Bottoms Names 11 Co-Chairs for Georgia Transition Team

Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms introduced 11 co-chairs for her gubernatorial transition team on Friday. The group, titled Georgia's Promise, was unveiled at a press conference at the State Capitol following her election victory.

John King, a former City of Atlanta chief operating officer and military veteran, will serve as the chief operating officer of the transition effort. The co-chair roster includes Home Depot founder Arthur Blank and former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Roz Brewer.

Carter Center board chair Jason Carter and affordable housing leader Carmen Chubb also join the leadership team. The group includes Frederick Douglass High School graduate Richard Cox, former state Rep. Jane Kidd, and civic nonprofit leader Michelle Nunn.

Retired corporate executive Vicki Palmer, entertainment mogul Tyler Perry, and former city equity official Rashad Taylor round out the primary co-chair list. Bottoms stated that the appointments reflect leaders from communities across Georgia rather than focusing solely on the capital.

Bottoms identified kitchen table issues as the focus of her early executive actions. She plans to center her agenda on affordability and expanding health care access. She noted that Georgia has left hundreds of millions of federal dollars unclaimed by refusing full Medicaid expansion.

Expanding the Medicaid program remains a priority, though Bottoms acknowledged that federal funding cuts could create obstacles for state leadership. She said campaign conversations confirmed that immediate economic concerns for families are a top priority for voters.

Bottoms said she spoke with Gov. Brian Kemp, who committed to providing full administrative support. "I've spoken with Governor Kemp, we had a very good conversation. He has offered to provide whatever resources and support that he can to make this a smooth and orderly transition," Bottoms said.

The outgoing governor pledged complete cooperation, and Bottoms said both teams will collaborate closely throughout the transition period. She also emphasized monitoring floods in North Georgia and consulting experts on state data centers in coordination with Kemp's administration.

Bottoms reflected on her election as a personal milestone. "It is an honor to say the least," she said. "And my husband put it in context, he said there have been a lot of Black women in America over the course of history, and God has said, you get to be the first. I don't take that lightly. I believe that it is representative of just the best of who we all are, that in this place, the South, with our very rich history, that Georgia gets to break that barrier."

Additional honorary co-chairs include Lt. Gov.-elect Harold Jones, state House Democratic Leader Carolyn Hughley, and Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard. Other honorary co-chairs are state leader Philip Gelman, former state Rep. Calvin Smyre, Thurbert Baker, Roy Barnes, David Burgess, Terry Coleman, Kathy Cox, Wyche Fowler, Joe Frank Harris, Pierre Howard, Alicia Johnson, Sam Nunn, John Ossoff, Tim Rowles, Mark Taylor, Michael Thurman, Raphael Warnock, and Andrew Young.

Bottoms has not announced the full list of agency heads or senior transition staff. She indicated that additional co-chairs and policy leads will roll out in the coming days. The team will consult national governors and state legislative leaders to set the upcoming state budget leading into the January inauguration.