By Elise Durham
Leaders from across various sectors will guide the search for those who will serve Georgians in the new administration.
Atlanta, Georgia – November 6, 2026 – Today, Governor-Elect Keisha Lance Bottoms announced ten transition co-chairs to lead Georgia’s Promise, the official transition team that will prepare her administration to govern from its first day in office. The co-chairs bring together decades of experience in state and city government, Fortune 500 leadership, finance, real estate, affordable housing, community and civic engagement, entertainment and sports.
Bottoms also named 20 honorary co-chairs, including U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, former Governors Roy Barnes and Joe Frank Harris, and former U.N. Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.
Jon Keen, former Chief Operating Officer of the City of Atlanta, will serve as Chief Operating Officer of the transition.
Joining the Governor-Elect as transition co-chairs are:
- Arthur M. Blank, Chairman, AMB Group and Co-Founder, The Home Depot;
- Rosalind Brewer, former Interim President, Spelman College and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance;
- Honorable Jason Carter, former Georgia State Senator and chair of the Board of Trustees at The Carter Center;
- Carmen Chubb, President, Columbia Residential and former Chief of Staff to Mayor Bottoms;
- Richard Cox Jr., Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Delta Air Lines and former Chief Operating Officer, City of Atlanta;
- Honorable Jane Kidd, former State Representative and former Chair, Democratic Party of Georgia;
- Michelle Nunn, Georgia Civic Non-profit Leader;
- Vicki R. Palmer, President, The Palmer Group LLC;
- Honorable Rashad Taylor, former State Representative and former Senior Advisor to Mayor Bottoms;
- Tyler Perry, Founder, Tyler Perry Studios.
“Georgians made their voices heard on Tuesday, and they asked for a government that works for every family in every corner of this state. Keeping that promise starts with putting the right people in the right places, and I could not ask for a stronger group of leaders to help me do it. Each of them has served our communities with distinction, and each of them understands what is at stake,” said Governor-Elect Bottoms.
The co-chairs will play a central role in building the administration.
They will help assess the qualifications, leadership records and references of candidates for senior positions in the Office of the Governor and across state agencies; test each candidate’s fit for the role and recommend the strongest finalists; and advise the Governor-Elect and transition leadership on key staffing and agency leadership decisions. The transition’s appointments team will manage the candidate pipeline, and formal background review and legal clearance will proceed through separate processes.
“The Governor-Elect has asked us to find the most capable, most committed people Georgia has to offer, and that is exactly what we intend to do,” said Rashad Taylor. “We will be rigorous, we will be fair, and we will keep the needs of Georgians at the center of every recommendation.”
The Governor-Elect also named Jon Keen as Chief Operating Officer of Georgia’s Promise. Keen, who served as Chief Operating Officer of the City of Atlanta in the Bottoms administration, will manage the transition’s day-to-day operations, working alongside the co-chairs and transition leadership to keep the team on schedule for Inauguration Day. A former U.S. Army major and Emory University alumnus, Keen led development of the city’s One Atlanta economic mobility and recovery plan and oversaw its administration of federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Joining the transition co-chairs is a distinguished group of honorary co-chairs, leaders who have served Georgia in the United States Senate, the Governor’s Office, statewide constitutional offices, the General Assembly and the Public Service Commission. The honorary co-chairs will offer counsel on governing and leadership, connect the transition with civic and community leaders across Georgia, and support briefings, recruitment referrals, and public engagement.
Serving as honorary co-chairs are:
The Honorable Thurbert Baker, former Georgia Attorney General;
Governor Roy Barnes, 80th Governor of Georgia;
The Honorable David Burgess, former Chair, Georgia Public Service Commission;
The Honorable Terry Coleman, former Speaker, Georgia House of Representatives;
The Honorable Cathy Cox, former Secretary of State and President, Georgia College & State University;
Senator Wyche Fowler, former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Saudi Arabia;
Governor Joe Frank Harris, 78th Governor of Georgia;
The Honorable Pierre Howard, former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia;
The Honorable Peter Hubbard, Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission;
The Honorable Carolyn Hugley, Georgia House Minority Leader;
The Honorable Alicia Monique Johnson, Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission;
The Honorable Harold Jones II, Georgia Senate Minority Leader;
Senator Sam Nunn, former U.S. Senator representing Georgia;
Senator Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senator representing Georgia;
Tim Ryles, former Insurance Commissioner;
The Honorable Calvin Smyre, former Georgia State Representative;
The Honorable Mark Taylor, former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia;;
The Honorable Michael Thurmond, former Labor Commissioner and DeKalb County CEO;
Senator Raphael Warnock, U.S. Senator representing Georgia;
Ambassador Andrew Young, former U.N. Ambassador and Mayor of Atlanta.
