Georgia County Government - December 2008 - (Page 21)

Meet the ACCG Policy Staff Todd Edwards, Associate Legislative Director for Natural Resources and Environment Todd Edwards has served as Associate Legislative Director for Nat u ra l Resou rces a nd Environment with ACCG since August 2004. In this capacity, Todd facilitates the development of ACCG’s environmental policy in coordination with Georgia counties, staffs ACCG’s Natural Resources and Environment Commit tee a nd lobbies t he county government position on key environmental legislation before the General Assembly, state agencies and various other groups. His issues include, but are not limited to Water Policy, Water and Sewer Utilities, Erosion and Sedimentation, Energy, Air Quality, Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management and Land Use and Zoning. Prior to accepting his current position with ACCG, Edwards worked for seven years as a regional representative for the Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments, where he staffed the group’s Human Services and Public Safety Committee, Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and Energy and Environment Committee and performed policy research and analysis for 16 Southern state legislatures in these areas. He has also worked in the personnel department for Athens-Clarke County and served numerous internships in Washington, D.C. Edwards, a native Georgian, earned his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from The University of Georgia and his B.A. in political science and history at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Matthew Hicks, Associate Legislative Director for Economic Development and Transportation As As s ociate L eg islat ive Director for Economic Development and Transportation with ACCG, Matthew Hicks facilitates the development of the association’s transportation and economic development policy. While with ACCG, Matthew has authored several articles on legislative issues, successfully lobbied for an effective annexation dispute resolution process and the creation of a State Transportation Infrastructure Bank, and helped form the Get Georgia Moving Coalition, an alliance of more than 60 groups of Georgia business and government leaders, transit advocates, road builders and environmentalists dedicated to achieving transportation funding solutions. Prior to joinPOLICY STAFF continued on page 22 DECEMBER 2008 www.accg.org Clint Mueller, Legislative Director ACCG Legislative Director Clint Mueller plays an essential leadership role within the association, serving as a liaison between counties and state agencies and directing the efforts and initiatives of the organization’s primary legislative staff. In a legislative advocacy capacity, working closely with members of the General Assembly, Mueller has played an integral roll in passing many key pieces of legislation in the interest of county government, including legislation on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), Tax Allocation Districts, Conservation Use Assessment, Brownfield Remediation and Infrastructure Development Districts. Mueller is also responsible for conducting research on state and federal policy issues and analyzing and interpreting their potential impacts on county government. An accomplished author on the subject of local government issues, Mueller wrote ACCG’s Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (SPLOST) guide, the Public Safety Chapter of the County Commissioners Handbook, and a video on property taxes. Before serving as ACCG Legislative Director, Mueller served as the organization’s Assistant Director of Financial & Management Services and Assistant Legislative Director, respectively. An active participant in several professional associations, Mueller is a member of the Georgia City/County Managers Association, Georgia Government Finance Officers Association, Georgia Association of Assessing Officials and a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute and member of the Regional Atlanta Civic League. Mueller earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Justice Studies and a minor in Psychology and Sociology at Georgia Southern University. Subsequently, he went on to complete a Masters of Public Administration degree at the University of Georgia. 21 http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government - December 2008

Georgia County Government - December 2008 Contents President's Message County Matters 2009 Legislative Forecast: ACCG's Platform for the Coming Legislative Session ACCG Policy Staff 2008 Legislative Awards Honor Georgia Lawmakers Cell Towers and Local Governments Oglethorpe Power Plans Biomass Electric Facilities Georgia's Grand Old Courthouses: Dawson County Extension News: Biofuels Development Research Corner: Implementing a Record Retention Policy County Parade Index of Advertisers/Advertiser.com

Georgia County Government - December 2008

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