Gov. Kemp Announces 34 Appointments to Boards, Authorities, and Commissions

Atlanta, GA - Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced 34 appointments and reappointments to various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

Board of Governors of the Georgia L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority

Natasha Bell, Brian Daniel, Glenn Hicks, Aaron McWhorter, Bill Russell, Doug Tollett, and Dexter Warrior were reappointed.

Omar Ali is an experienced business executive with over 20 years in global construction, economic development, and government contracting. He leads two firms focused on infrastructure development, federal and local contracting, and construction management, including work on projects tied to national security and public-sector priorities. His areas of expertise include strategic planning, real estate development, steel manufacturing, and small business inclusion. He has worked extensively with government agencies and private-sector partners to deliver complex projects, and he remains active in supporting minority-owned business growth and workforce development. Ali serves on the Georgia State Board of General and Residential Contractors as a gubernatorial appointee and advises the State of Georgia Minority Business Board. He is a board member of the Steel Institute of Development and Growth and the Georgia Council for International Visitors. He is a former executive board member of Kennesaw State University's Construction Industry Advisory Board and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense as a speaker on manufacturing and procurement policy. He holds a bachelor's degree in business with a concentration in business law from Middle Tennessee State University.

Butch Miller previously served in the Georgia State Senate representing the 49th District, which includes most of Hall County. He served as Senate President Pro Tempore from 2018 through 2022, presiding over the chamber in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor and overseeing its administrative operations. During his tenure, he chaired the Senate Administrative Affairs Committee and served on key committees including Appropriations, Banking and Financial Institutions, Ethics, Finance, MARTOC, Reapportionment and Redistricting, and Regulated Industries and Utilities. He has also held leadership positions in the automobile industry, including chair of the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association Board, president of the North Georgia Honda Dealers, and member of the American Honda Motor Company National Dealers Advisory Board. A Buford native, Miller co-owns Milton Martin Honda in Gainesville, which has grown into one of Georgia's leading dealerships. He has been engaged in community service organizations including Gainesville Rotary, Meals on Wheels, Eagle Ranch, and the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Foundation. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award and the Georgia Rotary Four-Way Test Award. He and his wife, Teresa, are members of Lakewood Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. They are the parents of three sons, Carey, Charlie, and the late Cole.

MARTA Board of Directors

Ryan Loke is the Chief Health Policy Officer for Grady Health System. Loke joined Grady in 2022, having previously served as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Health Policy Officer at the Georgia Department of Community Health where he oversaw the operations of Georgia's Medicaid and State Health Benefit Plan programs. Prior to the department, he served in various roles in state government including as Deputy Chief Operating Officer, overseeing more than a dozen Georgia state agencies, primarily focused on healthcare and human services. At Grady, he is responsible for managing the vital relationships between Grady and its government partners. Loke earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia and his Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. He is a graduate of the Leadership DeKalb Class of 2023 and serves on the Board of Leadership DeKalb. He is also a member of the Georgia Board of Nursing. Loke and his family live in Atlanta with their dog, Franklin.

State Ethics Commission

Dana Garrett Diment has been an active member of the Georgia Bar since 1982. A native of Carrollton, Diment received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Georgia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University. Diment began her legal career in Atlanta as a commercial litigation attorney with Smith, Gambrell & Russell, becoming a partner in 1989. Upon returning to Carrollton, she continued in private practice, focusing on commercial litigation in the areas of insurance, real estate, and construction. She was appointed a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia and a Superior Court Special Master with respect to real estate matters. Diment is licensed to practice law in all state and federal courts in Georgia, as well as in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. As an attorney, Diment has maintained an AV (highest) peer review rating for legal ability and ethics, and she has been named a Super Lawyer. In 2017, Diment was named General Counsel of Ra-Lin & Associates, Inc., a regional construction company with headquarters in Carrollton. She retired in July 2025. In addition to her professional career, Diment has been active in civic and community affairs. She helped organize and served as a member of the initial Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of West Georgia. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the West Georgia Domestic Violence Shelter, the West Georgia Regional Education Service Agency (RESA), the Carrollton Downtown Main Street Advisory Board, and the Local Advisory Board for BB&T Bank. Diment is an active member of Community First United Methodist Church in Carrollton, where she serves as a Trustee and member of the executive leadership board. She is married to Richard Diment, and they have four children and two grandchildren.

Board of Commissioners of the Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund of Georgia

Ronney L. Bowen, III; Chase Daughtrey; Mike Greene; Annie Holder; and Bruce Wright were reappointed.

Board of Trustees of the Georgia Judicial Retirement System of Georgia

Ellen Golden and Holly Veal were reappointed.

Georgia Composite Medical Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists

Tommy Black was reappointed.

Andrea Meyer Stinson is Director of Workforce Strategy & Initiatives for the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative Program, where she leads statewide efforts to expand Georgia's licensed mental health workforce and address barriers to licensure and service access. She has worked in clinical, academic, and leadership roles for more than 20 years, with a focus on behavioral health, trauma-informed care, and systems-level workforce development. Dr. Meyer Stinson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. She previously served as a professor in Mercer University's School of Medicine, where she taught in the Master of Family Therapy program. She is the former president of the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a past board member of Resilient Georgia. She co-founded Resilient Middle Georgia to promote awareness of Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) and expand trauma-informed practices across a 14-county region. Dr. Meyer Stinson holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University, a master's degree from Purdue University, and two bachelor's degrees from the University of Georgia.

Georgia Seed Development Commission

Kent Fountain was reappointed.

