Governor Perdue Announces Board Members for the Commission for a New Georgia

Key Business Leaders from Around Georgia to Study State Government

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue today announced the board members of the Commission for a New Georgia (Commission). Board members of the Commission, prominent Georgia business leaders representing the entire state, will form small, highly focused working groups to study various aspects of state government and make recommendations for reform. The Commission will hold its first official meeting at the Governor's Mansion on Friday, June 27, 2003.

"Our state is blessed with talented business leaders whose expertise is central to the Commission for a New Georgia," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "I am calling on some of our state's most prominent business leaders to study state government and recommend best practices from the private sector for greater efficiency and improved stewardship of taxpayer dollars."

Each task force will learn as much as possible about a specific issue, share best practices, and issue ideas for improvement. The creative ideas generated will be forwarded to the Governor, his Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for review and transfer to the appropriate agency or department with guidance for implementation.

"The work of the Commission is critical for Georgia to be one of the best managed states in the nation by 2007," added Governor Perdue.

In May, Governor Perdue asked two recognized Georgia business leaders to co-chair the Commission - Robert Hatcher, Georgia Chairman - Branch Banking and Trust and Joe W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer - Waffle House, Inc. Bill Todd, who has been an executive-on-loan to the Governor's staff, will serve as the Commission's executive director.

The board members of the Commission are as follows:

• Dan Amos - President and CEO, AFLAC, Inc.
• Arthur Blank - Chairman, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
• Robert L. Brown, Jr. - Robert L. Brown & Associates, Inc.
• Anna Cablik - President, Anatek, Inc.
• John Cay - Chairman and CEO, Palmer and Cay, Inc.
• Steve Heyer - President and COO, The Coca-Cola Company
• Bill Jones, III - Chairman and CEO, Sea Island Company
• Frank Jones - Retired Partner, King & Spalding
• Wyck Knox - Partner, Kilpatrick Stockton
• Dink NeSmith - President, Community Newspapers, Inc.
• Neal Purcell - Retired Partner, KPMG; Past Chairman of Georgia Chamber of Commerce
• David Ratcliffe - President and CEO, Georgia Power Company
• Robert Ratliff - CEO, AGCO, Inc.
• John Rice - President and CEO, G.E. Power Systems
• Ray Robinson - Vice-Chairman, East Lake Community Foundation; Formerly with AT&T, President of the Southern Region
• Paula Rosput - Chairman, President, and CEO, AGL Resources, Inc.
• Dr. Roy Rowland - Former U.S. Congressman from Georgia (8th Congressional District)
• Carl Swearingen - Chair of the Perdue Transition Team
• Rick Ussery - Chairman and CEO, TSYS
• Philip Wilheit - President, Wilheit Packaging, LLC