Nicole Love Hendrickson, the newly elected chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, was sworn in by Gwinnett Probate Judge Christopher Ballar at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.

District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden and District 3 Commissioner Jasper Watkins III were sworn in last week. All three ceremonies took place with COVID-19 precautions in place.

"It is my highest honor to serve as Chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners," Hendrickson said. "My promise to you is that we will work to make Gwinnett County a community where economic opportunity is abundant for everyone, a community where affordability isn’t a luxury, and a community that leads in regional connectivity. I am grateful to be a partner in addressing the challenges that face us. By working with community, civic and corporate leaders, we will ensure that Gwinnett County is ready and prepared to lead into the future."

Hendrickson is the first African American to hold the position of chairman. In 2015, Hendrickson joined Gwinnett County Government as founding director of the County’s Community Outreach program, which engages diverse constituents in their local government. As Community Outreach director, she launched several community-based initiatives, including the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy and the Gwinnett Youth Commission. Before her tenure with the County, Hendrickson served as the associate director of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services for eight years.

Hendrickson is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Gwinnett, a 2016 graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, and a 2016 graduate of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber’s Cultivating Hispanic Leaders Institute. She was the recipient of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Public Service Award in 2017, and Georgia Trend named her one of the state’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018. In the following year, she received the Trailblazer Award from the 100 Black Men of Metro Atlanta.

The Board of Commissioners sets direction and formulates policies for the county government, authorizes expenditures and approves or disapproves specific actions, such as rezoning of private property. At the first regular commission meeting of 2021 on January 5, the board will consider adopting the 2021 budget. 

Voters in each of four districts elect a part-time district commissioner. The full-time commission chair is elected countywide. Their four-year terms are staggered so the chairman and two commissioners are elected during one election cycle. Returning commissioners Ben Ku in District 2 and Marlene Fosque in District 4 round out the five-member board.

Note: Photos from today’s event are available on the County’s Flickr page.