Kemp Appoints Nine to Commission for Service and Volunteerism

Governor Brian Kemp announced today his nine appointees to serve on the 25 member Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism.

The Department of Community Affairs’ website states that the commission “is a part of the GA Department of Community Affairs. Our mission is to promote service and volunteerism in Georgia through AmeriCorps national service grants, community volunteer recognition, and support of local volunteer organizations and efforts. We also serve as a pass through agency for funds from the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency located in Washington D.C.  The Georgia Legislature created the GCSV in 1994 in response to the National and Community Service Act passed by Congress in 1993. Our board consists of twenty five members appointed by the Governor.”

From a press release:

Today Governor Brian P. Kemp announced nine (9) appointees to serve on the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism.

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Ann Rosenthal is the president of ARC, Inc., a metro Atlanta based community affairs firm. She was the driving force behind the creation of the Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District and served as the organization’s first president for a total of four years, overseeing the creation and first phase of implementation of a comprehensive master plan for the community. A graduate of Leadership Georgia and Leadership DeKalb, Rosenthal maintains her strong professional and community connections through active involvement in a number of boards, organizations, and committees. She and her husband reside in Tucker.

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David Hamilton is the owner of The Hamilton Agency, an independent insurance agency in Athens. He serves on numerous local nonprofit boards of directors, including the Waseca Montessori School and the Interfaith Hospitality Network and Samaritan Counseling Center. Hamilton is also the past Georgia Options Board president. He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Athens since 2004, and he previously served as the club president from 2013-2014. Hamilton earned his bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Georgia in 1998. He and his wife, Sarah, have two sons.

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Ethan Pender is a student at the University of Georgia, where he studies political science and Spanish. At the university, he has been involved in the Student Government Association, where he serves as attorney general, administering all student elections. Pender has also been involved in Republican politics in Georgia, serving two terms as the chairman of the College Republicans at UGA. In this position, he connected students to contacts, resources, internships, and opportunities to spark students’ interests in public service and to further their goals of contributing to their communities. Originally from Rome, Georgia, he now resides in Athens while he finishes his education. Mr. Pender also holds a Public Affairs Professional Certificate in Applies Politics from UGA.

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June O’Neal is the executive director of The Mentors Project of Bibb County. She is a past board member for Loaves and Fishes, JUST CHILDREN, and the Fuller Center for Housing. O’Neal is currently the chairperson of the Macon Coalition to End Homelessness, and she is on the board of Career Women’s Network. Under her direction, the Mentors Project of Bibb County offers programs and services to at risk youth, including life skills classes, anger management, teen pregnancy prevention, drug awareness, financial literacy, community service opportunities, tutoring, and one-on-one mentoring. She and her husband of forty-two years, Hank, attend Martha Bowman United Methodist Church, and they have one daughter.

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Kristie Sharp serves as the manager of the Program Development Unit at the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Area Agency on Aging. In this capacity, she oversees ARC’s health education, volunteer services, and behavioral and physical health coaching programs and networks. Sharp has more than twenty-five years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating programs to build organizational, community, and individual capacity in a diverse array of settings and populations. She is an Atlanta native and a graduate of Georgia Tech.

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Matt Campbell serves as the Georgia Legislative Director for SMART Transportation Division. In 2016, he was named a Rising Star by Progressive Railroading Magazine, and he is a proud graduate of Kennesaw State University and a student of servant leadership. Campbell and his family attend Northpoint Community Church of Alpharetta and its new campus, East Cobb Church, where he serves on the guest services and parking team. This past summer, he and his daughter, Mary Kathryn, served at Lighthouse Family Retreat, which is an organization that strengthens families living through childhood cancer by offering a restorative retreat and helpful resources. He and his wife, Chrissy, were both raised in Richmond Hill, but they made East Cobb their home in 2013. The couple have three children: Tristan, Michael, and Mary Kathryn.

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Michael Smith is the executive director for the Greater Valdosta United Way, which covers five counties and partners with twenty nonprofits. He has more than fourteen years of experience in local community involvement, and he currently serves on numerous community, university, and nonprofit boards. Smith is also a small business owner whose focus is to bring business, government, faith organizations, and nonprofits together to improve lives in South Georgia. He and his wife of thirteen years are Valdosta natives, and he graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in business.

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Dr. Paul Matthews serves as the associate director of the University of Georgia Office of Service-Learning (OSL), and he has been on faculty at the university since 1994. He holds two degrees from the University of Georgia – a Ph.D. in Language Education and an A.B. in Area Studies. He also holds a M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Matthews was a Fulbright Fellow to the University of Passau in Germany, and he was also a 2019 Canterbury Visiting Fellow at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has been awarded numerous community and civic recognitions, including the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Services; Scouting’s District Award of Merit and Silver Beaver; Georgia TESOL’s Professional Service Award; and he was the Northeast Georgia Council’s sole inductee for the Boy Scouts of America 100th Anniversary National Hall of Leadership (2010). Dr. Matthews was presented the key to the City of Athens from Mayor Nancy Denson in 2018. He and his wife live in Athens, where he also plays Celtic music with other local musicians.

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Rosla G. Plant graduated from Columbus State University with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science. Plant retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Warm Spring Regional Fisheries Center, and her prior work experience included serving as a staff liaison for Congressman Richard Ray, as a radiologic technologist, and as a Meriwether County Commissioner from 1984-1986 and again from 2015-2016. She presently serves as the chair for the Meriwether County Industrial Development Board, and she continues to support civic duties through various opportunities. She and her husband, Mike, reside in Greenville.