DeKalb ethics reboot completed
DeKalb state legislators voted unanimously Thursday to appoint a certified public accountant to the last seat on the county's Board of Ethics, completing an overhaul approved by voters in November.
Shermanetta Carter's selection brings the seven-member board to full strength as it prepares to resume hearing complaints about unethical behavior by DeKalb government officials and contractors. The board has the power to reprimand, fine or recommend prosecutions.
About 92 percent of voters supported the Board of Ethics' restructuring, which takes appointment powers away from the DeKalb Commission and CEO. Now members of the panel are chosen by five groups and two judges.
Carter said she agreed to sit on the board because she wants to confront accusations of inappropriate conduct by DeKalb officials.
“I know I’m stepping into hot water, but I’m up for the challenge,” Carter said. “I’ll be able to step into the situation to address the facts of ethical or unethical behaviors that are rumored to be happening.”
The board's membership was supposed to be chosen by Dec. 31, but DeKalb's delegation to the Georgia General Assembly wasn't ready to make its appointment until after this year's legislative session began.
DeKalb’s state representatives and senators reviewed seven nominees before settling on Carter for a two-year term.
Legislators said they chose Carter because she could be independent and objective, and she has never run for political office.
“She wants to deliberately look at everything and then make a decision,” said Rep. Pam Stephenson, D-Decatur, the chairwoman of the nominating committee. “That’s what I think the Ethics Board is about — independence and integrity.”
Carter runs an accounting firm, Integrity Accounting Services. She previously worked as a revenue agent for the IRS and as a photojournalist for the U.S. Army Reserves, according to her resume.
“She’s going to take this on as a public service, and not to grandstand or anything,” said Sen. Steve Henson, D-Tucker. “That’s what we need.”
The other members of the Board of Ethics are:
- Scott Bonder, an attorney appointed by the DeKalb Bar Association
- Brian Deutsch, an attorney appointed by DeKalb Probate Court Judge Jeryl Rosh
- Daniel DeWoskin, an attorney appointed by Leadership DeKalb
- Greg Russell, a financial adviser for Edward Jones Investments, appointed by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
- Lawrence Schall, the president of Oglethorpe University, appointed by six local universities and colleges
- Robert Tatum, an IBM contractor serving as a contract management analyst, appointed by DeKalb Superior Court Chief Judge Tangela Barrie
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
