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LEADERS OF COBB
Since its establishment more than 180 years ago, Cobb County has been defined by its people. Some of these individuals have made their mark by becoming pioneers of business, captains of industry and heads of state.
And if you’re reading this, you likely know why Cobb is attractive to so many. It hosts exceptional schools, is within close reach to the world’s busiest airport, has all of the convenience of proximity to the
big city and is fertile ground for entrepreneurship. The list goes on, but it always comes back to the people who have built this county into what it is.
On the following pages we have profiled individuals who are among Cobb’s premier leaders. We wanted to find out about their jobs, delve into their personal lives and gain some words of wisdom. And of course, we asked: Why have you picked Cobb County?
Ted Ziaylek Clinic Director at Team Rehab
THE STORY: I was born and raised just outside of Philadelphia. I grew up in the suburbs with my parents and an older sister. I graduated from Pennsbury High School and I received my bachelor’s in business management from Widener University in 2006. After completing my undergraduate work, I began working in a sales position. During that time, I realized I missed my calling for healthcare. I went on to earn my doctorate in physical therapy at Mercer University, where I graduated with honors in 2015. Additionally, I completed Mercer’s Orthopaedic PT Residency program in 2016. In January of 2018, I opened Team Rehab’s first clinic in Georgia. I felt a desire to help people improve and better their lives. Physical therapy allows for me to do that, as well as to build relationships with my patients and community. WHY I CHOSE TO LIVE IN COBB: I love working in Cobb County. It is full of active people who are willing to put time and effort into improving the area. It has given myself and my staff opportunities to be involved in the community more than we could have hoped for. As we continue to grow, we are always looking for more ways to help the community. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? The number-one thing I love most about my job is the people. I love being a part of people returning back to their lives. We have former patients stop in all the time and give us updates on how they are doing. That means the world to us. Watching people return to the life they want makes every day worth it. LEISURE TIME: In my spare time, I love to play with my 5-year-old daughter, Lily, and 1.5-year-old daughter, Emilia. My wife and I often are found in the local parks with our children or hiking throughout Cobb. I grew up playing football and still look forward to watching it each and every fall. We also are foodies and love discovering new places to eat around the area. BEST ADVICE: Stay active. Movement is medicine. Find things you love to do that are active and do them. If you are physically struggling to do the things you love, see a physical therapist. Let us help you return to your passion! Don’t let pain or limitations stop you. WHAT’S NEXT? Professionally, I am looking to learn more. I am currently enrolled in several continuing education classes on new techniques. I love to learn, and I want to make sure I am treating my patients based on the most current research and techniques available. I recently added blood flow restriction training into my practice and have seen some great results with it. Personally, I am recovering from a fairly significant shoulder injury. I am looking forward to getting back to exercising and playing outside with my children without limitations. I am trying to follow my own advice and keep moving.
Sondra Rowan Candidate for Cobb Superior Court Clerk
THE STORY: I am a life-long resident of Cobb County. After graduating from Wills High School, I continued my education at Kennesaw State University. It was during this portion of my life’s journey that I realized my passion for political science, government and law, which would follow me throughout my career. My first adventure after graduating was a position with Randstad in conjunction with staffing for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Participating in the operations required to staff this amazing event on the worldwide stage was a oncein-a-lifetime experience. I was lured away from the private sector for an opportunity to work within the judicial system. Here, I worked with the Cobb County Juvenile Court in various areas of supervision within multiple programs such as Intensive Surveillance, Probation, and the Truancy Diversion Program.
I returned to the private sector for an opportunity to manage and restructure a local small business. My first time at the helm was quite educational and an experience that would propel my success into business management. It is important to understand the needs and functions of a company to determine what changes need to be made; however, the speed is determined by the level trust of the employees.
As my career progressed, I was recruited by the Clerk of Superior Court to take the position of Judicial Program Coordinator for the Board of Equalization (2013). Here, I implemented several changes resulting in a substantially more efficient department, including creating a waiver so the taxpayer could receive their ruling immediately. This also saved the county over $50,000 in mailings. Under my leadership, the department’s budget would have an excess over $60,000; a savings over 25 percent of the total budget. Several of the processes I created and implemented were added to legislation in 2015.
