New Chief of Staff Named

Commissioner: Timothy C. Ward

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

Alan Watson Promoted

FORSYTH, Ga. – Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Timothy C. Ward announced the promotion of Alan Watson, Assistant Commissioner of Administration & Finance, to Chief of Staff effective November 1, 2021. Watson will be responsible for the overall management of GDC staff and will oversee the operations of the four main divisions of the GDC: Facilities, Administration & Finance, Health Services, and Inmate Services.

“Alan has proven to be an invaluable member of the GDC team and has demonstrated his leadership strengths in every position he has held,” said Commissioner Timothy C. Ward. “I am confident that his knowledge and broad range of experience will serve him and our staff well as he takes on this new responsibility.”

Watson began his career with the state in 1999, as a budget analyst with the Legislative Budget Office. In 2001, he accepted the position of budget officer with the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety and served in this capacity until 2005, when he accepted the position of director of customer service licensing and records division with the Department of Driver Services. In 2013, Watson was named accounting director for the Department of Driver Services, where he served until accepting the position of budget director with the GDC in 2015. Watson was named deputy director for administration and finance in July 2015 and promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Administration & Finance in 2019, where he currently serves.

Watson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina. While working with the state, he has earned certificates in Governmental Accounting, Management Development, and Leadership Development from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

About the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees. For more information on the GDC, call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.