DNR board approves Mark Williams as new commissioner

The Board of Natural Resources approved the recommendation of Gov. Sonny Perdue and Gov.-Elect Nathan Deal to name state Rep. Mark Williams, R-Jesup, as the next commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

As a member of the state House of Representatives, Williams served on both the Natural Resources and Environment and the Game, Fish and Parks committees. He succeeds Chris Clark as DNR Commissioner.

“We are pleased to approve Mark Williams as this agency’s new Commissioner and we look forward to working with him,” Board of Natural Resources Chairman Jenny Lynn Bradley said in a news release. “DNR’s charge to protect and conserve Georgia’s natural and cultural resources is a huge responsibility, and we know that Mark will follow in the footsteps of his predecessors as an advocate for these resources.” Under state law, the DNR Board appoints both the Commissioner and the Director of the Environmental Protection Division with the approval of the governor.

As Commissioner, Williams will oversee an agency comprised of more than 2,500 employees that is responsible for the management and conservation of Georgia’s wildlife, the protection and conservation of coastal marshlands, the preservation of historic resources, and the implementation of environmentally sound business practices for industry.