Atlanta — Jan 23, 2019
The Atlanta Regional Commission today announced that two newly-elected county commission chairs and one new citizen member have joined the ARC board.
The new board members are Harry Johnston, chairman of the Cherokee County Commission; Randy Ognio, chairman of the Fayette County Commission; and Bucky Johnson, former mayor of Norcross. Johnson will represent Citizen District 10, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
The three new board members join 21 other elected officials, 14 other citizen members, and a representative from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs on the board. Elections for two more of the 15 citizen members will be held in the coming months to round out the board’s membership.
“We’re excited to have these leaders bring their insights and perspective to the ARC board and help our efforts to improve quality of life in metro Atlanta,” said ARC board chairman Kerry Armstrong. “We’ve got a busy year ahead working to ensure that metro Atlanta remains one of the nation’s most vibrant, dynamic regions.”
Key 2019 initiatives at ARC include:
- Updating the Atlanta Region’s Plan, metro Atlanta’s long-range blueprint that details the investments needed to secure the region’s future success.
- Developing a community outreach initiative for WorkSource Atlanta Regional, which provides a range of services to meet the needs of today’s job-seekers and employers.
- Modernize the Livable Centers Initiative to be more responsive to the region’s future challenges while also providing direct planning and implementation assistance to local governments.
The ARC board also made officer and committee appointments. The officers will remain the same as last year:
- Chair: Kerry Armstrong, citizen member, District 9
- Vice-chair: Rochelle Robinson, mayor, Douglasville
- Secretary: Charlotte Nash, chair, Gwinnett County Commission
- Treasurer: Bob Reeves, citizen member, District 3
- Parliamentarian: Julie K. Arnold, citizen member, District 12
ARC board committee chairs for 2019 are:
- Aging & Health Resources: Clark Boddie, mayor, Palmetto
- Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board: Eddie Ausband, citizen member, DeKalb/Henry counties
- Budget & Audit Review: Bob Reeves, citizen member, Fayette/Fulton counties
- Community Resources: Mark Mathews, citizen member, Cobb County
- Ethics: Charlotte Nash, chair, Gwinnett County
- Governance: Mike Boyce, chair, Cobb County
- Regional Transit: Jeff Turner, chair, Clayton County
- Strategic Relations: Eric Dial, mayor, Tyrone
- Transportation & Air Quality: Mike Houchard, citizen member, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale counties
- Water Planning District Board: Charlotte Nash, chair, Gwinnett County
The 39-member ARC Board consists of the county commission chair from each of the 10 member counties, the mayor and a council member from the city of Atlanta, and a mayor from each of the 10 counties with the exception of Fulton, which has two mayoral representatives, one from North Fulton and one from South Fulton. The board also includes 15 citizen members selected by the board’s elected officials and a representative from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 73 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues.
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Contact Name: Jim Jaquish
Contact Phone: (404) 463-3194 Cell: (404) 323-5634
Contact Email: jjaquish@atlantaregional.org