Four new members recently joined the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Board of Directors, the guiding group that provides oversight to the nonprofit research organization.
The new board members bring a breadth of experience and knowledge of state-level policy from the varied perspectives of a state government affairs expert, a community activist, an environmental champion and an attorney whose pro-bono work includes arguments before the Georgia Supreme Court.
The following new members were recently approved by GBPI’s board.
Tom Boller is a retired government relations executive who remains actively involved in the political, civic and business communities in Georgia. He began his work in public affairs as government relations officer at the National Bank of Georgia before joining the Georgia Power Co. as a state legislative affairs manager. He launched his own firm in 1986, which is now does business as Capitol Partners Public Affairs Group and is one of the foremost government relations companies in Georgia.
Lois Frank serves as chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. She is president of Women’s Philanthropy in Atlanta and National Vice President of the American Jewish Committee. She was honored by the National Conference for Community and Justice in 2002 and also received from the American Jewish Committee the Atlanta Selig Distinguished Service Award in 1999 and the Advocacy Award in 2006.
Jim Stokes is president of Sustainable Solutions Georgia which works in the areas of energy, water and growth management. Previously, he served for four years as president of the Georgia Conservancy. Stokes had a 33-year career at the Alston & Bird law firm, where he was a senior partner, chaired the management committee and founded the environmental practice group. In 2005, Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed him as the sole environmental member of the Future of Forestry Joint Legislative Study Committee
Manoj S. “Sachin” Varghese is an attorney at Atlanta’s Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore law firm, where he represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex trial and appellate litigation, including matters involving contract disputes, business torts, fraud and false claims. He represented the Legislative Black Caucus of Georgia, Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials and League of United Latin American Citizens in a challenge to Georgia’s 2011 redistricting plans.
