Gov. Nathan Deal announced the appointment of the Honorable Clyde L. Reese III, Esq. to the Georgia Court of Appeals. Reese will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Herbert E. Phipps. The appointment will take effect on Dec. 1.

“Commissioner Reese’s extensive legal experience in both the public and private sectors make him the ideal candidate to join the Georgia Court of Appeals,” said Deal. “He has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the well-being of Georgia’s citizens while running one of Georgia’s largest state agencies. Commissioner Reese also showed remarkable capabilities in implementing state law when he worked in the attorney general’s office. I am confident that his knowledge and experience will make him a true asset for the Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia law for many years to come.”

Clyde L. Reese III, Esq.

Reese is the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health. He was previously an assistant attorney general for the state of Georgia and general counsel for the State Health Planning Agency. Reese practiced health care regulatory law in the private sector from 2003 through 2007. He returned to state government in 2007 as the executive director of the Division of Health Planning at DCH. Reese was commissioner of DCH in 2010 prior to serving as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services from 2011 through 2013. He specializes in health care regulatory and administrative law. Reese earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a law degree from Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He has five children and resides in Douglasville.