Alpharetta swears in council and judicial officers; council members announce board appointments
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Summary
At an organizational meeting on Jan. 5, Alpharetta officials administered oaths of office to newly seated council members and several judicial officers and recorded a slate of appointments and reappointments to boards and commissions. The announcements covered zoning, historic preservation, natural resources and recreation posts.
Alpharetta officials administered multiple oaths of office and announced board and commission appointments at the City Council’s organizational meeting and public hearing on Jan. 5, 2026.
Mayor Gilvin and city staff oversaw swearing-in ceremonies in which new and returning public officials repeated the oath to support the constitutions and laws of Georgia and the United States, to uphold the city’s code and charter and to faithfully perform their duties. The meeting record includes administration of oaths for council members and municipal-court posts; the transcript identifies a municipal court chief judge, recorded as David Seawill, and an associate judge, recorded as Jamie Mendel, among those sworn in.
Council members then announced appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions. Mayor pro tem Dan Merkel said he would appoint Craig Johnson to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Council member Kirk Driscoll announced appointments that included Brent Beacham (Board of Zoning Appeals), Susan Hannah (Cultural Arts Commission), Richard Kramer (Design Review Board), Connie Mashburn (Historic Preservation Commission), Jacqueline Jenner (Natural Resources Commission), Todd Stratton (Planning Commission) and Tate Holcomb (Recreation Commission). Council member Reid announced appointments for Tammy Lucas (Board of Zoning Appeals), Melody Cookson (Cultural Arts Commission), Chris Baine (Design Review Board), Bonnie Steadman (Historic Preservation Commission), Lindsay Ann Burnett (Natural Resources Commission), Karen Richard (Planning Commission) and Jit Saha (Recreation Board). Council member Dorito reappointed multiple incumbents (names transcribed in the record include Lisa Schiphol, Sumida Patel, Pat Corkle, Shaq Lewis, Herb Velasquez, Jill Reynolds and a recreation-board reappointment transcribed as 'caller Pedrajita'). Council member Brady named Terry Rendon to the Natural Resources Commission.
Clerical staff asked appointees to come forward to receive pins, sign their oaths and return the documents to the assistant city clerk (identified in the transcript as Grace) for filing. The meeting did not record formal roll-call votes or a recorded tally for each appointment in the provided transcript; appointments were announced by council members at the dais and clerical steps to finalize the paperwork were described.
The meeting record includes repeated oath language referencing obligations to the State Bar of Georgia and Judicial Council of Georgia for judicial officers and references to supporting the "charter and laws of the city of Alpharetta." The transcript contains some transcription inconsistencies in names and place spellings; article attributions and name spellings follow the transcript’s explicit text unless noted in the audit.
The meeting adjourned after the swearing and appointment items were completed.
