Governor Perdue Announces Connell as Director of the Office of Planning and Budget

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue today announced the appointment of Timothy Connell to serve as Director of the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) and his intention to recommend William Tomlinson to serve as Interim Executive Director of the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA). John Leonard has been serving as the Interim Executive Director of SRTA and he will continue in his previous position as Deputy Director. Connell and Tomlinson will report directly to the state's Chief Financial Officer Tommy Hills.

"Tim Connell has impressed me with his sound understanding of the state budget since his first day as a member of my transition team," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "He will provide strong leadership for the Office of Planning and Budget."

The mission of the OPB is to improve state government operations and services by leading and assisting in the evaluation, development and implementation of budgets, plans, programs, and policies. OPB accomplishes this mission with leadership from the Governor and in cooperation with the General Assembly, state agencies, and other public and private organizations.

SRTA issues bonds for state transportation projects and governs the collection of tolls on one road (Georgia 400 Extension) and one causeway (F.J. Torras Causeway). The Georgia 400 Extension handles approximately 120,000 vehicles per day, while the Torras Causeway handles about 24,000 vehicles per day. For more information, please visit http://srta.georgia.gov.

"Bill Tomlinson's leadership experience in several state agencies uniquely qualifies him to direct the State Road and Tollway Authority," added Governor Perdue.

Brief biographies are provided below.

Timothy "Tim" A. Connell, 53, Norcross, GA - Connell is presently Deputy Chief Operating Officer in the Office of the Governor. Previously, Connell was on loan with Governor Perdue's Transition Team preparing critical budget documents for the state. Connell was formerly associated with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs involved with the Georgia Residential Finance Authority/Georgia Housing and Finance Authority directly responsible for strategic planning, federal and state legislative relations and marketing and public information among other responsibilities. Connell received a Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration from Georgia State University. He and his wife Carol have two daughters.

William M. Tomlinson, 61, Marietta, GA - Tomlinson is the current Director of the Office of Planning and Budget. His previous positions with OPB include Division Director of the Educational Development Division and financial policy analyst responsible for financial and policy analysis for various state agencies including the Georgia Student Finance Commission, State Board of Education, and State Board of Pardons and Paroles. He was also previously Executive Director of the Georgia Council on Vocational Education and Executive Assistant to Governor Joe Frank Harris. Tomlinson served as Executive Director for the Georgia Council on Vocational Education from 1991 to 1999. He is a member of the Special Education Task Force. Tomlinson served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1970 as Army Engineer Command in Frankfurt, Germany. Tomlinson holds an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University as well as graduate studies in Public Administration. He is a native of Douglas, Georgia, married and has two daughters.