Today’s announcement is the first in a series. In the days and weeks ahead, the Governor-Elect will introduce additional members of Georgia’s Promise leadership, including further co-chairs, policy advisory teams, community leaders and senior transition staff, as the work of building a ready-to-serve administration moves forward ahead of the inauguration in January 2027.
Meet the Transition Co-chairs:
Arthur M. Blank
Chairman, AMB Group; Co-Founder, The Home Depot
Blank co-founded The Home Depot. Through AMB Group, he owns the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. As chairman of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Blank has invested in communities across Georgia, including a $200 million gift to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for the Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
Rosalind Brewer
Former CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance; Former Interim President, Spelman College
Brewer is among the most accomplished executives in American business, having served as CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Chief Operating Officer of Starbucks and President and CEO of Sam’s Club, following 22 years at Kimberly-Clark. Brewer served 18 months as Spelman College’s interim president. She is chair emerita of its Board of Trustees and co-chairs the Spelman Forward campaign.
Carmen Chubb
President, Columbia Residential; Former Chief of Staff to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
Chubb is president of Columbia Residential, an affordable housing developer working across five Southern states. She served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Bottoms after 25 years at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, where she was Deputy Commissioner for Housing.
Richard Cox Jr.
Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Delta Air Lines and Former Chief Operating Officer, City of Atlanta
Cox served as Mayor Bottoms’ first Chief Operating Officer, on loan from Cox Automotive. Currently, he is Senior Vice President, Customer Service for Delta Air Lines.
Honorable Jane Kidd
Former State Representative; Former Chair, Democratic Party of Georgia
Kidd represented the Athens area in the Georgia House of Representatives and later chaired the Democratic Party of Georgia from 2007 to 2011. The daughter of Governor Ernest Vandiver and grandniece of U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell Jr., Kidd has spent more than three decades in public service, higher education and communications, including leadership roles at Clemson University, the University of Georgia and Piedmont University. She serves as the Alex Gregory Distinguished Fellow and Leader in Residence at Georgia College & State University.
Michelle Nunn
Civic Non-profit Leader
Nunn is a Georgia non-profit leader who has spent almost four decades focused on civic engagement, economic opportunity, and social services.
Vicki R. Palmer
President, The Palmer Group LLC
Palmer leads The Palmer Group, a management consulting firm she founded after more than 25 years at the Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises. She has served for decades on the board of First Horizon Corporation and is a longtime civic leader in Atlanta. Palmer co-chaired the transition team for the Bottoms’ mayoral administration.
Honorable Rashad Taylor
Former State Representative; Former Senior Advisor to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
Taylor represented District 55 in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013, where he served as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. He served as Chief Equity Officer in Bottoms’ mayoral administration, where he stood up One Atlanta, the city’s first Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and later as Senior Advisor to the Mayor. A veteran strategist, Rashad previously served as political director of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Tyler Perry
Filmmaker, Director, Actor and Founder, Tyler Perry Studios
Perry is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, playwright, producer, and media mogul. As founder of Tyler Perry Studios, he has championed Black storytelling, representation, and economic empowerment. Perry has invested millions in housing, education, disaster relief, and support for underserved communities.
Meet the Honorary Co-chairs:
Honorable Thurbert Baker
Former Attorney General of Georgia
General Baker served as Georgia’s Attorney General from 1997 to 2011, the first African American to hold the office. He previously served in the Georgia House as floor leader for Governor Zell Miller.
Governor Roy Barnes
80th Governor of Georgia
Governor Barnes served from 1999 to 2003 after more than two decades in the General Assembly. He continues to practice law in Marietta.
