Board of Directors
The Clayton County Water Authority is governed by a Board of Directors composed of seven members. Each board member serves on a part-time basis for a term of five years and may be reappointed for additional terms. Members of the Board are appointed by the Clayton County Board of Commissioners.
Appointments to the board are structured in a staggered manner so that there is no more than two new members in any given year to ensure continuity in governance. The Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer are elected by and serve at the pleasure of the Water Authority Board of Directors. The Board of Directors meets on the 1st Thursday of each month at our Headquarters Building at 1600 Battle Creek Road in Morrow. These meetings are open to the public.
From an operations standpoint, the Authority utilizes a Board of Directors-Administrator form of organization. The General Manager is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Board. The Board adopts a balanced budget annually and establishes billing rates and fees for the operations of the Water Authority. The General Manager has the responsibility of administering operations in accordance with the policies and the annual budget adopted by the Board of Directors.
Dr. Cephus Jackson
Chair
Dr. Cephus Jackson joined the Clayton County Water Authority Board of Directors in March 2015. Dr. Jackson has held leadership roles in school districts in four states ranging in size from 8,500 students to 212,000 students with yearly budgets up to 1.5 billion dollars. These leadership experienc… Read more »
Marie Barber
Vice Chair
Marie Barber joined the Clayton County Water Authority (CCWA) Board on October 6, 1999 as the first female member in the history of the utility. She served for many years as the board’s Secretary/Treasurer and as Board Chair from December 2012 – February 2015. In January 2018, she was elected Vic… Read more »
P. Michael Thomas
Secretary/Treasurer
P. Michael Thomas has served on the board since being appointed by the Clayton County Board of Commissioners in November 2021 to complete the unexpired term of John Westervelt. He was appointed to a new five year term in February 2023. He brings more than 35 years of experience in the water industry, including positions with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, the Atlanta Regional Commission, Parsons Engineering, Clayton County Water Authority and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals. Mr. Thomas worked for CCWA 19 years, serving as the general manager for 11 years before retiring in 2018. He resides in Jonesboro.
Dr. John Chafin
Board Member
Dr. John Chafin is no stranger to the people of Clayton County. He has served his community as a business owner, elected representative and as a member of the Clayton County Water Authority’s (CCWA) Board of Directors since 2004. Dr. Chafin served two years as Vice Chairman from 2010 – 2012 and was elect… Read more »
Rodney Givens
Board Member
Rodney Givens brings an engineer’s eye to CCWA’s Board of Directors. As a Civil and Architectural Engineer, Givens’ background gives him insight into the complex engineering aspects of the water industry. Appointed to the board in March 2010, Givens was elected Vice Chairman in February 2015. In … Read more »
Robin Malone
Board Member
Mr. Robin Malone was appointed to the Clayton County Water Authority Board of Directors in 2016. He was elected by the Water Authority Board as Chair in January 2020. He works as a consultant and brings with him years of experience in the commercial banking industry. Read more »
Emma Godbee
Board Member
Ms. Emma Godbee joined the Clayton County Water Authority Board of Directors in May 2021. She is an independent financial advisor who has been a resident of Clayton County for 40 years. For the past 35 years, she has called Riverdale home. She was a founding member of Clayton County Coalition for Quality Education (CCCQE) and served on the Clayton County Tourism Authority Board for 20 years. She currently serves on The Zoning Appeals Board in Riverdale. She is active in the Education Ministry at her church and with the national Democratic Party.