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Lt. Governor's Staff

OFFICE STAFF

• Bart Gobeil, Chief of Staff - Bart most recently served as the Director of Government Relations at AGL Resources, an Atlanta based natural gas company. Prior to joining AGL Resources, Gobeil served as the Legislative Liaison and Public Information Officer for the Georgia Public Service Commission. Before that, he worked on the staff of the late Senator Paul Coverdell, first as southeast Georgia regional representative and later as Legislative Assistant in the Washington, DC office. Gobeil is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

• Russel Carlson, Deputy Chief of Staff – Russel served as political director for Cagle’s Lt. Governor campaign and as deputy chief of staff for the transition office. He also brings previous political experience from campaigns in Mississippi and Kentucky. Russel is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

• Amanda Cook, Constituent Services Coordinator- Amanda began her career at the state level, serving in Governor Perdue’s Policy Office and the Office of Workforce Development. After working with the Governor’s office, she joined GeorgiaLink, a public affairs group located in Atlanta for the 2008 Legislative Session. Amanda is a graduate of Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

• Cheryl Germany, Office Manager – Cheryl was a Legislative Secretary with the State Senate for 10 years before joining the Lt. Governor's office. During that time she served in several capacities, working for Sen. Renee Unterman and most recently in the office of Sen. Mitch Seabaugh. Cheryl has received her CPS Certification and is a graduate of Clayton State University.

• Jaillene Hunter, Communications Director – Jaillene comes to the Lt. Governor’s office after four years in Washington DC, most recently as press secretary for Congressman Dave Weldon of Florida. She also served as deputy press secretary for Georgia Congressman Max Burns and has worked with the Committee on House Administration. Jaillene is a graduate of Taylor University in Indiana.

• Brian A. Knight, Policy Analyst - Brian joins the Lt. Governor's staff with several years of legislative experience with the Georgia State Senate. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Public Policy.

• Matt Markham, Senior Policy Advisor – Matt served on the campaign for Lt. Governor and directed communications for the Lt. Governor’s transition office. His previous political experience includes work in the office of Senator Paul Coverdell in Washington, D.C. Matt is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and Georgia State University.

• Irene Munn, Legislative Counsel/Policy Director – Irene Munn comes to the Lt. Governor’s office with 18 years of political and legal experience, most recently as an Assistant District Attorney for Douglas County. In that role she also served as legislative advisor to the Georgia District Attorneys’ Association. She has also served as director of Public Affairs for the Georgia Sheriffs Association. Irene is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Georgia State University College of Law.

• Evelyn Thomas, Personal Assistant/Scheduler - Evelyn served in the capacity of legislative assistant to Senator Mitch Seabaugh and Senator Dan Moody prior to joining the Lt. Governor's staff. Evelyn came to the State Senate with extensive Experience in corporate executive level administrative support and strong communication, organizational and interpersonal skills. She serves actively in her church and community organizations. Evelyn attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN and studied speech and communication.

FIELD STAFF

In order to be more easily accessible to citizens throughout Georgia, the Lt. Governor's office has two field representatives serving the state outside the metro Atlanta area. These field representatives attend events and meetings on behalf of the Lt. Governor and are available to assist with issues pertaining to their regions.

• George Lee, South Georgia Field Representative (404) 831-1247 –George joins the staff after a long and distinguished career with UGA’s Cooperative Extension Service. He retired as a 4-H program development coordinator and currently lives in Tifton. George represents the Lt. Governor in all of central and south Georgia, including the Georgia coast.

• Dennis Pitts, North Georgia Field Representative and Job Advocate (404) 290-5550 - Dennis joins the staff after a successful business career, retiring as President and CFO of Minit Save Food Stores and Pitts Management Group. He is also a former Hall County Commissioner and currently lives in Braselton. Dennis represents the Lt. Governor in all of north and east Georgia, including Athens, Augusta and parts of central Georgia.