Phil Hoskins, the current community services director, will be the new deputy county administrator. Hoskins came to Gwinnett to lead community services in 1996 from Owensboro, Ky., where he served as assistant city manager as well as parks and recreation director. He has also worked for other local governments in Minnesota and Illinois, for a total of 36 years serving local communities. He holds a graduate degree from Indiana University in Bloomington and bachelor’s degree from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. Hoskins is a graduate of both Leadership Gwinnett and the Regional Leadership Institute and spends time volunteering for the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Artworks! Gwinnett and church activities.
Stephens said, “As the head of community services, Phil has developed strong relationships within Gwinnett County Government and throughout the community. Those ties combined with his long tenure give him the breadth of experience and knowledge to provide the kind of leadership and support this organization needs.”
Finance Director Maria Woods will gain the title of CFO. Woods has nearly a quarter century of experience in local government finance, spending the last three years leading Gwinnett’s finance department. She previously served as deputy finance director and accounting director in her career with Gwinnett County, which began in 1997. “Maria played a vital role in managing Gwinnett County’s fiscal operations during the economic downturn and recovery, and her extensive experience and unmatched financial knowledge make her an excellent choice to serve as chief financial officer for our organization,” said Stephens.
The corrections department will be led by Darrell Johnson, who will permanently fill the position of warden. Stephens said, “Darrell is a seasoned law enforcement veteran who leads by example. His quiet leadership and calm reasoning make him a perfect fit for the job as warden.” Johnson, who has been serving in an acting capacity since May of last year, began his career with Gwinnett County as a police officer in 1987 and transferred to the corrections department the following year. He led a successful effort to earn national accreditation for the Gwinnett County Comprehensive Correctional Complex, the largest county-owned and -operated correctional facility in the state. In addition to holding a master’s degree in public administration from Brenau College and a bachelor’s degree in criminology from College of the Ozarks, Johnson was recognized as a certified correctional manager by the American Correctional Association in 2009.
Gwinnett’s new information technology director will be Abe Kani. He comes to Gwinnett from eNovation Inc., where he served as a project executive. While Kani’s private sector work experience also includes Dell and IBM, the time he spent leading government technology strategy is what most impressed Stephens. “Abe served at various times as chief information officer for the state of Florida and the cities of Atlanta and Memphis,” said Stephens. “His wide-ranging background in information technology management at the local and state government levels will serve Gwinnett well as he begins to share his expertise and shape our IT department to drive efficiencies and cost-savings through the use of technology.”
Kani’s education includes a project management professional certification from Georgia Tech, an MBA from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Utah State University. Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said, “I’m pleased with Glenn’s choices to fill these vital positions on the County’s leadership team. It’s a testament to the strength of our succession planning that three of the four appointments are coming from within our organization. I am equally delighted to bring someone on board who can provide valuable outside perspective on our strengths and needs in the area of information technology.”
