ACCG Welcomes Summer Interns

ACCG welcomes new summer interns Erin Shumaker, Preston Cox, Branson Mikellm and returning intern Chad Cox. Each semester, the association hires interns to assist the policy, research, legal and communications staff with various projects. Over the course of their internship through August, each intern will be given the opportunity to attend policy meetings, interact with ACCG staff and learn about county government issues. 

Chad Cox, policy and research intern, is a graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in political science. He will be pursuing his Master of Public Administration at GSU this fall where he will also serve as a graduate research assistant. Cox assisted the policy staff during the legislative session and is continuing his internship with ACCG through the summer. A Georgia native, Cox was born and raised in Gwinnett County. His hobbies include golf, water skiing and attending country music concerts. During transition periods for retiring county commissioners, collect and compile energy excise tax information, research and compile national 9-1-1 board and fee data, assist with election data compilation and verification, and conduct research on various issues as needed. 

Erin Shumaker, policy and research intern, is currently pursuing her Master of Public Administration at the University of Georgia, specializing in public finance. She completed her undergraduate degree in political sicence at Colorado Christian University in 2013. Prior to entering graudate school, Shumaker worked for two years at a charter school in Holly Springs, North Carolina as a financial assistant where she found her love of public finance. She recently completed an internship with the Jackson County Finance Department where she was tasked with drafting the FY 2016 budget document. Upon completing her degree, she wants to become a city or county manager in Georgia. Shumaker is from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina and will be getting married in December. Over the course of her internship, Shumaker will update county revenue and expenditure data to be used in presentations, update SPLOST and TAVT data, assist with election data compilation and verification, and conduct research on various issues as needed.

Preston Cox, legal intern, recently completed his second-year at the University of Georgia School of Law, where he receives a Law School Association scholarship. He was awarded a Research Clerkship to perform legal research during the school year for a professor who specializes in business law. Last summer, Cox served as legal intern to the U.S. Department of the Interior-Office of the Regional Solicitor in Atlanta and the Cambodia Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. Before law school, he received his Master of Public Administration from Columbia University and earned his undergraduate degree in environmental economics and management summa cum laude from UGA. Cox hopes to work in the goverment affairs field after graduation. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, live music, food festivals, and suffering through Atlanta's sports teams. During his internship, Cox will research the appeals process in sovereign immunity cases, provide an inventory for and research histories of financial contracts for the association, finalize the annual salary guide, review and research bylaws for various ACCG boards, update and verify legal citations for ACCG publications, update local legislation salary information for county commissioners and officials, assist with election data compilation and verification, and conduct legal research on various issues as needed.

Branson Mikell, communications intern, recently graduate from Piedmont College with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications, where he also played lacrosse for four years. At Piedmont he was named to the USA South Athletic Conference All-Academic Team from 2012-2016. Mikell was also a member of the Society of Collegiate Journalists and produced content for Piedmont's student media The Roar. During his internship he will be coordinating the association's social media, sending daily internal state and county news highlights, drafting press releases and articles for Georgia County Government, updating the website and assisting with production of ACCG e-newsletters and magazines. Mikell is from Orlando, Florida but now resides in Buford, Georgia. In his free time he likes to hike, play lacrosse, watch TV and hang out with friends.