The Council for Quality Growth sends a special thank you to outgoing Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte J. Nash for her leadership and commitment to create a better quality of life for all residents of Gwinnett County. Charlotte was elected Chairman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners in a special election on March 15, 2011, was re-elected in 2012 and 2016 and announced that she would not be seeking reelection in May of 2019.
Charlotte’s leadership and experience brought healing to a fractured board as they worked together to carry forward a robust economic development agenda, enhanced transportation and utility infrastructure, and underpinned Gwinnett government’s financial picture with strong and focused policy that will serve its citizens for many years to come.
Under her leadership, Gwinnett County has been an award-winning innovative county, maintaining a AAA credit rating, and has received international recognition.
Charlotte is a leader with unmatched knowledge regarding the intricacies of finance, and government operations, but most of all, one of the most respected local elected officials in the region, the state, and at a national level. Not only Gwinnett, but the entire metro region has benefited by her public service on the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District, Atlanta Transit Link Authority, and many other endeavors.
On December 15, 2020 during the end of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center expansion in downtown Lawrenceville, County Administrator Glenn Stephens revealed that the courthouse addition would be named the Charlotte J. Nash Court Building in her honor. As the name of the facility was unveiled, Stephens remarked on Chairman Nash’s steadfast service to Gwinnett County.
The $75-million expansion project, funded by SPLOST, includes a five-level parking deck, open since 2019, and a new, five-story courthouse building set to open to the public next spring. The project to expand the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center has been in the works for more than a decade. A covered walkway from the parking deck, a security node at the entrance to the Charlotte J. Nash Court Building, and a new, enclosed pedestrian bridge to the existing GJAC building will open to guests and employees December 21st. The full court building is expected to open to the public in the spring of 2021.
Chairman Nash will step down from her role as chairman in January and said she looks forward to seeing how the county continues to progress in the years ahead.
“I’m overwhelmed and deeply honored by the decision to place my name on this beautiful facility,” Nash said. “There are so many deserving individuals who have been instrumental in Gwinnett’s progress, and most accomplishments are the result of team efforts. As I step back into life as a private citizen in January, I look forward to seeing how Gwinnett continues to grow and change. I’m proud of where our county is today, but I have high expectations for continued advances in coming years.”
While Charlotte’s accomplishments would take pages to illustrate, most importantly she is a compassionate leader, an extraordinary talent, and a Gwinnett native whose heart and soul has always been focused on what is best for the citizens of this great county.
Gwinnett has much to look forward to as we welcome new Commission Chair Nicole Love Hendrickson and the other new Commission members. Thank you, Charlotte, for setting the stage and for the role you have played in Gwinnett’s success.
Best to you, Michael, and your family for a wonderful Christmas and many years to come. I know we will see you often in the future!
Sincerely,
Michael E. Paris Paul Corley Doug Jenkins Council Board and Council Members
President/CEO 2020 Council Chairman 2021 Council Chairman