counseling Center as well as Director of Atlanta Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Center at the Charter Peachford Hospital. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and a former member of the Gwinnett Interagency Council for Treatment and Prevention. Eubanks received her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and received her graduate degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Mark, have two children.

Child Fatality Review Panel

Judge Ed Lukemire, 50, Warner Robins, GA, Superior Court Judge Representative - Lukemire is currently a Judge for the Superior Court of the Houston Judicial Circuit. He previously served as a District Attorney for the Houston Judicial Circuit and as an Assistant United States Attorney of the Federal Drug Task Force for the Middle District of Georgia. Lukemire is currently a member of the Judicial Council Committee on Domestic Violence and served as former Vice Chair of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. He also served on the Georgia Supreme Court Committee on Substance Abuse and the Courts and the Georgia Sexual Assault Task Force. Lukemire is past President of the Houston County Bar Association and past Chairman of the Safe House Advisory Committee and Houston County Child Abuse Protocol Committee. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Mercer University. Lukemire and his wife, Trell, have two children.

Judge Velma Tilley, 51, Cartersville, GA, Juvenile Court Judge Representative - Tilley is currently a Judge of the Bartow County Juvenile Court. She was previously a partner at Vaughen and Tilley and served as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing the Bartow County Department of Family and Children Services in Bartow County Juvenile Court. Tilley is a member of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges where she serves as Chair of the Permanency Planning Committee. She is also a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Tilley served on the Child Protective Services Task Force and the Georgia Detention Alternatives Initiative. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Georgia. Tilley and her husband, Stan, have three children.

Children and Youth Coordinating Council

Dan Provence, 58, Bainbridge, GA, 2nd Congressional District - Provence is currently the Executive Director of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Southwest Georgia, a non-profit organization that trains and manages court appointed volunteers who advocate for abused or neglected children in court. He is also the CEO and Broker of United Country-Provence Realty. Provence is past President of the Kiwanis Club of Bainbridge, Georgia, and served as Lt. Governor of Division Five of the Georgia District of Kiwanis. He also served on the Judicial Citizens Review Panel, which reviews foster care cases for the Juvenile Court Judge. Provence received the Kiwanian of the Year and YMCA Volunteer of the Year awards. He received his degree from Bainbridge College. Provence and his wife, Bonnie, have two children.

Kathryn Schrader, 42, Duluth, GA, 7th Congressional District - Schrader is currently an attorney with her own practice, Katherine M. Schrader, P.C. in Duluth, Georgia. She previously served as a Solicitor for the City of Duluth and was also an Associate for Tennant, Davidson, Thompson & Sweeny, P.C. Schrader also served as a Post Advisor for Gwinnett Law Explorers, a program that exposes high school students through the Boy Scouts of America to the Georgia civil and criminal process. She is a past member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the School Site Committee for the American Heart Association of Gwinnett. Schrader received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and her law degree from Mercer University. She and her husband, Richard, have three children.

Cathy Champion, 70, Lookout Mountain, GA, 10th Congressional District - Champion served on the commission of Dade County, Georgia and is a former Board Member of the Dade County Chamber of Commerce. She is co-founder of Chastain Finance, and worked as a Price Analyst of the American Oil Company for the Southeastern United States. Champion also previously worked in real estate for Northside Realty in Atlanta, Georgia, and then established her own real estate company, Champion Realty Company. She is married to Walter Champion.

Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Board

Dennis McEntire, 49, Newnan GA, At Large - McEntire is currently the General Manager of Newnan Utilities in Newnan, Georgia. He previously served as a Customer Service Supervisor and Area Manager for Georgia Power Company in Atlanta. McEntire served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Coweta in Newnan and of West Central Technical College in Carrollton, Georgia. He is past President of the Rotary Club of Newnan and past Vice-Chairman of the Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, which awarded him Citizen of the Year. He also served on the Newnan Campus Advisory Board of the State University of West Georgia and is past Chairman of 21st Century Coweta. McEntire received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife have two children.

Regional Resource Stewardship Council

William C. ("W.C.") Nelson, Jr., 61, Blairsville, GA, Georgia Representative, (Reappointment) - Nelson has worked for Nelson Tractor Company for the past forty years. He is the current Chairman of the Union County Development Authority, is active in the Rotary Club, and serves on the Towns, Union, and Fannin Joint Development Authority. He attended Young Harris College and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Patricia, have two children.

Board of Directors of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority

Sonny Deriso, 57, Columbus, GA, At Large (Reappointment) - Deriso is currently the Vice Chairman of the Board of Synovus Financial Corporation. He is a former practicing attorney in Albany and a Partner of Divine, Wilkin, Deriso, Raulerson and Fields Law Firm. He is past President of Security Bank and Trust Company. Deriso is a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. He is past Chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association and past Chairman of the Program Management Team of the Georgia Rail Passenger Program. Deriso is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Andrew College and of the Board of Trustees of Emory University. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Emory University.

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Authority

L.J. ("Stan") Lomax, 80, Fort Valley, GA, At Large (Reappointment) - Lomax is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Peach County Literacy Education Program LEAP (Literacy Education for Adults in Peach). He served on the Board of Directors of the Middle Georgia Technical Institute and on the President's Advisory Board of Fort Valley State University. He is past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Peach County Chamber of Commerce and past Chairman of the Development Authority of Peach County. He served as Acting Head of the Department of Health and Physical Education and Head Football Coach at Fort Valley State University. He received his undergraduate degree from Fort Valley State University and his graduate degree from Boston University. He and his wife, Mary, have three children.

