e others to make a positive difference . Here are a few accomplishments we can celebrate from the past few months .
District 8 Interim Chief Jennifer Jones was officially appointed as the Ringgold Police Chief on July 27 , 2020 .
District 9 Chief Chris Hodge and the Auburn Police Department were the first department to be awarded the Risk Reduction Certificate in the State of Georgia on October 1 , 2020 . This program is a joint program between the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and Local Government Risk Management ( LGRM ).
Chief Bruce Hedley and the Lilburn Police Department were awarded Recertification with the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on July 15 , 2020 .
Chief Bruce Carlisle and the Lavonia Police Department were awarded Recertification with the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on July 15 , 2020 .
Brett West was named the Gwinnett County Police Chief on July 18 , 2020 .
Cleveland Williams was appointed as Chief of the Danielsville Police Department on August 4 , 2020 .
Joshua White was appointed as Chief of the Maysville Police Department on August 16 , 2020 .
District 10 Covington Police Department moved into their new 26,000 sq . ft . facility the third week of February . Because of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Open House Ceremony has been delayed .
McDonough Chief Preston Dorsey was appointed as City Manager on May 1 , 2020 .
Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant was appointed as Interim Chief of the Atlanta Police Department on June 13 , 2020 .
Kenneth Noble was promoted to Police Chief of McDonough Police Department on July 20 , 2020 .
At the September 30 , 2020 meeting of the State of Georgia Board of Public Safety , the Board voted to approve the promotion of Lt . Colonel Chris Wright to Colonel where he will serve as Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety . Major William Hitchens was promoted to Lt . Colonel and will serve as the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety .
District 11 Cherokee County Chief Marshal Ron Hunton retired August 28 , 2020 after 41 years of law enforcement experience . Marshal Hunton began his career at the age of 20 with the Powder Springs Police Department . Over the course of his career he served with the Marietta Police Department , Cobb County Police Department , Cherokee County Sheriff ’ s Office , and the last six years as the Chief Marshal for Cherokee County .
Chief Kerry Thomas and the Chamblee Police Department were awarded Recertification with the Georgia Law Enforcement State Certification Program on July 15 , 2020 .
Brookhaven Police Chief Gary Yandura was named “ Outstanding Police Chief of the Year for 2020 – 2021 ” at the GACP Summer Training Conference in July .
Chief Dan Flynn and the Marietta Police Department were named as a finalist for the Dr . Curtis McClung Award for Excellence at the GACP Summer Training Conference in July for their “ ASSIST ” program .
The City of Milton opened their new public safety complex in August . The $ 13 complex includes a 25,000-square-foot police and court building , as well as a separate 14,000-square-foot Fire Station 44 .
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