Bulloch County Commissioner Jan Tankersley was recently named the 2009-10 president of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) by Secretary of State Karen Handel. Tankersley, in her third term as commissioner, was sworn in during the group's annual meeting awards breakfast April 28 at the Savannah Civic Center.
The ACCG's mission is to enhance the role, stature and responsiveness of county government in Georgia.
Tankersley will continue as president of the 95-year-old organization of all 159 Georgia counties through next year's annual meeting in April 2010. She first moved into the position in January 2009 to fill an unexpired term.
About 400 county officials attended the awards breakfast. After the ceremony, Tankersley thanked her fellow county elected officials and said that as Georgia continues in the midst of the worst economic downturn seen in 70 years, she feels Georgia's local governments are in a position to help communities weather the downturn.
"I believe it's a time for government, especially local government, to step forward," she said. "Local government officials are most attuned to how our communities are being affected by the sluggish economy. As Georgians, we know we're all in this together.
"The good news is, we may also be the most well-prepared to take on the necessary challenges," she said. "... ACCG has been at the forefront among state associations of counties, putting programs and resources in place to help us succeed."
Tankersley highlighted the ways in which ACCG has helped county governments effectively plan for growth, advance technologically, promote economic viability, embrace regional coalitions to provide emergency services and environmental facilities and meet new benchmarks in environmental stewardship.
First elected to office in 2001, Tankersley qualified for a third term on the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and ran unopposed as District 2-A commissioner. She has a distinguished record of public service that extends beyond the coastal region and has been a member of the ACCG Board of Managers since 2005.
Tankersley's regional and state leadership roles include serving on the Bulloch County Kiwanis Club Board of Directors and the Georgia Leadership Academy. She also was appointed to the Ogeechee Technical College Foundation Board and serves on the school's scholarship board and fund-raising committee. In January 2009, she was appointed to serve on the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Council.
She has served on several state government boards, including the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) Region 12 Advisory Council and the Savannah and Ogeechee Basin Advisory Committee. In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to the State - Local Transportation Strategies Task Force, and she co-chaired the governor's re-election campaign in Bulloch County and served on his 2006 Inaugural Committee in 2006.
Tankersley's civic affiliations include membership in the Statesboro Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce, for which she served on the Board of Directors and as chair of the Community Improvement Committee. She is also a charter member of the Republican Women of Bulloch County and an active Kiwanis Club member, chairing the club's Blood Mobile Committee and serving as a member of its Program Committee.
Tankersley told the group at the ACCG breakfast she is most proud of recent expansions to Bulloch County's fire protection services outside of the "five mile" fire protection district that surrounds the city of Statesboro.
Tankersley also has recently begun volunteering with a new project through the Kiwanis Club, a Bi-Lo Grocery grant award that will provide free evening meals for children attending the Statesboro Boys and Girls Club.
Within ACCG, she is a past vice chair and chair of the association's Economic Development and Transportation Committee, the Emory Greene Award Committee and on other special committees within the association.
Tankersley is a graduate of the Certified Commissioners' Training Program, the Certified Commissioners Advanced Program (CCAP) and the ACCG Academy for Leadership. She also is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and special training programs for zoning administrators.
The ACCG's mission is to enhance the role, stature and responsiveness of county government in Georgia.
Tankersley will continue as president of the 95-year-old organization of all 159 Georgia counties through next year's annual meeting in April 2010. She first moved into the position in January 2009 to fill an unexpired term.
About 400 county officials attended the awards breakfast. After the ceremony, Tankersley thanked her fellow county elected officials and said that as Georgia continues in the midst of the worst economic downturn seen in 70 years, she feels Georgia's local governments are in a position to help communities weather the downturn.
"I believe it's a time for government, especially local government, to step forward," she said. "Local government officials are most attuned to how our communities are being affected by the sluggish economy. As Georgians, we know we're all in this together.
"The good news is, we may also be the most well-prepared to take on the necessary challenges," she said. "... ACCG has been at the forefront among state associations of counties, putting programs and resources in place to help us succeed."
Tankersley highlighted the ways in which ACCG has helped county governments effectively plan for growth, advance technologically, promote economic viability, embrace regional coalitions to provide emergency services and environmental facilities and meet new benchmarks in environmental stewardship.
First elected to office in 2001, Tankersley qualified for a third term on the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and ran unopposed as District 2-A commissioner. She has a distinguished record of public service that extends beyond the coastal region and has been a member of the ACCG Board of Managers since 2005.
Tankersley's regional and state leadership roles include serving on the Bulloch County Kiwanis Club Board of Directors and the Georgia Leadership Academy. She also was appointed to the Ogeechee Technical College Foundation Board and serves on the school's scholarship board and fund-raising committee. In January 2009, she was appointed to serve on the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Council.
She has served on several state government boards, including the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) Region 12 Advisory Council and the Savannah and Ogeechee Basin Advisory Committee. In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to the State - Local Transportation Strategies Task Force, and she co-chaired the governor's re-election campaign in Bulloch County and served on his 2006 Inaugural Committee in 2006.
Tankersley's civic affiliations include membership in the Statesboro Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce, for which she served on the Board of Directors and as chair of the Community Improvement Committee. She is also a charter member of the Republican Women of Bulloch County and an active Kiwanis Club member, chairing the club's Blood Mobile Committee and serving as a member of its Program Committee.
Tankersley told the group at the ACCG breakfast she is most proud of recent expansions to Bulloch County's fire protection services outside of the "five mile" fire protection district that surrounds the city of Statesboro.
Tankersley also has recently begun volunteering with a new project through the Kiwanis Club, a Bi-Lo Grocery grant award that will provide free evening meals for children attending the Statesboro Boys and Girls Club.
Within ACCG, she is a past vice chair and chair of the association's Economic Development and Transportation Committee, the Emory Greene Award Committee and on other special committees within the association.
Tankersley is a graduate of the Certified Commissioners' Training Program, the Certified Commissioners Advanced Program (CCAP) and the ACCG Academy for Leadership. She also is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and special training programs for zoning administrators.