Commissioner J. Alexander Atwood has had a long and distinguished career in the law, business, military and government service.
On March 1, 2019, Commissioner Atwood was appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp to lead the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, overseeing the numerous state operations and functions of the Department, which include State Purchasing, Human Resources Administration, Fleet Management, Surplus Property and Risk Management.
Prior to assuming his role with the Department of Administrative Services, Commissioner Atwood served in the judiciary, and was elected for three terms to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served in numerous leadership and committee roles. He spent his early professional career as a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent in federal law enforcement, serving throughout the United States and overseas.
In addition to a distinguished judicial and legislative career, Commissioner Atwood served for 34 years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in Ground, Aviation and Intelligence billets, retiring at the rank of full Colonel.
Following his retirement from federal service, Commissioner Atwood was one of the founding partners of the business litigation law firm Atwood Choate, PC., and also worked as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for a 700-member security corporation providing security services to numerous government agencies across the United States as well as the National Football League.
Commissioner Atwood holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, a Master of Arts in International Relations, a Juris Doctorate in Law (Cum Laude), and is currently pursuing an LLM at Georgia State University concentrating on the U.S. Constitution and the history of law. He is a past member of the legal honor fraternity Sigma Delta Kappa and was elected a Fellow of the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia. Only 4% of Georgia attorneys have been elected as Fellows.
Commissioner Atwood is the proud father of three children and three grandchildren. He has been married for 32 happy years to Cynthia Atwood. The Atwood’s reside in Atlanta and St. Simons Island, Georgia.
About Your Hosts
Paul Wilson, Area Director with SBDC, has extensive industry experience that spans leadership roles in supply chain management, procurement, marketing, supplier diversity, and small business development. His expertise includes strategic analysis, operational planning, leadership development, contract writing, video marketing, video production, training and curriculum development.
Having worked with Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and educational institutions, Paul brings a diverse wealth of knowledge, perspective, and skills to the small business community.
Connect with Paul on LinkedIn and follow SBDC on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and Instagram.
Telisha Farrow Jackson, Georgia Department of Administrative Services – The State Purchasing Division (SPD) oversees the procurement functions for the State of Georgia and manages all policies related to procurement. SPD negotiates Statewide Contracts and provides technical assistance to State Entities in conducting and evaluating entity-specific competitive bids. We also provide electronic sourcing tools that allow procurement professionals to post and award their own competitive bids.
SPD manages and monitors use of State purchasing cards, procurement tools that allow State employees to obtain goods and services quickly and efficiently. SPD also offers training, including a certification program, to provide procurement professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their job duties within the legal and policy constraints of the State of Georgia.
Connect with Telisha on LinkedIn.
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