Jackie Lunsford, the deputy director of the county's Parks and Maintenance department, was unanimously approved by the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners to the position of department director on Tuesday.

Lunsford, a 20 year veteran with the county, topped out two other finalists – Corliss Randall Davenport, a former Atlanta Public Schools principal who resigned before the state's report on school system cheating was released, and Marilyn Boyd Drew, a former DeKalb County parks deputy director who was convicted of discrimination.

Applause broke out after the motion was seconded to select Lunsford. 

Chairman Richard Oden said of the unanimous vote, "It was my decision. I was not influenced by any letters that I received."

“After I finished my interview on Friday, I knew she was my choice… What Jackie brought to the table was far exceeding any other candidates.”

Lunsford has been deputy director of the department since 2009 and headed senior services and the Olivia Haydel Senior Center before that. 

In other BOC business:

The revisions on the ordinances regulating places of public assembly, such as churches and banquet halls, was passed unanimously after months of public hearings and input.

The commissioners went into executive session for more than 30 minutes in the middle of the meeting to discuss personnel after the Clerk of Courts requested a change in a personnel position from clerk to an IT/technology specialist. Other elected officials, including Tax Commissioner RJ Hadley,  Probate Court Judge Charles Mays, Sheriff Eric Levett, and Clerk of Courts Ruth Wilson attended the executive session as well. 

After emerging from the executive session, the commissioners voted to approve the position change. 

Van Ness said, “I’d like to note for the record these two positions are of equal pay and should not impact the budget.”

The Commissioners also unanimously repealed a portion of the ordinance adopted last year that allowed the county storm water department to work on private property but also required the county to maintain the project on that property indefinitely.  The law also put projects under the same priority rating system as all other public property storm water projects. Repealing that portion of the law allowed commissioners more discretion on the storm water projects on private property, said Planning and Zoning Director Marshall Walker.