Organization
Mission, Vision, Values
The Department of Community Services provides high-quality recreational, educational, electoral, human services, and other services in partnership with the Gwinnett community.
Vision
We envision a diverse, vibrant, and safe Gwinnett community where residents are healthy and successful. We will partner with others to enhance the quality of life of families and individuals residing in Gwinnett County.
Values
We believe in honesty, integrity, and ethical conduct.
We are customer-oriented and both accountable and responsive to our citizens.
We believe in teamwork and collaboration with our community partners.
We promote safety, cost efficiency, innovation, and service excellence.
Management Profiles
Department Director:
Tina Fleming
Tina.Fleming@gwinnettcounty.com
Tina Fleming was appointed director of the Gwinnett County Department of Community Services in 2016. Employed with Gwinnett County Community Services since 2001, Tina has also served as the Division Director of Parks and Recreation Operations and held other management roles in that division. Her areas of responsibility includes Parks and Recreation, Health and Human Services, UGA Extension, Animal Welfare and Enforcement, Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, Voter Registrations and Elections, and she is liaison with several community service organizations. Her more than 20 years of public service experience includes work with local communities in Georgia.
Animal Welfare & Enforcement Manager:
Alan Davis
Alan has worked in the animal welfare field and brings more than 35 years of experience and knowledge to Gwinnett. Starting in 1976 as an Animal Control Office in Pittsburgh, Alan has served as Director in Broward County in Florida, Fulton County in Georgia, and Onslow County in North Carolina as well as maintaining management positions in Fort Worth, Texas and Pasco County, Florida. He has also served as a government consultant and instructor for Animal Control Officer Certifications.
Alan has certifications in chemical capture from the Florida Animal Control Association and was instrumental in developing legislation for the (Animal Friend) spay/neuter Florida license plate bill. This generated thousands of dollars used to assist in the spay/neutering of Florida pets thereby reducing the pet overpopulation throughout the state.
The continuing goal of Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement is to care for the animals at the shelter, maintain a high live release rate, prevent animal cruelty, serve and protect the public, and to perform these functions in a professional manner.
Through compassionate use of education and enforcement, Animal Welfare & Enforcement staff is working to treat the symptoms of irresponsible pet ownership while providing quality, responsible services to our residents by offering healthy, adoptable pets.
Parks & Recreation, Deputy Division Director – Natural & Cultural Resources:
Sarah Barlow
Sarah.Barlow@gwinnettcounty.com
Sarah was appointed in 2018 and oversees the County’s historic sites, the Environmental Heritage Center, park natural resource management, and the environmental and cultural programming.
Her career has included environmental research with state and federal agencies as well as public engagement work at science and nature centers. She worked in public service for over 12 years conducting water conservation outreach for the City of Savannah, environmental education and park management for Athens-Clarke County, and has a background in wildlife research and management.
Sarah is passionate about mindful management of the tremendous resources in our parks as well as reconnecting our residents to nature and history. In her free time, she enjoys time on the water, all live music, an occasional triathlon, and she is a minority owner of the Green Bay Packers.
Parks & Recreation, Deputy Division Director – Parks Operations:
Eric Horne
Eric oversees two sections in Parks and Recreation; Grounds Maintenance and Skilled Trades. As a 1982 graduate of The University of Georgia, Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and has worked in both the private sector and government at the local and state levels.
He began his career with Gwinnett County in 1990 serving as the Parks Grounds Manager until 2018 when he was promoted to Deputy Division Director. Eric was instrumental in de-centralizing parks maintenance operations by establishing small teams in each of the larger parks. This strategy greatly improved the efficiency of parks maintenance while decreasing the vehicle liability by greatly reducing roving crews in the system. He has also been a key team player in several design aspects of the parks including the “Horne Gate”.
During the span of his career at Gwinnett County, he has been a valuable team member in identifying and hiring or promoting other key team members in our outstanding and nationally recognized park agency.
A husband and father of five adult children, Eric spends much of his free time with the Georgia Department of Defense, State Defense Force, in Search and Rescue Operations in Georgia and assisting in training National Guard Units
Voter Registrations & Elections Director:
Kristi Royston
Kristi.Royston@gwinnettcounty.com
Kristi has more than 20 years of voter registration and elections experience. She has served as Gwinnett County’s Assistant Elections Supervisor since January 2010. In September 2019, she was appointed to serve as the director of the division.
Prior to working with Gwinnett County, Kristi was the Elections Supervisor in Barrow County. She also worked in the Athens-Clarke County Elections and Registration Office as well as the State Elections Division under Secretary of State Lewis Massey. She is a University of Georgia graduate with a degree in Journalism, emphasis in Advertising.
Health & Human Services Division Director:
Regina Miller
Regina.Miller@gwinnettcounty.com
Regina joined Gwinnett County and the Department of Community Services in 2018. She is responsible for the management and operations of the OneStop Centers and Senior Services. Senior Services consists of four senior centers, information and assistance and case management providing services, such as home-delivered meals, transportation, homemaking, and respite services. The three OneStop Centers partner with community agencies to provide and connect services that help improve the health and well-being of a growing and diverse Gwinnett.