That same year, I was promoted to Division Manager over the Real Estate Department. Again, I would take on the challenge to revamp a department under the Clerk of Superior Court. During my tenure, I not only identified, researched, and provided solutions to inefficiencies, but also helped introduce and produce methods and processes to improve the customer’s experience. Together, with the trust of an amazing staff, I was able to directly implement a multitude of changes that drastically improved the department. Under my guidance, we were one of the first counties in the state to implement E-filings for security deeds. This process expedites real estate closing and eliminates back-andforth issues that can delay your enjoyment of your new Cobb County home. WHY I CHOOSE TO LIVE IN COBB: It offers the energy of a big city but retains the feel of a small town. I can’t imagine finding a better community or place to live, work, and raise a family. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I have been in management for over 20 years. I enjoy the responsibilities and the demands of the role. I resigned from my position in 2019 to run for Clerk of the Superior Court. Cobb County Citizens deserve to have a hard-working Clerk who will put their needs first. LEISURE TIME: I love to spend time with my girls, Sophia and Alexis. My high energy level has led to an active lifestyle with a focus on running (nine marathons so far and too many 10 K’s to count). BEST ADVICE: Always be honest and fair, and take the time to acknowledge and empower those around you.
THE STORY: I grew up in Cobb County and attended Osborne High School. During those years, I began to feel a sense of community and pride in our nation and considered joining the military. As I weighed my options, I decided that law enforcement was my calling and I have now been a law enforcement professional for over 40 years.
WHY I CHOSE TO LIVE
IN COBB: Cobb County is my home. To serve the great people of this county is a daily honor and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Taking over the unexpired term of longtime Sheriff Bill Hutson, I was sworn in as the 42nd Sheriff of Cobb County on Jan. 1, 2004. I have been employed with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office since 1977. I worked my way through the ranks of the Sheriff’s Office, starting as a Sheriff’s Deputy. Over the years, I was promoted to the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain. Then I was appointed as Chief Investigator in 1984 and to the position of Chief Deputy Sheriff in June of 1994, where I served until taking over the Office of Sheriff. Having been elected to the office of Sheriff four times, I continue to serve the citizens of Cobb County today. LEISURE TIME: During my off time — of which there is very little since you are the Sheriff 24/7 — I enjoy spending time with my wife Penny, my daughter Liz Malcom and her husband John, and my other daughter Kim Warren. Both Penny and I are active in our church and believe that our community activities are a very important part of our lives. Reading and staying caught up on law enforcement trends,
Neil Warren Cobb County Sheriff
plus managing a “small city” called the Cobb County Adult Detention Facility, keeps me in constant contact with my command staff. With an $85-million-dollar budget, and over 800 employees, there is always something that demands my attention! WHAT’S NEXT? As for the future, I am seeking a fifth term from the Cobb County voters! I believe that law enforcement knows no political party affiliation, and I think the consistent law enforcement that the citizens of Cobb have grown to expect will allow me to continue to reach the goals for myself professionally and the good folks of Cobb County.
THE STORY: My parents were married for 55 years. My father worked for Chrysler American Motors for 43 years, and my mother was a respiratory therapist at a Veteran’s Memorial Hospital. On their modest incomes, they raised me and my six older siblings in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I developed my strong work ethic, moral compass, and sense of family from my parents.
Immediately upon graduating law school, I was hired by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office. Assigned to the Special Victim’s Unit, I helped prosecute crimes against children. In 1999, I moved to West Cobb and began my career as a family law attorney. I have been in the trenches alongside Cobb County families for the last 21 years, handling such matters as divorce, custody, child support, legitimation, and adoptions.
Well before even knowing I would run for the bench, I wrote three articles that were published in The Family Law Review, a State Bar publication. In those articles, I wrote about judicial transparency, culpability, credibility, impartiality, and the need to hear the voices of those seeking relief from the court. These are not mere talking points one should say when running for office. These are essential ideals I have exhibited throughout my career and intend to carry with me to Cobb County Superior Court bench.
The practice of family law requires a patient ear. As a Judge, I will be expected to preside over a wide range of cases, including, but not limited to, criminal felonies and business, property, and contractual disputes. To me, these cases have one common denominator: One party feels as if the other has wronged them and they are seeking relief from the court. I promise to use my well-trained ear to hear every aspect of these cases before rendering a fair decision.
WHY I CHOSE TO LIVE IN
COBB: I met my husband in 1995. That same year, I left the DA’s office and joined him in Georgia. We married in 2003, and became the proud parents of twin daughters in 2006. In 2007, we welcomed our third daughter.
