MPA Advisory Board

Front row: Heather Alhadeff, Charles Hammonds, Alphonse Davis, Katherine Sherrington, Jesse Flowers, Denise Holmes

Rear row: Kevin Fillion, Jim Lyle, Rick Reinhard, Dana Russell, Jerry Griffin, Rebecca Polizzotto

Not pictured: Michael Bell, Sonya Carter, Jim Higdon, Ann O'Connor, John O'Kane, Bob Regus

Clockwise: Heather Alhadeff, Michael Bell, Alphonse Davis, Charles Hammonds, Jim Lyle, Rick Reinhard, Dana Russell, Katherine Sherrington, Rebecca Polizzotto, Jesse Flowers, Jerry Griffin, Kevin Fillion, Denise Holmes

MPA Advisory Board Members, 2002-2004

Heather Alhadeff, AICP, is Director, Downtown Transportations Management Association of Central Atlanta Progress. Prior to this position, Heather served as Senior Planner for the Transportation Planning Division of the Atlanta Regional Commission. She has also served as Community Planner for the Federal Highway Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation, performing Federal oversight, conducting Transportation Planning Process Reviews, and providing technical assistance and advice for MPOs throughout Georgia. And, she worked at the Atlanta City Council to focus efforts and plan for non-motorized transportation options in Atlanta. Her first "official" Planning job was at the Midtown Alliance, which she landed through the DPAUS internship program. Heather is a native Atlantan who received her B.S. in Urban Policy Studies followed by her MCP from Georgia Tech in May 2000.

Michael Bell, RETIRED BOARD MEMBER, is Director of Finance for DeKalb County, Georgia. He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of the City of Atlanta for four years under former Mayor Maynard Jackson as well as current Mayor Bill Campbell. Additionally, Dr. Bell was appointed Chief of Staff for Fulton County Georgia under Mitch Skandalakis. Dr. Bell has experience in the investment banking industry where he worked for over a decade. He is a graduate of the University of Southwest Louisiana and holds a D.P.A. from the University of Georgia.

Sonya Carter, RETIRED BOARD MEMBER, has also retired from her service as Chief Administrative Officer for Union City, Georgia, where she was employed for almost three decades.

Alphonse Davis is Field Office Manager at the U.S. General Accounting Office in the Atlanta Office. He joined the GAO in Atlanta in 1973 as a Management Auditor moving up in the organization to Supervisory Auditor in 1983 and to Audit Manager in 1988. During these years, he contributed significantly to GAO reviews of the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, Air Force development and procurement of electronic warfare systems and test equipment, DOD military Professional Education programs, and DOD military training safety. Al is a Certified Governmental Financial Manager (CGFM), and a member of the Association of Governmental Accountants and the Southeastern Intergovernmental Audit Forum. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of South Alabama in 1973, with a B.S. degree in Accounting and Finance and a minor in Economics. Also, he completed further studies in Accounting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as well as courses in Administration of Public Policy and Management Development at the Office of Personnel Management's Executive Seminar Center.

Kevin Fillion is Director of the Georgia Senate Budget Office. Previously, Kevin served as Director of the Budgetary Responsibility Oversight Committee (BROC) of the Georgia General Assembly. The focus of Kevin's work remains to provide budget and policy analysis support to our state's legislators. Kevin holds a B.B.A in Decision Sciences and a MPA from Georgia State University.

Jesse J. Flowers, RETIRED BOARD MEMBER, has also retired from his service as the Atlanta Regional Inspector General for the Office of Evaluation and Inspections, Office of Inspector General. Before joining the Office of Evaluation and Inspections, Mr. Flowers served 22 years with the U.S. General Accounting Office. As an Audit Manager with GAO, he led audits on Health and Human Services, Defense, Agriculture, and Natural Resource programs. During the Viet Nam war, he served in the U.S. Navy on board a nuclear submarine. Jesse earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration at Georgia State University.

Jerry Griffin is Executive Director of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

Charles A. Hammonds is Public Works Director for the City of Decatur, Georgia. Mr. Hammonds has held the position since 1991. The department is responsible for solid waste collection and disposal, street cleaning, recycling, fleet maintenance and the central warehouse. Recent programmatic emphases have included compliance with the Georgia Comprehensive Solid Waste Act (solid waste and recycling), establishing a street sweeping schedule, preventive maintenance (motor maintenance) and inventory control. Mr. Hammonds is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and holds the MPA degree from Georgia State University.

Jim Higdon is Executive Director of the Georgia Municipal Association. The GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization made up of 483 member cities, nearly 100 percent of Georgia's municipal governments. As Executive Director, Higdon oversees the lobbying efforts on behalf of Georgia's cities as well as educational programs, communications, technical services and employee benefit services. He began his state government career in 1970 under Jimmy Carter, when he was appointed Director of the State Crime Commission. In 1980, Governor George Busbee appointed Jim to Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). He has also served in the administrations of Governors Joe Frank Harris, Zell Miller and Roy Barnes. Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia.