Honorable David Burgess
Former Chair, Georgia Public Service Commission
Burgess served on the Georgia Public Service Commission from 1999 to 2007, including as chair from 2002 to 2004.
Honorable Terry Coleman
Former Speaker, Georgia House of Representatives
Speaker Coleman represented the city of Eastman and Dodge County in the Georgia House from 1973 to 2007 and served as Speaker from 2003 to 2005. He later served as Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture.
Honorable Cathy Cox
President, Georgia College & State University; Former Georgia Secretary of State
The first woman elected Georgia’s Secretary of State, Cox served two terms before leading Young Harris College and the Mercer University School of Law. She became president of Georgia College & State University in 2021.
Honorable Wyche Fowler
Former U.S. Senator; Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Senator Fowler represented Atlanta in Congress from 1977 to 1987, and Georgia in the United States Senate from 1987 to 1993. He later served as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Governor Joe Frank Harris
78th Governor of Georgia
Governor Harris served from 1983 to 1991 and is remembered as Georgia’s education governor for the Quality Basic Education Act. A Cartersville native, he also helped bring the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta.
Honorable Pierre Howard
Former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Lieutenant Governor Howard served from 1991 to 1999 following 18 years in the Georgia Senate. He has since led conservation efforts across the state.
Honorable Peter Hubbard
Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission, District 3
Commissioner Hubbard won a seat on the Public Service Commission in 2025 and was reelected on November 3, 2026. He is a leading voice for fair and affordable utility rates.
Honorable Carolyn Hugley
Minority Leader, Georgia House of Representatives
Leader Hugley has represented Columbus in the Georgia House since 1993 and became House Minority Leader in 2025. She previously served 15 years as Democratic Whip.
Honorable Alicia Monique Johnson
Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission, District 2
A Savannah native, Commissioner Johnson took office in January 2026 as Georgia’s first Black woman to hold a statewide elected executive office. She brings experience in human services, health care, and economic development.
Honorable Harold Jones II
Minority Leader, Georgia State Senate
An Augusta attorney and former solicitor general, Leader Jones has served in the State Senate since 2015 and became Senate Minority Leader in 2025.
Senator Sam Nunn
Former U.S. Senator
Senator Nunn represented Georgia in the United States Senate from 1972 to 1997 and chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee. He co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Senator Jon Ossoff
U.S. Senator
Senator Ossoff has represented Georgia in the United States Senate since 2021 and was reelected on November 3, 2026, to a second term.
Honorable Tim Ryles
Former Georgia Insurance Commissioner
Ryles served as Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995 after leading the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs. He remains a nationally recognized consumer protection and insurance expert.
Honorable Calvin Smyre
Former State Representative; Former Chair, Democratic Party of Georgia
Representing Columbus from 1975 to 2023, Mr. Smyre is the longest-serving member in Georgia General Assembly history. He was the first African American House floor leader since Reconstruction and later chaired the Georgia Democratic Party.
Honorable Mark Taylor
Former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Lieutenant Governor Taylor served from 1999 to 2007 after representing Albany in the Georgia Senate. He was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2006.
Honorable Michael Thurmond
Former CEO, DeKalb County; Former Georgia Labor Commissioner
Thurmond served three terms as Georgia Labor Commissioner and eight years as chief executive of DeKalb County. He also served in the Georgia House and as interim superintendent of the DeKalb County School District.
Senator Raphael Warnock
U.S. Senator
Senator Warnock has represented Georgia in the United States Senate since 2021. He is senior pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Ambassador Andrew Young
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; Former Mayor of Atlanta
A trusted aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ambassador Young became Georgia’s first Black congressman since Reconstruction, then served as U.N. Ambassador and mayor of Atlanta. He helped bring the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta.
About Georgia’s Promise
Georgia’s Promise is the official transition of Governor-Elect Keisha Lance Bottoms. The transition is charged with preparing the incoming administration to lead from day one, recruiting a team that reflects the talent and diversity of Georgia, and laying the groundwork for the Governor-Elect’s priorities, including affordability, access to health care, and investment in education. Updates will be posted at GeorgiasPromise.com.
Last updated on November 9, 2026
