Organization
Mission
Vision
Values
We believe in stewardship of public resources, protection of the environment, and that all citizens should expect to live and work in a clean and secure community.
We value excellence, creativity, innovation, and new technologies and ideas.
We believe that our government must be customer-focused, fiscally responsible, and deliver services that are among the best in the nation.
Management Profiles
County Administrator:
Glenn Stephens
Glenn.Stephens@GwinnettCounty.com
The Board of Commissioners appointed Glenn Stephens as County Administrator in September 2009. Glenn had previously served as Director of Gwinnett County's Planning and Development Department since November 2006. He is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience representing Gwinnett and DeKalb Counties and several municipalities in Gwinnett County. Prior to his appointment as Planning and Development Director, Glenn was Senior Assistant County Attorney for Gwinnett County and specialized in land use and zoning law and litigation.
Glenn's legal career began in 1987 at the Lawrenceville law firm of Tennant, Davidson, Thompson and Sweeny in Lawrenceville. He then moved on to work for DeKalb County's law department representing DeKalb County in its land use litigation until 1998 when he joined Gwinnett County. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Mercer University and a J.D. from the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University. Glenn and his wife have two sons and have lived in Snellville since 1991. He is active in various church activities.
Deputy County Administrator/Chief Financial Officer:
Buffy Alexzulian
Buffy.Alexzulian@GwinnettCounty.com
Buffy was appointed Deputy County Administrator/Chief Financial Officer in December 2024. She began her career with Gwinnett County in 2008 and has served in the Strategic Business Development Division, director of the Accounting Division, and Director of Financial Services. Buffy earned a master's degree in business administration from Shorter University and a bachelor's degree in business administration with a focus in finance from the University of North Georgia. She is a Certified Public Accountant and has earned the designation of a Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) from the Government Finance Officers Association. Buffy has more than 20 years of experience in various finance and accounting roles in the public and private sectors.
Assistant County Administrator/Chief of Staff:
Theresa Cox
Theresa.Cox@GwinnettCounty.com
Theresa was appointed as Assistant County Administrator/Chief of Staff in March 2024. Theresa began her career with Gwinnett County in 2000 as an Associate County Attorney in the Law Department. She served in various roles in the Law Department until 2017 when she was appointed Chief Deputy Clerk serving the Clerk of the Superior, State, and Magistrate Courts. She rejoined the Law Department in 2019 as a Deputy County Attorney assisting with economic development projects and land use and zoning matters. Theresa earned a bachelor’s degree in politics from Oglethorpe University and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Theresa has been a resident of Gwinnett County since 1998 and resides with her husband, son, and daughter in unincorporated Lawrenceville.
Assistant County Administrator:
Russell Knick
Russell.Knick@GwinnettCounty.com
Russell was appointed as Assistant County Administrator in April 2023. He began his Gwinnett County career in 1990 in the Sheriff’s Office, then transferred to Fire & Emergency Services in 1993, where he advanced through the ranks and was appointed Fire Chief in 2018. He earned a bachelor’s degree in emergency management and a master’s degree in public administration from Jacksonville State University. Russell especially enjoys strategic planning and preparing others through succession planning.
Assistant County Administrator:
Srinivas Jalla
Srinivas.Jalla@GwinnettCounty.com
Srinivas has over 25 years of experience in treatment plant design, construction, permitting, and asset management. His work at Gwinnett has resulted in implementation of asset management best practices, conversion of biogas to renewable energy at F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center, and he received a patent for “Method of Cleaning Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration Membranes.” In the private sector, Srinivas previously served as vice president at a global engineering firm and was a partner in a regional architecture and engineering firm with offices across the southeast. Srinivas is a registered Professional Engineer and holds an M.S. in Civil Engineering. He is a graduate of ARC’s Regional Leadership Institute, the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership, and Leadership Gwinnett. Srinivas is passionate about community service and currently serves on boards for Leadership Gwinnett and Gwinnett Technical College. Srinivas lives in Duluth with his wife and son.
Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Executive Director:
Schelly Marlatt
Schelly.Marlatt@GwinnettCounty.com
A lifelong resident of Gwinnett, Schelly was appointed executive director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful in 2016, where she had served as community outreach and human resources manager from 2007-2009.
She joined Gwinnett County’s Solid Waste Management Division in 2010 focused on marketing, education, public forums and community outreach. Promoted to section manager in 2014, Schelly managed daily operations of the division and call center, the residential and commercial solid waste plans, recycling programs, and contracts.
Schelly is an Auburn University, LEAD Academy and Leadership Gwinnett graduate who uses more than 20 years of experience in networking and building relationships to inspire others to accomplish incredible things.
Schelly lives in Dacula with her two sons.
Internal Audit Director:
Leslie Villanueva
Leslie.Villanueva@GwinnettCounty.com
Leslie began her career with Gwinnett County in 2015, managing process improvement projects in Financial Services. She earned a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, then served as the first Process Improvement Supervisor in what is now the Office of Strategic Excellence. Leslie joined Internal Audit in January 2018 as a Senior Auditor, then became a Division Director over IT Audits and Quality Assurance. Leslie earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from the University of North Carolina. She also holds the designations of Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified in Risks and Information Systems Control (CRISC). Leslie loves the County parks.
Equity Officer:
Aisha DeBerry
Aisha.Deberry@GwinnettCounty.com
Aisha DeBerry joined Gwinnett County as the first Equity Officer in April 2024. She began her career with Gwinnett County in 2004 as the inaugural admissions recruiter for the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Georgia (PCOM Georgia) and later served as the inaugural Executive Director of Diversity. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Aisha holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and furthered her education by earning a Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Memorial University. An accomplished advocate for diversity, inclusion, and Title IX, Aisha has dedicated her career to fostering equity in various settings. Her experience ranges from creating foundational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices at PCOM Georgia and other non-profit spaces to creating strategic initiatives as the DEI Manager for Gas South. Aisha is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett and is active in advisory boards and Diversity Councils, both locally and nationally. In her free time, she enjoys teaching and learning dance, spending time with friends and family, and her two pups Sasha and Milo.
Sustainability Officer:
Mendie White
Mendie.White@GwinnettCounty.com
Mendie joined Gwinnett County as the first Sustainability Officer in January 2024. She has over 20 years of experience in public service, primarily in municipal government. Community engagement is her passion, but she has also worked on a variety of projects involving watershed protection and stream ecology, urban forestry, water conservation, electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure, active transportation, and energy management. A former Baylor Bear and member of the University of North Texas Mean Green Nation, Mendie holds a BS in Biology and a Master of Public Administration. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends, and she can be found working in her pollinator garden on the weekends.
Voter Registrations and Elections Supervisor:
Zach Manifold
Zachary.Manifold@GwinnettCounty.com
Zach Manifold was appointed to serve as the County’s Elections Supervisor by the Gwinnett County Board of Elections in 2021. He is responsible for the management and day-to-day operations of the Voter Registrations and Elections Division. Zach is an innovative and experienced administrator who works in a nonpartisan manner to run fair, open, accessible, and secure elections for Gwinnett citizens. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from The Ohio State University in 2004. In 2013, Zach became a Certified Elections Registration Administrator through the National Association of Election Officials, also known as the Election Center, and Auburn University. Zach has a wealth of elections administration experience including as a Board Member, Manager of Absentee and Early Voting, and Interim Director with the Franklin County Board of Elections in Columbus, Ohio.