Party Officers

The Officers of the Democratic Party of Georgia were elected to four-year terms on January 29, 2011

Mike Berlon has been involved in Democratic politics for over three decades. Simply put, his life’s work has prepared him for the challenge of leading our party to victory. During his 30 years of political engagement, he has been a candidate for office, recruited and worked with candidates in both local and statewide campaigns, sponsored countless fundraisers and vigorously promoted Democratic ideals. Most recently, Mike served as Carol Porter’s campaign manager for Lt. Governor. As the immediate past President of the Georgia Association of Democratic County Chairs (GADCC), he’s seen first hand the challenges facing our county parties. As the longest serving Democratic Party Chairman in Gwinnett County (the most diverse county in Georgia), he knows elections are won from the ground up. Mike earned an undergraduate degree in political science and a law degree from Georgia State. He is currently a practicing attorney in Lawrenceville. Find Mike on facebook.

 
Nikema Williams is a native of Smiths, Alabama and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Talladega College, a private liberal arts HBCU in Talladega, Alabama. The Apex Society designated her as one of their Power 30 Under 30 in the field of politics for 2008.  She is an alumnus of Leadership Atlanta’s LEAD class of 2009 and a 2009 graduate of Yale University’s Women’s Campaign School. She was also recognized in the 2009 and 2010 publication of Who’s Who in Black Atlanta as a community leader. She was honored in 2010, by Outstanding Atlanta, the city’s premiere honor for community involvement. Find Nikema on facebook and visit her website to learn more.

RJ Hadley is the Chief Operating Officer at Affordable Housing Community Development Corp., a non-profit housing and economic development organization. He was a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention and has been a member of the Rockdale County Democratic Party since 2006 and a member of its executive committee since 2010. Hadley is a graduate of Dartmouth College. In 2009, he was appointed Chief of Staff for Rockdale County.In 2010, Hadley sought the Democratic Party’s nomination for Senate in Georgia. Find RJ on facebook and learn more about him at wikipedia.org.

Rep. Pedro Marin possesses over 25 years of executive experience in both the private and non-profit sector and is the highest ranking Latino Democrat in Georgia. He is committed to being a voice for justice, opportunity, and equality for all people. Pedro Marin is truly a public servant. Pedro was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico to a family steeped in Puerto Rican politics. While working for Persol, North America, in San Juan, he transferred with his company to Georgia. Upon arriving to Gwinnett County, Pedro immediately recognized the need to build relationships with community and government leaders due to the emergence of a growing Latino community in the metro Atlanta area. In 2002, Pedro made history by being one of the first Latinos ever elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Find Pedro on facebook and learn more about him at his website.

Miguel Camacho is a long term resident of Georgia with strong political passions for our great state and our country.  He is a veteran of the Georgia National Guard and has been an active member of the Democratic party since high school. Miguel’s long history of service led him to play a prominent role as a Deputy Field Organizer in the 2008 Presidential Election. In 2008, Miguel was appointed as an At-Large Delegate-Alternate for the Obama campaign and was elected to the DPG’s State Committee. In 2010, as the Chairman of Candidate Recruitment for Chatham County Democrats, Miguel implemented the DPG’s 2010 election strategy of running a viable Democrat against every Republican incumbent. Chatham was one of only a few county parties to successfully carry out this strategy. Due to these efforts, CCDC was a recipient of the GADCC’s 2010 President’s Award. Miguel has a degree in management and currently manages a program construction management firm. You can find Miguel on facebook here.

Laverne Lewis Gaskins is an attorney and is the Secretary and Deputy General Counsel for the Democratic Party of Georgia. She was elected to serve as Delegate (District 1) for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

She is a former member of the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia. She serves on Florida State University College of Law Alumni Board of Directors, is a member of the Valdosta Rotary and a graduate of Leadership Lowndes, Class 2003. A 2010 Fulbright grant recipient, Ms. Gaskins has received numerous awards and recognitions including the 2009, Justice Benham Award for Community Service, State Bar Georgia. Find Laverne on facebook here.

Sen. Lester Jackson was first elected to the state legislature in 1998. He was soon awarded Georgia’s Freshman Legislator of the Year for his strong service promoting and protecting Democratic values. He is a lifelong resident of Savannah and has received the Savannah Community Service Award for his work on tax reform in Chatham County. A US Navy veteran and a life member of the NAACP, Senator Jackson is a Savannah family dentist. He was elected Treasurer on Saturday, June 16 by unanimous vote.