Governor Perdue Announces Executive Appointments

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

Board of Natural Resources

J. Dennis Billew, 64, Lawrenceville, Seventh Congressional District Representative – Billew is principal of Development Consultants Group, Inc. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust, the Council for Quality Growth, and the Gwinnett Coalition of Health and Human Services. Billew also serves on the Gwinnett Buffer, Landscape, and Tree Advisory Committee and the Gwinnett Development Advisory Committee. Billew earned a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University. He and his wife, Nancy, have one grown child.

GeorgiaPortsAuthority

James S. Balloun, 71, Atlanta – Balloun is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Acuity Brands, Inc. He serves as a trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center and Emeritus Trustee of the Westminster Schools. Balloun is on the board of directors of Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc., Radiant Systems Inc., and Enzymatic Deinking Technologies and Unisen/StarTrac. He also serves as vice chairman of the board of the Jasper Ocean Terminal Project Office.  He is past chairman and a life trustee of The Commerce Club. Balloun earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree from Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Julia, have two children and four grandchildren.

GeorgiaSuperior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority

Gail C. Robinson, 39, Kathleen, County Commissioner Representative – Robinson is a private practice attorney in Warner Robins and serves on the Houston County Board of Commissioners. She is a member of the Houston County Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, and the American Bar Association. Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Mark, have two children.

State Workforce Investment Board

Neel D. Shah, 40, Atlanta, Business Representative – Shah is vice president of the Cargo Division for Delta Air Lines, Inc. He previously served as vice president of Sales and Marketing for United Airlines Cargo.  He sits on the Air Transport Association's Executive Cargo Council and is a board member of Cargo 2000.  Shah earned a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and a master’s degree from Columbia University. He and his wife, Caroline, have three children.

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