Jaimie Allen is President and co-owner of Pike Creek Turf, located in Adel, Georgia. A native of Tifton, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Georgia after completing his undergraduate studies at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Allen established Pike Creek Turf in 1989, which serves the Southeast golf market and the international golf course industry, producing five public-release turfgrasses and nine proprietary licensed varieties, including the University of Georgia's TifGrand, TifTuf, TifEagle, and Tif3D cultivars. Pike Creek leads U.S. production and distribution of TifEagle and Platinum TE Seashore Paspalum. Allen is a charter member of the Georgia Sod Producers Association and has served on its board since its founding. He currently serves as an officer for both the TifEagle and Tif3D Growers Associations and has held multiple board terms with the Georgia Crop Improvement Association. He also serves on the advisory committee for the Georgia Seed Development Commission. He and his wife, Lynne, reside in Adel and have two daughters and one grandson.

Board of Directors of the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority

Elizabeth Reynolds is the Senior Director of Government Affairs for AT&T Georgia. In her role, Reynolds drives the company's legislative and regulatory strategy and represents AT&T before the Executive Branch, the General Assembly, and the Public Service Commission. She is respected for her integrity and proven ability to deliver results on critical public policies impacting Georgia communities. Reynolds' leadership extends to key organizations shaping Georgia's business and civic community, including the Georgia 4-H Foundation Board, the Georgia 811 Board, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Government Affairs Council. Elizabeth is also a proud graduate of Leadership Georgia. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Reynolds is an alumna of the University of South Carolina Honors College. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and their two daughters, and they are members of the Cathedral of Christ the King church.

Sexual Offender Risk Review Board

James Chafin was reappointed.

Georgia Council for the Arts

Kelly Layton is a freelance graphic designer, creating design work for businesses, individuals and non-profits. She currently serves on the advisory board of the University of Georgia's Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. In 2023, she endowed the Layton Design Studio at the University of Georgia, a new student-led graphic design agency within the Lamar Dodd School of Art that provides real-world experiences for students to work on projects for clients in the community. She began her career with Bellsouth/AT&T, and while living for a period of time in Missouri, she served as marketing chair for The Woman's Exchange, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering others to lead financially productive and stable lives through work in retail, restaurant and artisan work training programs. Kelly and her husband Brent spend their time between Atlanta and Saint Simons Island, Georgia.

Erosion and Sediment Control Overview Council

Isaaq Drumgoole is an environmental and water quality professional with over a decade of experience in regulatory compliance, stormwater management, and environmental permitting. He currently serves as a Senior Environmental Specialist with Georgia Power Company, where he provides regulatory guidance and oversees stormwater permitting and compliance for infrastructure projects across generation, transmission, and renewable energy facilities. Prior to his current role, Drumgoole held multiple environmental compliance roles at Georgia Power, including Senior Environmental Analyst and Senior Compliance Specialist at Plant Bowen. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Lead for Stormwater and Green Infrastructure with the City of Atlanta and as an Environmental Water Technician with Fulton County Government. Drumgoole holds a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health from Fort Valley State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Savannah State University. He maintains certifications in EPA Method 9 and 40-Hour HAZWOPER training.

Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board

John Smithmyer is a Certified Residential Appraiser and respected instructor with extensive experience in appraisal education, regulatory compliance, and forensic review. He serves as Director of the Georgia Appraiser School, where he develops and delivers coursework approved by the Georgia and South Carolina Real Estate Appraiser Boards. He is also a certified USPAP instructor and licensed appraisal educator in both states. Smithmyer leads Smithmyer & Associates, a consulting practice focused on forensic appraisal review and expert witness services. Earlier in his career, Smithmyer held leadership roles in engineering and software development, managing technical projects for organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense, MARTA, and Disney. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh and has previously served as a Certified Hearing Officer for the Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board.

Capitol Arts Standards Commission

Rachel Dodsworth, Kerry Dyer, and Marty Smith were reappointed.

State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

Taylor Wright was reappointed.

Ricky Dozier serves as Partner and Principal-in-Charge at Newcomb & Boyd, where he brings over two decades of experience in electrical engineering, sustainable design, and project management. A licensed professional engineer in Georgia and 14 other states, he has led the design and execution of more than 400 large-scale projects totaling over 32 million square feet and $5.3 billion in construction value. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in electrical engineering, he began at the firm as a co-op student in 2004 before joining full-time. His portfolio includes major public and private projects such as the Georgia Tech Price Gilbert Library and Crosland Tower renovation, the University of Georgia Interdisciplinary STEM Research Buildings, and the Kimpton Shane Hotel in Midtown Atlanta. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

Georgia Board of Massage Therapy

Tiffany Henderson is a licensed massage therapist with over 15 years of hands-on experience in therapeutic bodywork, clinical instruction, and neuromuscular rehabilitation. She currently provides customized massage therapy services at At Ease Spa and Bellezza Salon in Warner Robins. Henderson previously served as an instructor and clinic coordinator at American Professional Institute in Macon and as an adjunct faculty member at Sanford-Brown College in Atlanta, where she trained and mentored aspiring massage therapy professionals. Her clinical background also includes work with Lokey Chiropractic and extensive experience integrating massage into chiropractic care and pain management plans. She holds certifications in neuromuscular therapy, pregnancy massage, trigger point therapy, and CPR. Henderson studied at Macon State College and earned her massage therapy diploma from American Professional Institute.

State Board of Funeral Service

Shanna Jackson Sheats was reappointed.