Cobb County is just a wonderful place to raise a family. From the schools, to the abundance of activities we can find in our own backyard, Cobb County is just perfect for us. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I love helping people attain closure of whatever family, financial, or personal crisis they may be living. As a sole practitioner, I close as many as 50 cases per year. As a judge, I estimate that I can close as many as 1,000 cases per year. In short, I can do more good from the bench than what I am doing now in private practice. LEISURE TIME: I enjoy traveling, reading, culinary arts, the theater, the opera, and ballroom dancing at the Ballroom Institute in West Cobb. BEST ADVICE: Find something you love to do and do it well. WHAT’S NEXT? Sitting on the Cobb County Superior Court bench for at least the next 16 years and travelling the world with my husband, children, and, hopefully, grandchildren.
THE STORY: I am a native of Atlanta. I attended the University of Colorado and received bachelor’s degrees in English and Philosophy. After college, I returned to Atlanta and began working at the Georgia Law Center for Homelessness doing advocacy for homeless people as well as victims of domestic violence, people with housing issues, and working-class people with labor claims. I learned that I enjoyed public-interest law and have been lucky to dedicate most of my career to that effort.
I attended law school at Georgia State University, beginning in 1998. During law school, I worked at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation doing domestic violence work and continued to work at the Law Center in the summers. I went to work at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society upon graduation from law school. I worked there for three years before going into private practice. I spent about 10 years developing a practice that was 75-percent criminal law and about 25-percent juvenile law. For the last two years, it’s been about 50-50. I continue to do as much domestic violence work as I can. I have worked as a public defender in Doraville, Sandy Springs and Rowell, and served as the Cobb County Circuit Defender since 2008. Currently, I staff a courtroom in juvenile court where I represent children and parents, and where I function as the courtroom advocate for the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court, the Family Treatment Court, and the Child Court. WHY I CHOSE TO LIVE IN COBB: Cobb County is a great place to live. It has great schools and it has a lot of great things to offer. The county’s services have always been excellent, and it was an ideal place to raise three children — all of whom attended and graduated from Cobb Public Schools.
Scott Halperin Candidate for State Court Judge
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? The absolute best thing about my job is when we all work as hard as we can and still manage to come out with a result that is better than what came into court. When we can help a family move forward, that is the most rewarding day at work for me. LEISURE TIME: I enjoy listening to and sometimes playing music. And I love to play with my dog, Gertie. BEST ADVICE: Pay close attention to whom you elect and why you elect them. Read about your candidates and about the new laws the legislature passes each year. It is our country and we need to take some responsibility for having the society we want. WHAT’S NEXT? I plan to continue to serve the community by taking my skills and experience to the bench and becoming a judge in Cobb County.
Journey On Drew Tutton paves an open road for students
By Katherine Michalak
After more than 25 years in the automotive business, Drew Tutton knows how to read market trends and how to value the hum of a fine-tuned vehicle. He also knows how to recognize a strong work ethic, and he appreciates the impact of excellence in customer service. Tutton admits to challenging his parents as a mischievous teen, veering off into negative directions that seemed to derail his future. But, through the support of family and the mentorship of an encouraging coach, Tutton made it through school and out into the workforce with a determination to find his niche in business.
By 1992, he’d been recruited into sales for the Ed Voyles Automotive Group and deftly climbed the company ladder to general manager and principal dealer. Then, in 2014, he added RV-dealership owner to his list of ventures, founding Open Roads Complete RV. Now he looks forward to the expanded possibilities at his company’s new facility in Acworth. Placed high on his list of priorities is the continuing development of programming for Chattahoochee Technical College students, assisting them with hands-on-learning in automotive or recreational vehicle service.
Tutton’s ongoing relationship with Chattahoochee Technical College originated about 12 years ago as he sought resources to enhance the Ed Voyles service department. What started with hiring mechanics grew into a deep respect for the school’s curriculum and pedagogy. Tutton saw the mutual benefit of carrying that educational spirit into the dealership via on-the-job training and mentorship for student-apprentices and new hires. “In these years of involvement, I’ve seen a big shift from viewing trade schools as an alternative education,” Tutton maintains. “Chattahoochee Tech cultivates energy and a mindset in students, encouraging them to be the best they can be at a defined skillset.” This becomes the path that makes sense for students who set an overarching goal to make a strong entrance into the workforce in a rewarding, marketable career.
High regard for the Chattahoochee Tech mission led Tutton to volunteer more of his time with the school, teaching seminars and serving as a past member of their Foundation Board of Trustees. In that role,
he focused on engagement initiatives and strategic planning. “Drew Tutton and Open Roads Complete RV have been valuable supporters of our college,” says Amanda Henderson, director of advancement at Chattahoochee Tech Foundation. “Open
What is the Student Leadership Academy? The Student Leadership Academy is designed to provide a select group of Chattahoochee Technical College students with workplace skills, while also giving them a vested knowledge about leadership development. The program helps develop students academically to become creative and innovative, and to become effective leaders in the workplace. It also allows them to benefit through development of a mentoring relationship with members/ facilitators of the Academy, such as Tutton.
