Gerald McDowell, originally from Hope Mills, NC, graduated from DeVry University in Atlanta in 1987 with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems. He spent over 18 years in the IT industry, and was a small business owner for nearly 5 years. Gerald and his wife, Toni, have been married for 19 years. They have two children: a daughter, Taylor, 15; and a son, Wesley, 13.
Gerald was on staff with the Gwinnett Village CID and the Gwinnett Village Community Alliance for 4 years. He is a 2009 graduate of the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute.
Board of Directors
Norman Nash, Chairman
Lisa Reeves, Vice Chairman Lisa Reeves was born in Atlanta, attended Lilburn Elementary, and has witnessed many changes to the Lilburn community. Higher education and professional endeavors took Lisa to California where she worked in the commercial real estate markets in Southern and Northern California before returning to her Atlanta roots. Lisa manages a local commercial real estate development company and embodies progress through transforming shopping centers into commercial environments
conducive for diverse opportunities and growth. These last few years, she has mainly focused on helping small local businesses survive and grow in this challenging economy.
Diane Bronk, Secretary
Diane Bronk was born and raised in Brunswick, Georgia and moved to Lilburn in 1971. Here she met her husband of 36 years. They have 3 children and 2 grandchildren. She joined the Lilburn Woman’s Club in 1977 where she has served as club president twice, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Lilburn Daze Chairman, Arts and Crafts Chairman and department chairman in the following departments: Art, Conservation, and Public Affairs.
Diane has also served on the Zoning board of Appeals in the City of Lilburn, the Merit Board, and currently serves as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board and on the Park Committee (Lilburn Relay Rally, Lilburn Idol shows, Arbor Day, Bike parade and rodeo, etc.) She has served on the Wynne Russell House Advisory board for 12 years, as chairman of the board for 6 years.
Diane is a member of First Baptist Lilburn Church where she is the ESL and Citizenship Director. She has worked in the local schools as PTA President, with the Mentoring program, and the Library reader committee.
Debra Haines, Treasurer Debra is a native of Florida having moved to Gwinnett County nearly 18 years ago. She is a graduate of University of North Florida, having also attended Florida State University. Having worked some 27 years in combined private and public accounting, she has been a CPA for over 16 years. She has been practicing in Lilburn since 1997, and lives in Lawrenceville.
John Souter, Member-at-Large
John Souter lives in Lilburn and graduated from South Gwinnett High School and West Georgia College. In 1992, at the age of 23, John started Comet National Shipping Corp. Comet was named as Entrepreneur Magazine’s 26th “Fastest Growing Small Business in America” in 1995.
John was a member of the Gwinnett County Rotary Club from 1999 to 2007. He is a commercial property owner in and around Lilburn, and is currently active in redevelopment. He is the owner of the Oyster Barn Bar and Grill.
Porter Deal, Sr.
Porter has lived in Gwinnett County for over 20 years and in the Lilburn area for over 16. He currently lives in the City of Lilburn with his family. A product of the Gwinnett County Public School; he has built several business over the years based here in Lilburn. Currently the Managing Broker at Lilburn Realty, LLC; a retail real estate brokerage and he is also head of real estate investments at Atlantic Consolidated, Inc., where he additionally serves as CEO.
Porter is active in the Lilburn area; he is Vice-Chair of Arcado School Council as well as the school’s business partner. He works with the Lilburn Business Association on the Lilburn Christmas Parade and other community development activities. He is the Sponsorship Chair for the WOP Parkview Swim Team and sits on the Board of his home owner association.
Lawrence Garrett
Rick Desai
Education:
BS Electrical Engineering – 1999, Georgia Institute of Technology.
Professional:
Executive Vice President of Eshco International, Inc with operations in USA, China and Israel.
Principal of Eshco Global Investments, LLC with operations in USA, Israel and soon in India.
Managing Partner of Mehsai Global Partners, LLC
Managing Partner of The Saffron Group, LLC
Helen Morriss
Helen Morriss, a native of Gwinnett County, was born and raised in Norcross and moved to Lilburn in 1976. She graduated from Norcross High School and the Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia, now Ga. State, majoring in business administration. Her husband, George, also a Gwinnett native, retired from the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Postal Service. They have four children and four grandchildren.
She has spent all of her working years with the State of Georgia, beginning in the Revenue Department, then Agriculture Department, and ending in the Department of Human Resources.
She represented Lilburn on the County Planning Commission and helped form the Lilburn Planning Commission for which she wrote the original ordinances and served as Chairman. Helen Morriss was elected to the Lilburn City Council from 1989 to 1994 and served on the Lilburn Merit Board. Currently, she serves on the Downtown Development Authority.
Elmer Nash
Elmer Luther Nash is a life long resident of Lilburn. He is a graduate of the University of GA and the University of GA Law School. He was a partner with Savell and Williams Law Firm in Atlanta for 27 years until his retirement in 1997 for health reasons. Elmer and his wife, Judy, live in the house where he grew up, an 1851 Plantation Plain Style Farmhouse in Lilburn. Elmer is an active member of Lilburn’s Calvary Baptist Church where he has taught adult Bible Study for over 25 years. He is also treasurer of the Lilburn Downtown Development Authority and owns and manages rental property.
Ed O’Connor Ed O'Connor is the Vice President of Connolly Realty Services, Inc., a commercial real estate development, management and brokerage company based in Lawrenceville, GA. Ed is a member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
Diana Preston
Diana Preston was elected Mayor of Lilburn for the term that began in January, 2008. Diana and her husband, Larry, have lived in Lilburn since 1975. Diana was a charter member of the Lilburn Planning Commission and a past member of the Lilburn Merit Board. Serving on the Lilburn City Council from 1985-1986 and 1991 through 2007, her council responsibilities have included streets and garbage, planning and zoning, and for the last several years, parks, recreation, and community activities.
After the rededication of City Park, Diana has worked with the Lilburn Park Committee coordinating several spring and summer park events, including the very popular Lilburn Idol events. Diana's goal is to enhance the quality of life in Lilburn, making it a community where residents live, shop, work, and play in safe and secure neighborhoods.
In addition to City Council activities, Diana has served as president of Gwinnett Municipal Association, graduated from Leadership Gwinnett, belongs to the Lilburn Woman's Club, serves on the Board of Directors for Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, and served as the 2006 co-Chair for Relay for Life of Gwinnett.
Diana recently retired from Gwinnett County Public Schools with 30 years of service. She is employed as a part-time assistant principal at Berkmar High School.
Michael Taylor
Jim Vaught
James W. Vaught, Jr. (Jim) has lived in the Lilburn area for 19 of his 35 years in Georgia. He is married to Dagmar A. Vaught and has a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren living in Nashville, TN.
Jim has a BS in Math Education from Tennessee Technological University and an MA in Administration from Tennessee Technological University. He is presently pursuing a Doctorate at Columbia International University.
After teaching for three years in a DeKalb County Public School, Jim was principal at DeKalb Christian Academy for eight years and headmaster for five years. He has been headmaster at Providence Christian Academy for 18 years.
Jim retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, after serving 24 years in Georgia Army National Guard. Jim also served in Desert Storm.
