Athens-Clarke County Transportation and Public Works Director Drew Raessler has resigned effective June 18, 2019 to accept a position as the Deputy Director of the Cobb County Department of Transportation in metro Atlanta. In this new position, he will be responsible for managing the Engineering, Traffic Operations, and Road Maintenance Divisions. Raessler has served as the ACC Transportation and Public Works Director since September 2016.

"My family has loved becoming part of the Athens community," said Raessler, "and it has been an honor to work with the dedicated staff in Transportation and Public Works and the Unified Government. ACCGOV is fortunate to have a team that is committed to serving the citizens, fostering innovation, and managing resources effectively. I will miss working with this great organization."

"Drew's leadership has been invaluable as a department director in helping this community undergo major transportation changes," said Williams. "He has helped plan for and implement the first voter-approved TSPLOST for the community, substantially improved our community's road maintenance cycle, and guided a process to fully evaluate our stormwater management, among many other initiatives. Although he will be missed, he has positioned us well with a strong foundation for the future of transportation and stormwater systems in Athens-Clarke County."

Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams has appointed Frank Stephens, currently the Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department Director, to serve as the Transportation & Public Works Department Interim Director until a permanent replacement is named after a national search. Assistant Public Utilities Department Director Glenn Coleman, a 40-year veteran of the department, will serve as Public Utilities Interim Director while Stephen serves in the Transportation and Public Works Interim Director role.

"Frank is a wonderful manager of people and a great communicator, attributes that serve him well as a technically-trained director," said Williams. "Coupled with strong employee knowledge and ability within the Transportation and Public Works Department, I am confident the department will function highly during this transition period."