Governor Perdue Announces Executive Appointments

ATLANTA, GA - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the following executive appointments:

Homeland Security Task Force

Thomas “Jeff” J. Wigington, 45, Conyers, GA, Sheriff Representative — Wigington is the sheriff of Rockdale County and has served in the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office as radio operator, detention deputy, deputy sheriff, corporal, sergeant, investigator and lieutenant.  He has also served as director of Conyers-Rockdale Emergency Management Agency, managed the construction of the women's jail annex and the administration building and instituted an on-site college-level professional management program for supervisors.  He received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and public administration from Brenau College and his master's of public administration from Columbus State University.  Wigington and his wife, Beth, have three children.

Board of Directors of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority

Robert “Bob” Patterson Voyles, 53, Atlanta, GA, At Large Representative —Voyles is the CEO and founding partner of Seven Oaks Company, LLC. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, CORENET and the Georgia Bar Association. Voyles serves on the boards of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Stadium Authority, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Young Life Northwest Atlanta Committee. He also serves as the chairman of the Perimeter Community Improvement District Board. Voyles served as a captain in the United States Air Force from 1977 until 1980. He has been honored with several awards including the 2004 Henry Hill Robinson Award, the 2003 Economic Development Award, the 2004 and 2002 Development Firm of the Year and the 2002 Corporate Citizen of the Year Award. Voyles earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Virginia, a master of laws in land development planning from George Washington University and a doctor of jurisprudence from Emory University. He and his wife, Belle, have four children.

Board of Trustees of the Herty Foundation

P . A. "Takis" Argentinis, 63, Savannah, GA, At Large Member — Argentinis serves as chairman, president and chief executive officer for Elan Technology, Inc.  He has served as vice-chairman of American Express Bank's International Capital Corporation, president and chief executive officer of the General Electric Trading Company (GETC) and vice president of international trade development for GETC.  Argentinis has served on multiple boards, including First City Club, The 200 Club of the Coastal Empire, the South Georgia District Export Council and the Georgia Tech, Savannah -Advisory Board.  He received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Western New England College and his master's degree in industrial administration from Union College.  Argentinis and his wife, Ourania, have two children and survive one son.

H . Brooks Warnell, Jr., 59, Ellabell, GA, At Large Member — Warnell is a farmer and is involved in turpentine production, logging, and commercial cattle enterprises. He is the former chairman of the Bryan County Board of Commissioners and the Bryan County Board of Health.  He is a member of the Georgia Farm Bureau and the Zion Lutheran Church in Effingham County.  Warnell enjoys horse breeding and horse competitions.  He graduated from Carlisle Military School and served in the United States Air Force.  Warnell survives his wife and has two sons.

Children and Youth Coordinating Council

Kenneth Michael Dobbs, D.Min, 59, Greenville, GA, Eleventh Congressional District Representative — Dobbs currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Georgia Baptist Children's Homes and Family Ministries, Inc.  He has previously served as assistant executive director of Georgia Baptist Children's Homes and Family Ministries, Inc., assistant executive director of Georgia Baptist Foundation, and pastor of several churches.  Dobbs is the former president of the Southern Baptist Child Care Executives of the Southern Baptist Convention and the former chairman of the Endowment Committee for the Georgia Baptist Convention.  He is the 2001 recipient of Mercer University's Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award.  Dobbs received his bachelor's degree from Mercer University, his master's degree from New Orleans Baptist Seminary and his doctorate degree from McCormick Theological Seminary.  Dobbs and his wife, Linda, have three children and five grandchildren.

Metro North Georgia Water Planning District Governing Board

P. Martin Ellard, 77, Gainesville, GA, At Large Member — Ellard is the former managing partner of P. Martin Ellard CPA firm, and currently serves as a consultant to that firm.  Ellard has previously served as president of the Gainesville Kiwanis Club, chairman of the Gainesville Board of Education and president of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.  He serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Gainesville.  He previously served as Vice President of the Board Gainesville-Hall County Chamber of Commerce.  He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Georgia and his bachelor of law degree from the Atlanta Law School. Ellard and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children.

Georgia Board of Nursing

Susan Phillips Ayers, 50, LaGrange, GA, Registered Nurse Representative— Ayers is the Public Health Director of Nursing and Clinical Services for District Four Public Health Services, which covers a twelve-county area. She serves as a membership committee chair and executive board member for the Georgia Public Health Association, a facilitator for the GPHA Board of Health Institute and a mentor for the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health mentoring program. Ayers has been a member of the State Public Health Education Workforce Committee, the Special Needs Shelter Committee, and the Disaster/Red Cross Committee.  She has also served as a member of the State Nursing Council for Recruitment and Retention of Public Health Nurses and the State Nursing Executive Leadership Committee. She received her diploma of nursing from Coosa Valley Technical College, her associate's degree and bachelor's degree from LaGrange College and her master's degree from Emory University. Ayers and her husband, John, have two children and one grandchild.

Kellie R. Lockwood, 49, Willacoochee, GA, Registered Nurse Representative –Lockwood is the director and an instructor of the pharmacy technician program at East Central Technical College.  She is a registered nurse and has served as supervisor of home health aides for the Health Department of Home Care Services, an instructor at Ben Hill-Irwin Technical Institute, an industrial nurse at Joseph Campbell Company and director and instructor at South Georgia College.  She received her degree in nursing from Grady Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of the State of New York and her master's degree in nursing from Valdosta State University.  Lockwood and her husband, Charles, have five children.  

County and Municipal Probation Advisory Council

Steven D. Cronic, 47, Gainesville, GA, Sheriff Representative — Cronic serves as sheriff of Hall County.  He has served as an enforcement officer for the Georgia Department of Transportation, police officer for the city of Gainesville, investigator for the District Attorney's Office of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, a corporate security manager and a regional fraud supervisor.  Cronic received both his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and his master's degree in business administration from Brenau University.  He is a graduate of the Georgia Police Academy, the FBI National Academy, the National College of District Attorneys Major Crime School, the National College of District Attorneys Special Investigations School and the International Association of Arson Investigators' Arson Investigator School.  Cronic and his wife, Kathy, have two children.