Governor Perdue Announces Executive Appointments

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the following executive appointments.  Brief biographies are provided below:

Board of Governors of the George L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority

Gary A. Smith, 43, Roswell – Smith is managing partner of Strategic Value Properties, LLC. and former business development director for Windham Brannon Financial Group. He was president-elect of the Albany Rotary Club and past president and legislative liaison of Albany Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors before relocating to Atlanta.  He was appointed by Governor Perdue to serve on the Education funding taskforce, “IE2.”  Smith earned an associate’s degree from Oxford College of Emory University and a bachelor’s degree from Emory University.  He and his wife, Sandra, have three children.

GeorgiaCommission on Hearing Impaired and Deaf Persons

Robin H. Ferst, 60, Atlanta – Ferst is the founder and chairman of the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, a statewide organization providing Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to preschool children throughout GA. She is a board member of the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, and treasurer for the Metropolitan Atlanta Literacy Network. Ferst earned a bachelor's degree from Shorter College.  She has been profoundly hearing impaired since early childhood.