Billy Henderson, 75, Athens, GA, At Large - Henderson is a former athletic director and head football and baseball coach at Willingham High School in Macon where he led Willingham to a state AAA championship victory in baseball. He also coached at Clarke Central High School in Athens and led them to several championship titles in football, baseball, and swimming. Clarke Central's stadium was renamed Billy Henderson Stadium in his honor. Henderson is currently a member of the American Football Coaches Association and the Georgia Athletic Association and helped organize Athens' Athletic Hall of Fame. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. Henderson and his wife, Fosky, have four children.

Board of Control for Southern Regional Education

Michael Adams, 56, Athens, GA, At Large (Reappointment) - Adams is currently the 21st President and Professor of Political Communications of the University of Georgia, where he has served since 1997. He previously served as President and Tenured Professor of Government of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky as well as Vice President of University Affairs and Professor of Political Communications at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. While at the University of Georgia, he has served as Chair of the American Council on Education and Chair of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. He received the Chairman's Award for Historic Preservation in the State of Georgia and the All American Football Foundation Outstanding College President of the Year. Adams received his undergraduate degree from Lipscomb College in Nashville, Tennessee, and his master's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State University. He and his wife, Mary Lynn, have two children.

Senator Jack Hill, Reidsville, GA, Legislative Representative - Hill is currently a Georgia State Senator for the 4th District. He is the current chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Hill also serves on the Ethics and Government Reform, Natural Resources, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Regulated Industries and Utilities, and Rules Committees. He led the Senate Rural Policy Study Committee and chaired the Senate Study Committee on Job Creation and Retention. Hill also chaired the Senate Rural Hospital and Health Care Study Committee and the Senate Recycling Markets Study Committee. He was named Citizen of the Year by the Georgia Air National Guard. Hill served in the Georgia Air National Guard as Unit Commander and State Inspector General and currently serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Reserve Forces Officer. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern College and is an independent grocer. Hill and his wife, Ruth Anne, have three children.

Board of Control for Southern Regional Education - Legislative Advisory Council

Senator Dan Moody, 56, Alpharetta, GA - Moody currently serves as a Georgia State Senator for the 27th District. He is the Secretary of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. Moody also serves on the Education, Reapportionment and Redistricting, Science and Technology, and Veterans and Military Affairs Committees. He is also a member of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government Advisory Board and was recently appointed to the Senate Majority Party Task Force to study alternative revenue opportunities and address revenue shortfalls throughout the state. Moody is a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce. He is an electrical engineer by trade and retired Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves and is also a business owner in Forsyth County. Moody received his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma University. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children.

Board of Commissioners of the Georgia Student Finance Commission

A. Middleton ("Mid") Ramsey, 53, Bogart, GA, 9th Congressional District - Ramsey is currently the Senior Vice President and Senior Lending Officer of Athens First Bank and Trust Company. He is the former Senior Vice President and Manager of Commercial Lending of Bankers First in Augusta, Georgia. Ramsey is also past Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of First Atlanta and First National Bank and Trust Company in Augusta. He is a Board Member of the American Cancer Society of Athens and is President of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame of the University of Georgia Chapter. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. Ramsey and his wife, Katie, have two children.

Veterans Service Board

James Blaylock, 58, Decatur, GA, At Large (Reappointment) - Blaylock is currently the Prosthetic Representative of the Veterans Integrated Service Network-7. He served as Chief of the Prosthetic Service/Treatment Center VA Medical Center in Decatur and Assistant Chief of the Prosthetic Service Treatment Center VA Medical Center in Miami. Blaylock received the National Chief-of-the-Year-for-Prosthetics Award. He also received Vice President Gore's 'Hammer Award' for developing and implementing innovative processes. Blaylock was awarded the Deputy Secretary and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Scissors Awards. He is a founding member of the Georgia Veterans Leadership Program. Blaylock is also the Past-National Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the current President of its Service Foundation. He received his undergraduate degree from Albany State College and his graduate degree from Georgia State University. Blaylock is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He and his wife, Willa, have one child.

Pat Phillips, 68, Blairsville, GA, At Large - Phillips is a former Area Supervisor of the Georgia State Department of Veteran's Services in Dalton, Georgia. He also previously served as a Claims Counselor of the Georgia State Department of Veteran's Services in Atlanta, Georgia. Phillips served in the U.S. Army. He is a member of the National Veteran's Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission and of Post Service Officer Post 112 in Dalton. Phillips served as Department Chairman of the Rehabilitation Committee and the State Commander and 7th District Commander of the American Legion. He is also a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Phillips and his wife, Susie, have four children.

State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Utility Contractors

Janette King, 57, Perry, Georgia, Utility Contractor Representative - King currently owns and operates Three Kings Company, Inc., a contracting company. Her company conducts utility site work with both the private and public sectors. King has recently worked in land development and has renovated four historical buildings in Perry, Georgia. She has two children.

State Board of Cosmetology

Wanda Brooks, 40, Snellville, GA, Cosmetologist Representative - Brooks is currently a cosmetologist. She has served as manager of Beautyland Hair Salon and stylist for several salons. Brooks is also a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines. She is an Assistant Examiner for the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology. Brooks is a member of the Professional Flight Attendants Association and of the Organization of Black Airline Pilots. She received her cosmetology license from Macon Technical Institute and also attended DeKalb College.