Columbus leaders Carolyn Hugley, Calvin Smyre named to Georgia Governor-Elect’s transition team
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- Columbus leaders Carolyn Hugley and Calvin Smyre named honorary co-chairs of Governor-Elect Bottoms' transition team.
- Hugley serves as House Minority Leader since 1993; Smyre was longest-serving Georgia General Assembly member.
Two prominent Columbus political leaders will have roles in shaping Georgia’s incoming administration after Governor-Elect Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the members of her transition team Friday.
Georgia House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley and former State Representative Calvin Smyre have both been named honorary co-chairs of Georgia’s Promise, the official transition team tasked with preparing Bottoms’ administration to take office in January 2027.
The announcement, made Nov. 6, brings together current and former elected officials, business executives, civic leaders and other influential figures from across Georgia to help guide the transition ahead of the inauguration.
Hugley has represented Columbus in the Georgia House of Representatives since 1993 and currently serves as House Minority Leader, a position she assumed in 2025. Before becoming minority leader, she served for 15 years as the Democratic Whip.
Smyre, who represented Columbus in the Georgia General Assembly from 1975 until 2023, is recognized as the longest-serving member in the history of the Georgia General Assembly. During his time in office, he became the first African American to serve as House floor leader since Reconstruction and later chaired the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Both Columbus leaders will join a group of 20 honorary co-chairs who will provide guidance to the incoming administration, connect the transition team with civic and community leaders throughout Georgia, and assist with briefings, recruitment referrals and public engagement.
The honorary co-chair list also includes U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, former Georgia Governors Roy Barnes and Joe Frank Harris, former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and several other current and former state officials.
In addition to the honorary co-chairs, Bottoms announced 10 transition co-chairs who will play a direct role in identifying and evaluating candidates for senior positions within the Governor’s Office and state agencies.
Those selected include Home Depot co-founder Arthur M. Blank, former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, former state Sen. Jason Carter, Tyler Perry, and former Georgia State Representative Rashad Taylor, among others.
The co-chairs will review candidates’ qualifications, leadership experience and references, assess their suitability for positions and recommend finalists to the Governor-Elect and transition leadership.
Bottoms also named Jon Keen, a former chief operating officer for the City of Atlanta, as chief operating officer of Georgia’s Promise. Keen will oversee the transition’s day-to-day operations as the team prepares for Inauguration Day.
“Georgians made their voices heard on Tuesday, and they asked for a government that works for every family in every corner of this state,” Bottoms said. “Keeping that promise starts with putting the right people in the right places, and I could not ask for a stronger group of leaders to help me do it.”
Rashad Taylor said the transition team intends to conduct a thorough and fair process while keeping Georgians’ needs at the center of its recommendations.
Friday’s announcement is the first of several expected from the Governor-Elect. Additional transition leadership, policy advisory teams, community leaders and senior staff are expected to be announced in the coming days and weeks.
Georgia’s Promise will continue its work ahead of Bottoms’ inauguration in January 2027.
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