Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday he has appointed Gwinnett County Juvenile Court Judge Tadia Whitner to the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit Superior Court.

“After serving our country as a captain in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, Tadia Whitner brought invaluable leadership and legal expertise to her work as a prosecutor, private attorney, and judge for municipal and juvenile court,” Kemp said in a news release late Tuesday. “Now, I am honored to appoint her to the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit Superior Court where I am confident that she will govern her courtroom with the utmost integrity and impartiality.” After graduating from Howard University with a B.A. and a J.D., Whitner served as an attorney and earned the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard.

Tadia Whitner, Gwinnett Judicial Circuit Superior Court. (Courtesy photo)

Following her military service, Whitner prosecuted cases for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice and the Florida Office of the Attorney General. Then she went to work for the Savannah Office of the Public Defender and served as a staff attorney for the Chatham County Juvenile Court.

From 2009 to 2011, Whitner had a solo practice with the Whitner Law Firm. She later became the managing partner of Porter and Whitner Law Group. She also served as an associate judge for the 'Snellville Municipal Court and a juvenile court judge for Gwinnett County.

She is a member of Leadership Georgia's Class of 2019 and involved in the Air Force Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Georgia Association of Women Attorneys, Gwinnett County Bar Association, National Council of Negro Women and United Way of Greater Metro Atlanta. She also is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett's Class of 2018. She has been honored by the Howard University Alumni Association-Atlanta Chapter' with a Distinguished Alumni Award. She and her husband and two children live in Lawrenceville, where the Gwinnett County Judicial Center is located.

Deputy Commissioner Named

The governor also announced Tuesday he has appointed his former chief of staff as secretary of state, Jessica Simmons, to serve as deputy commissioner at the Georgia Department of Revenue.

“Jessica Simmons is a trusted leader with a remarkable attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Kemp said. “Over the years, she has demonstrated effective leadership in every one of her roles, and I know that she will make a lasting, positive impact at the Department of Revenue by streamlining operations and eliminating burdensome red tape. Jessica is an invaluable asset to my administration.”

Simmons has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Georgia. She started out in the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State in customer service and constituent affairs. After working in Washington, D.C., Simmons returned to Georgia as the assistant director of the Georgia Elections Division. Most recently, she served as chief of staff for then-Secretary of State Kemp.