Boards, Auth. and Committees

Gwinnett County Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee

The Gwinnett County Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee was established on July 16, 2024 by County Resolution as a formalized structure to receive, accept and review applications from qualified entities to receive a portion of the Regional Distribution funds for the purposes described in the Georgia Memorandums of Understanding and the National Opioid Settlement Agreements and to make informed non-binding recommendations to the Board of Commissioners regarding the effective allocation and management of the Regional Distribution funds to combat the opioid crisis.

The GCOAAC is representative of the County’s diverse and vibrantly connected community, and members of the GCOAAC represent a variety of viewpoints, interests, and community segments so that it may collectively represent the interests of Gwinnett County. The GCOAAC is composed of five (5) members, appointed as follows

1. One member from the Gwinnett County Board of Health to be appointed by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.
2. One member who serves as an executive member of a community service board, to be appointed by the Gwinnett County Board of
    Commissioners.
3. The Sheriff or his/her designee.
4. One member of the Judiciary who is currently serving as an Accountability Court Judge, to be appointed by the Gwinnett County Board of
    Commissioners.
5. One member that has experienced or has had a family member that has experienced an opioid addiction, to be appointed by the Gwinnett
    County Board of Commissioners.


All members, with the exception of the Sheriff or his/her designee, will serve at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners and may be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Commissioners at any time.

The GCOAAC shall be chaired by the Judiciary Member. The chairperson shall be responsible for the overall direction and work progress of the GCOAAC, which includes developing a process for Regional Distribution funds to be requested; ensuring the use of standard procedures for the evaluation of applications; nonbinding recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for disbursement of Regional Distribution funds; quality assurance/quality control practices and procedures; applicant reporting procedures; and providing regular updates to the Board of Commissioners and the County Administrator, as necessary.

Term
Members serve at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners.
Meetings

View Notices, Agendas, and Minutes

Meeting dates/times to be determined once the Board of Commissioners appoints members. 

Qualifications

Members of the GCOAAC represent a variety of viewpoints, interests, and community segments so that it may collectively represent the interests of Gwinnett County. The GCOAAC is comprised of five (5) members:

     1. One member from the Gwinnett County Board of Health.
     2. One member who serves as an executive member of a community service board.
     3. The Sheriff or his/her designee.
     4. One member of the Judiciary who is currently serving as an Accountability Court Judge.
     5. One member that has experienced or has had a family member that has experienced an opioid addiction.

Responsibilities / Powers

Responsibilities of the Gwinnett County Opioid Abatement Advisory Committee include:

  • To serve as a resource to the Board of Commissioners on behalf of the residents of Gwinnett County in recognizing and addressing opioid crisis management and remediation.
  • To review applications submitted by qualified entities to address opioid addiction.
  • To make non-binding recommendations to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners as to the appropriate distribution of the Regional Distribution funds to said qualified entity applicants.
  • To ensure compliance with the expenditure of the Regional Distribution funds allocated to approved qualified entity applicants.
  • To compile any necessary information so Gwinnett County, designated as a Qualified Block Grantee, can comply with all reporting requirements concerning the use of Regional Distribution funds to the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust.
Active Members
Appointed By Position Name Representing Term Expires
BoC Appointment Honorable Angela D. Duncan Accountability Court Judge At the Pleasure of the Board
BoC Appointment Dr. James "J" Lofton Smith Jr., MD County Board of Health At the Pleasure of the Board
BoC Appointment Tasha Edwards Lived Experience At the Pleasure of the Board
BoC Appointment Jennifer Hibbard Executive Member of Community Services Board At the Pleasure of the Board
Sheriff Trakida Maldonado Sheriff or Designee Incumbent