Governor Perdue Announces Appointments to Board of Technical and Adult Education

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today three appointments and two reappointments to the Board of Technical and Adult Education.

Ben Copeland of Lakeland, GA was appointed to represent the First Congressional District, Cedric Johnson of Augusta, GA was appointed to represent the Twelfth Congressional District, and Ty Rakestraw of Dallas, GA was appointed to represent the Seventh Congressional District.

Rhubarb Jones of Marietta, GA was reappointed to represent the Sixth Congressional District and Jimmy Tallent of Blairsville, GA was reappointed to serve as a member at-large.

Brief biographies are provided below.

Board of Technical and Adult Education

Ben I. Copeland, Sr., 59, Lakeland, GA, First Congressional District - Copeland served as President of Turfgrass Producers International and was named Volunteer of the Year for 2002 for Technical Colleges in the State of Georgia. Copeland is a current member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Executive Board Alapaha Area Council Boy Scouts of America and a former City Councilman of the City of Lakeland, Georgia. Copeland attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and received his degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Tennessee's Department of Conservation. Copeland and his wife, LaVonne, have two children and six grandchildren.

Cedric J. Johnson, 45, Augusta, GA, Twelfth Congressional District - Johnson is currently the Vice President of First Bank of Georgia. Previously, he was Vice President and Branch Manager of Regions Bank/Allied Bank. Johnson is a member of the Augusta Aviation Commission, Board of Directors for Doctor's Hospital, Chairman of the Work Force Investment Board, among others. Johnson received his B.S. in Business Administration from Morehouse College. Johnson and his wife, Vicki, have two children, Patrick and Danielle.

Warren "Rhubarb" Jones, 52, Marietta, GA, Sixth Congressional District - Jones is currently the host of the morning show at Eagle 106.7 in Atlanta. Jones is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Country Music Association and current member of the Academy of Country Music. He also serves on the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Music Advisory Committee. Jones received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Speech and Art from the State University of West Georgia. Jones and his wife, Donna, enjoy riding Harley-Davidsons in the North Georgia Mountains.

Tyre "Ty" Louis Rakestraw, Jr., 55, Dallas, GA, Seventh Congressional District - Rakestraw is currently the Technology/Career Education Director for the Paulding County Board of Education. Rakestraw is a former Vocational Counselor and Supervisor at Paulding County High School and is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Paulding County PTA. He is retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Rakestraw holds a B.A. in Biology from West Georgia College as well as his Masters Degree in Counseling. Rakestraw and his wife, Doris, have four daughters.

Jimmy Carl Tallent, 51, Blairsville, GA, At Large - Tallent is President of United Community Bank in Blairsville. Prior to that position, he served as Senior Vice President of Fidelity Bank in Atlanta. Tallent is Charter President of the Union County Rotary Club as well as a member of the Advisory Board of Young Harris College. Tallent is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Young Harris. Tallent attended Young Harris College and Piedmont College.