Prior to working with the county, Regina worked in the Gwinnett and Philadelphia communities in nonprofit, fundraising, community development, and higher education administration.
Regina has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Immaculata University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She volunteers with local nonprofit boards and she and her husband, Brian, love spending their free time traveling and stargazing with their four-legged family.
Parks & Recreation, Deputy Division Director – Recreation:
Chris Minor
Chris.Minor@gwinnettcounty.com
Chris assumed the role of Deputy Director of Recreation in 2017. He oversees recreation programming to include youth and adult sports, aquatics, senior recreation, day camps, and special events. He also oversees the operations of community recreation centers, aquatic centers, gyms, activity buildings, and two senior recreation facilities.
Chris has a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management with an emphasis on Community Recreation from Clemson University. He is also a certified parks and recreation professional. Prior to joining Gwinnett County in 2013 as a program supervisor, Chris was the Recreation Manager at Gainesville Parks and Recreation. He lives in the Lawrenceville with his wife Jessica and his two daughters, Finley and Ashton.
Business Management Division Director:
Rick Morris
Rick.Morris@gwinnettcounty.com
Rick serves as the Business Management Division Director. This division is responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and processing the financial needs of Community Services, including administration, human resources, budget, payables, revenues, purchasing, and fixed assets. Rick is a graduate of the EXCEL management development program and is a Certified Finance Officer, Levels I and II, through the University of Georgia.
During his tenure with Gwinnett County and prior to becoming the Business Management Division Director, he served as the Section Manager and Business Officer for the Community Services Department, overseeing the capital budget, including the 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2014, and 2017 sales tax programs. Rick is a 1996 graduate of the University of Florida and has worked for Gwinnett County Department of Community Services since graduation.
Deputy Director:
Blake Hawkins
Blake.Hawkins@gwinnettcounty.com
Blake Hawkins, Deputy Department Director, oversees three divisions; Animal Welfare and Enforcement, UGA Extension Gwinnett, and Health and Human Services. A graduate of Florida State University, 1990, Blake holds a B.S. in Leisure Service & Studies and worked many years in Florida for local government, nonprofit organizations, and healthcare industry; all with in a citizen/customer focused approach.
He began with Gwinnett County in 1997 in Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation serving as Recreation Programmer, Recreation Coordinator, and Recreation Manager. He was instrumental in opening the County’s first Community Recreation Center, Bogan Park Community Recreation Center. He took a nine year absence from the County to open a small business, which he owned and operated for nine years and eventually sold and returned to Gwinnett County.
Blake now manages the three divisions to provide quality and accountable services to the residents of Gwinnett by offering healthy, adoptable pets through Animal Welfare; inviting and educational family activities and programs with UGA Extension Gwinnett; and quality, accessible, and affordable care and services to Gwinnett’s senior population and other diverse communities through Health and Human Services.
UGA Extension Gwinnett Director:
Mary Black
Mary Black began working as the Director and County Extension Coordinator for the UGA Extension Gwinnett division in 2017. Her role is to manage the three areas of extension; Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Georgia 4-H Youth Development program. Mary has a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Environmental Sciences, a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Nutrition.
She has served in the medical field as a Licensed Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator and has over twenty years of program management experience in health promotion and chronic disease management. She volunteers as a Gwinnett Master Gardener and as a diabetes educator to senior citizens.
Deputy Director:
Mark Patterson
Mark.Patterson@gwinnettcounty.com
Mark started with Parks and Recreation Division in 1987 and serves as the deputy director for recreation fund facilities; Parks and Recreation-Operations; Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center; and Parks and Recreation-Project Administration.
Mark has authored several nationally award winning initiatives. He is a member of several professional organizations including The Wildlife Society, The National Recreation and Parks Association and the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association; where he served on its Board of Trustees for six years. As a sought after speaker, Mark has presented at local, state, national and international symposiums on geospatial applications and their use in natural resource management. A member of the steering committee for Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan, Mark is committed to preserving and enacting sustainable practices for the preservation of the public lands Gwinnett County holds.
A husband and father of two, Mark spends his free time as a soccer coach, scout leader and exploring nature with his family.
Parks & Recreation Project Administration Division Director:
Grant Guess
Grant Guess has worked for Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation since 1984 in various capacities, and currently serves as the Director of the Project Administration for Parks and Recreation. In this position, Grant manages the planning, acquisition, design, and development of all of the parks, facilities, and greenways in the Gwinnett County park system. He also oversees the various Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) programs for the Parks and Recreation division. Grant is a graduate of Georgia Tech and worked for the Fulton County Parks and Recreation Department for seven years before being hired by Gwinnett County. He lives in the Buford area with his wife Laurie and his two children, Kelly and Erin.