Governor Kemp Names Seventeen Appointments to State Boards

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Thursday, September 19th, 2019

On September 17th, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced seventeen appointees to serve on various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

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Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority

Chy Kellogg has devoted the past three years to being an advocate for agriculture throughout Cobb County. It was when the Chicago native relocated to Georgia that she noticed a disconnect between consumers and producers. Since then, Kellogg has volunteered countless hours to educating students on sustainability and about where their food comes from.

Kellogg sits on the Board of Directors for the Cobb County Farm Bureau and the Georgia Farmers Market Association. She is a former member of the state committee of the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, and her hard work and dedication to Georgia agriculture have afforded her the opportunity to serve as a current member of the Georgia Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee.

Outside of conservation and agriculture work, she is the owner of SociallyChy, a digital marketing consulting company that serves small and medium businesses.

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State Forestry Commission

J. Chad Nimmer is the current owner of Suwanee Forest Products, co-owner of JCL Logging, and a procurement forester for Pierce Timber Company.

As a fourth generation Georgian and Pierce County resident, Nimmer has a passion for the outdoors and has dedicated his life to serving as a voice for Georgia's natural resources at the local, state, and national levels. Nimmer is a long-time board member of the Georgia Forestry Association, and he is a member of the Southeast Wood Producers Association, the Georgia Agribusiness Council, and the Georgia Cattleman's Association. From 2011 to 2019, Nimmer served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and held a multitude of leadership roles during his tenure.

Nimmer studied forestry at Okefenokee Technical College, formerly called Okefenokee Technical Institute. He is married to Amy, and they have four children: Gracie, J.C., Ava, and William. They reside on their family farm in Blackshear and attend Emmanuel Baptist Church.

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Sapelo Island Heritage Authority

Tracy Walker was reappointed.

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Veterans Services Board

Takosha Swan is the owner, president, and CEO of Business Women Consulting, LLC. She dedicated five years to honorable military service under the Army and the Georgia Army National Guard, and she also served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Kuwait and Iraq. Swan earned a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband, Master Sergeant Kenneth Swan, who is an active member of the Georgia Army National Guard, have three children together. The family resides in Conyers.

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Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission

Jerry Orlans serves as the president of RBC Benefits, Inc. in Roswell. He holds a degree in Finance from Wayne State University, and he has over thirty-five years of industry experience in employee benefits administration. Orlans served on the Roswell City Council and on the Board of Directors of North Fulton Regional Hospital. He and his wife have three children.

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Board of Corrections

Luis Manuel Solis Jr. is Chief Deputy of Operations for the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, and he previously served eleven years with the Braselton Police Department. His career also includes twenty years of military service in the U.S. Army’s Special Operations from which he retired as a U.S. Army Ranger. Solis is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Class #237 and the Georgia Law Enforcement Officer Command College at Columbus State University. He and his wife live in Dacula. They have three adult children and four grandchildren.

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Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board

Louise Hill, Angela Mackey, and Jonathan Taylor were reappointed.

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Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy

Dorothy Gaskin and Chad Whitfield were reappointed.

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Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

Boyd Austin was reappointed.

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Georgia Regional Transportation Authority

Richard "Dick" Anderson, William H. Tate Jr., and Bob Voyles were reappointed.

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Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Ellice Martin and Jean Sumner were reappointed.