SMYRNA, Ga. — The City of Smyrna moved forward with its task force to oversee how it uses automated license plate readers, surveillance technology and drones for public safety.
The city council approved plans to create a task force to oversee public safety technology, such as the city’s Flock safety equipment, as well as gather input from the city’s residents.
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According to city documents, the point of the task force is to identify policies and safeguards that both support public safety and protect residents’ privacy and civil liberties.
The resident advisory group, officially called “The Public Safety Technology Task Force” consists of a group of members appointed by Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton and the members of the Smyrna City Council.
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Here’s who is on the task force
According to the city’s task force website, these are the members appointed by mayor and council, and a brief biography for each one.
Brian Ollison, Ward 1:
Brian Ollisson is president of the Montclair Townhomes HOA, with experience working on community improvement, infrastructure and neighborhood initiatives. With a background in technology and user-centered design, he is passionate about thoughtful community development.
Skyler Akins, Ward 2:
Skyler Akins is a senior accountant at Galerie Living and the owner of Skline Ventures. He spent nearly a decade with the City of Atlanta working in procurement risk management and compliance oversight, auditing, and research and policy.
Lem Ward, JD, Ward 3:
Lemuel Ward is a 28-year Smyrna resident with decades of law experience. He dedicated 20 years of service to the City of Atlanta Law department and specialized in municipal law at Dentons US LLP before retiring in 2022.
Doug Godbold, Ward 4:
Douglas Godbold is a primary patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He serves as president of the Westbrook Park homeowners association and serves on the Smyrna Housing Authority Board.
Doward Wilkinson, Ward 5:
Doward Wilkinson has more than two decades of experience in enterprise data protection, cybersecurity, cloud computing, recovery, and evaluating the security of technology systems. His experience also includes the practical application of security controls such as encryption, malware screening, and privileged access management.
Luci Hogue, Ward 6:
Luci Hogue is the director of transaction services at Scotland Wright Associates, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate firm. Hogue has experience in communications and public outreach, serving as the communications outreach manager in Kennesaw’s Town Center Community Improvement District from 2018-2021.
Cody Hugley, Ward 7:
Cody Hugley serves as treasurer on the HOA Board of Directors, where he is actively involved in financial oversight, community operations, and issues affecting homeowners. His background includes managing teams, improving operational processes and overseeing financial responsibilities. As an active community advocate, Hugley attends and speaks at public meetings to ensure residents’ issues are heard.
Mike Smith, mayor’s appointee:
Mike Smith is an engineering manager at Renewed Vision, an Atlanta-based technology company. Smith leads software engineering teams that are responsible for developing, maintaining and scaling complex software products used by organizations around the world. He has extensive background in software engineering, product development and systems architecture.
Anyone with questions or comments about the task force that wants to have concerns addressed in a public meeting can email them at yourcomments@smyrnaga.gov.
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