A former Rockdale assistant district attorney was recently appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal as Commissioner of the state's Department of Driver Services, the agency in charge of driver licensing.

Rob Mikell, who has served as Deputy Commissioner since 2007, takes the place of Greg Dozier, who is being named assistant commissioner/chief of staff of the Georgia Department of Corrections.

“Georgia’s Department of Corrections is one of the state’s largest agencies, working to create a safer Georgia by managing offenders and providing opportunities for positive change,” said Deal. “Greg has ably led DDS, and this promotion allows the state to use his talents to a further extent.

"Rob has proven himself as a great deputy for Greg and he’s well-prepared to take on this added responsibility," said Deal. "Congratulations to them both.”

Prior to his role as Deputy Commissioner, Mikell was the deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, deputy chief assistant solicitor-general for DeKalb County. He was an assistant district attorney for Rockdale County from 1997 to 2000.

After earning his law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law, Mikell practiced at Fain, Major, & Wiley, P.C. in Atlanta for  two years. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from The Citadel and his master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University. Mikell currently serves as chairman of AAMVA International’s Suspended and Revoked Drivers Work group, secretary of Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s Law Enforcement Academy Advisory Board and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.

He is a member of First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville’s Board of Trustees. Mikell, a native of Thomaston, and his wife Sherrie have three children. They reside in Snellville.

Dozier has served as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services since his appointment in May 2005. Prior to this role, Dozier was the director of accounting for the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, the policy coordinator for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, and the division director of the General Government and Public Safety Division. Dozier currently serves as chairman of the Georgia Driver Education Commission, Region II Vice President of the American Association of Motor Vehicles and as a member of the AAMVA International Board of Directors. Dozier received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and master’s degree in Finance from Georgia State University. He is also a graduate of the Regional Police Academy’s Basic Law Enforcement Training Course.

Dozier and his wife, Stephanie, have two daughters. They reside in Covington.