The Student Leadership Academy consists of five sessions. Each session is designed to facilitate a better understanding of leadership qualities and principles. Sessions include establishing a personality and leadership profile, teambuilding and conflict resolution, communication skills, and community leadership and networking. Participants commit to the semester-long program that culminates with one student being selected to receive an award of $500.
In order to participate in the program, students are required to complete an application process that included a panel interview. They also have to meet GPA requirements and demonstrate evidence of community or work-related activities. The Chattahoochee Technical College students selected for participation in the college’s 2020 Student Leadership Academy are Mikayla Alexis, Ainsley Armstrong, Eileen Carr, Jada Drake, Jemetria Mabrey, and Monique Ubani.
Learn more about the program at chattahoocheetech.edu.
The new showroom at Open Roads Complete RV.
Roads Complete RV has served as sponsor of the Chattahoochee Tech Student Leadership Academy for two years [with Tutton], volunteering as a featured presenter during the session called Cultivating Your Vision.”
Out in the community, Tutton promotes school programming by contacting high schools and discussing the benefit of technical education, as well as encouraging young adults who feel stifled on their current path to consider taking courses. “If those in their 20s and 30s check it out and discover how [through these jobs] they can provide for their families, it will really shift the paradigm,” Tutton affirms. “These are not skills to learn online,” he continues, “and if [automotive] techs work with me for a year, they are eligible for corporate scholarships.”
For Tutton, the commitment to supporting technical education grew organically from his own personal experience. A true, all-American bootstrapper, he achieved business success more through sweat equity than classroom instruction. “I’m not a college grad,” he said. “I started out washing cars, then selling cars, then management on up, learning as I went. [Now] most kids don’t have that opportunity to learn certain skills.” Technical colleges and trade schools help those students discover new aptitudes, master skills, determine a career track,
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“In these years of involvement, I’ve seen a big shift from viewing trade schools as an alternative education. Chattahoochee Tech cultivates energy and a mindset in students, encouraging them to be the best they can be at a defined skill set.” — Drew Tutton
and navigate a direction for the future, Tutton offered.
As he champions the positive outcomes of a strong technical education, Tutton also assesses developments within his own field and considers the possibilities those changes could provide within the workforce. About six years ago, he noticed a distinct and measurable dearth of RV technicians. “RV work requires a different skillset,” he explains. “It’s more like working on a house with trim work, interior finishes, and detailing.” With this in mind, Tutton focused on what steps could be taken to get more technical students introduced to RV technology. “This whole project has been about trying to move in that direction,” he says. “We needed a new facility anyway and bought a piece of property right up the road from Chattahoochee Tech [North Metro campus]. It’s a good location for us, and we believed it would be easier if we were closer to the school to have instructors and students participate in training.”
Tutton sees this need for trained, capable RV technicians as a void in the industry overall. Relatively new programs exist in a few other areas of the country — Indiana, Florida, and Texas, for instance — but the necessity to expand and to make mainstream technical training for RV service increases in tandem with the rising demand for these vehicles. “There’s been huge growth [in the industry]. Yes, there’s still a big market share of that traditional buyer, retirees over 60, but there’s never been this huge of an audience of younger buyers,” Tutton reveals.
“There’s GenX-ers looking for adventure, and a huge growth in the millennial population,” he continued. When asked why the surge, Tutton points out that technology presents a new world where people can easily work virtually, which increases their ability to move around the country as they please, often bringing kids and homeschooling on the road. In addition, he notes, “For people who are conscious of the financial element, they realize that they can buy an RV for a fraction of the cost of a house, finance it, and also have the lifestyle freedom they want.”
However, the reality of this industry is that most dealers only sell the units and may not have adequate resources to offer full service and repair. “It’s a house on wheels, whether it’s being pulled or driven, so there are a lot of items that need maintenance,” Tutton acknowledges. Unlike automotive mechanics, which involve the more traditionally grimy labor on engines, transmission, tires, etc., RV work presents a cleaner environment and Tutton’s new facility offers students an opportunity to immerse in that. “The appeal is that students can be introduced into the RV industry even if they are pursuing plumbing, carpentry, or electrical,” he stresses. “We want to give Chattahoochee Tech students another path to choose from while in trade school.” n