Denise D. Holmes is Staff Development Coordinator with the Performance Audit Operations Division of the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts. Her duties include recruiting, developing training, creating and implementing personnel policy, and coordinating continuing professional education. Prior to her work at Audits, she was a Human Resource Manager for an international print graphics organization (Schawk, Inc.) and a Manager of Recruiting and Training with Donnelly Communications, Inc. Denise has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication (Interpersonal/Organizational Comm) from GSU. She is a member of the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers and the Atlanta Human Resources Association.

Jim Lyle is Chief Executive Officer of Georgia Public Broadcasting. GPB oversees the operations of the Atlanta-based, nine-station GPTV network, the 14-station Georgia Public Radio network and PeachStar Education Services, Georgia's satellite-based, distance learning network. Before joining GPB, Mr. Lyle held several managerial and leadership positions with Georgia's Department of Administrative Services, eventually rising to the position of Deputy Commissioner. His last assignment with DOAS was Director of Business Improvement, charged with reviewing trends in private industry to identify best practices for use by state agencies. Before working for DOAS, Mr. Lyle worked with the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and the Georgia Department of Human Resources. Extremely active professionally and in the community, Mr. Lyle received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from GSU and returned later to complete the MPA degree.

Ann O'Connor currently serves as the Atlanta Regional Inspector General for the evaluation office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her office prepares national evaluation reports on the effectiveness and efficiency of health care programs (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid), bioterrorism, foster care, child support enforcement and other federal social service programs. Prior to this position, she was the Assistant Director for the evaluation office of the Inspector General at the Department of Justice preparing national reports on immigration and law enforcement issues. For 10 years, Ann worked as a program analyst and team leader in the Washington, D.C., headquarters and the Chicago regional office of the Health and Human Services, Inspector General. She also spent time at the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Transportation helping them establish an evaluation office. Her undergraduate degree was in political science and she completed her M.P.A. degree at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, while working full-time. Her federal career began as an intern at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an undergraduate.

John F. O'Kane is senior vice president and campaign director at Coxe Curry & Associates. In over thirty years of work with the not-for-profit sector, he has had experience with personnel management, organizational development, training, consulting, and fund raising. John works with a variety of fund-raising clients: churches, health and human service organizations, schools and groups representing civic concerns. A representative list of clients includes Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, Callaway Gardens, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Metro Atlanta YMCA, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, St. Ignatius House, Saint Joseph's Hospital, The Salvation Army, and Trinity Presbyterian Church. John is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive who has earned a master's degree in social work from Washington University and a BA from Marian College.

Bob Regus is City Administrator of Alpharetta, Georgia. Prior to his service in Alpharetta, Bob worked for Fulton County Government for almost 24 years. He spent 3 years in the tax office, 9 in the budget office, and 12 in the County Manager's Office, the last 3½ as County Manager. Bob received his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree of Public Administration from Georgia State.

Rick Reinhard, retired head of Central Atlanta Progress, is now Principal Consultant with the Niagara Consulting Group.  Rick began his career as a newspaper reporter in his hometown of Syracuse. He has managed economic development organizations in Houston, Richmond, Virginia, and Buffalo, New York. Also, Rick has served as chief of staff to the mayor of the City of Buffalo and as chief operating officer of a real estate development corporation in based in Toronto. Rick has taught public administration courses and still lectures frequently at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.  He also serves on numerous boards locally. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Business and Public Management degree from Rice University. Rick was a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Dana R. Russell is Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Administrative Services. Prior to his appointment to this position by Governor Barnes, he served as Commissioner of the Georgia Merit System of Personnel Administration. Before joining the Georgia Merit System, Commissioner Russell served as a policy analyst with the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget for eight years. He began his public service with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Commissioner Russell received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Presbyterian College in 1984 and a MPA from Georgia State University in 1987. At GSU, he was inducted as a charter member of Pi Alpha Alpha, an honorary society for graduates in public affairs and administration. Commissioner Russell currently serves as president of the National Association of Chief Administrators.

Katherine Sherrington is Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner, having served in this position since first elected in 1984. Prior to her election, she spent 12 years in the accounting field. In addition to her work on behalf of Gwinnett taxpayers, Katherine has experience working with a broad range of professional groups, including the Tax Commissioner's Technology Development Council, the Georgia Association of Tax Officials, the International Association of Assessing Officials, the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, the American Society for Quality Control and the American Society for Public Administration. A recognized leader in public service, her outreach to the public extends to the Duluth Rotary Club, Leadership Gwinnett, the Gwinnett Children's Shelter Board and Gwinnett Technical Institute Council of Advisors among other affiliations. Katherine earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and holds a M.P.A. degree from Georgia State University.

Rebecca Polizzotto is City Manager of Conyers, Georgia. Rebecca began her career with the City in 1984, serving as an officer for the Conyers Police Department while pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Emory University. She earned a MPA Degree from GSU while simultaneously serving as Conyers' Chief Financial Officer; and was appointed City Manager in 1997 after serving as Conyers' Chief Operating Officer for three years. She was selected to attend Harvard University in 2000 for an intensive study of public administration - the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Executive Education Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Governments. Currently, she is attending Georgia State University School of Law.