Kemp Names First Black Women To Lead State Revenue, Technology Agencies

Caption

Robyn Crittenden becomes the new commissioner at the state Department of Revenue, effective July 1.

Credit: State of Georgia

Gov. Brian Kemp appointed two Black women Thursday to head Georgia’s revenue and technology agencies, the first to hold those posts in the state’s history.

Robyn Crittenden becomes the new commissioner at the state Department of Revenue, effective July 1. She will succeed Interim Commissioner Frank O’Connell, who took over the role when David Curry resigned at the beginning of this month.

Crittenden is a veteran of state government. She currently serves as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services and was interim secretary of state for a few weeks in 2018 after Kemp — who had held the office — was elected governor.

Kemp also announced Thursday the appointment of Shawnzia Thomas as executive director of the Georgia Technology Authority following a GTA Board vote making her the state’s new chief information officer. Thomas, too, will take office July 1 after beginning to transition into the role next week.

She will succeed Calvin Rhodes, who is retiring after running the technology authority for the last decade.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Capitol Beat News Service.