MMXXII GEORGIALINK PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP - Key Persons
H. Boyd Pettit, III is Partner and General Counsel for GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group, LLC. Pettit, a practicing Attorney since 1979, served as a Democratic member to the Georgia General Assembly for five consecutive terms beginning in January 1983. Elected to the House of Representatives, succeeding newly elected Governor Joe Frank Harris, he was named a member of the House Appropriations, Judiciary, and Industry Committees. Pettit became Secretary to the Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the Public Services and Utilities Subcommittee of House Industry. During his membership in the House, Pettit served as Georgia's representative to the Southern States Energy Board and was selected as a participant in the Leadership Georgia Class of 1987. In 1993, he joined GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group while remaining active on behalf of local governments, local education entities, public bond finance issues, and local industrial recruitment and development. In September 2000, Pettit was selected to the Georgia State Board of Transportation. He was re-elected in January 2001 to a full five-year term. Pettit currently serves on the State Board of the Georgia Youth Science and Technology Centers and is an active member of Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Cartersville. Previously serving on Board of Directors of the North Metro Technical Institute Foundation, Pettit was a part of the effort to secure property, utilities, and funding for the state adult technical school. Boyd has two daughters, Dana and Bray. They reside in Cartersville, Georgia.
James H. "Jay" Roberts is the most recent member of our team. Prior to joining GeorgiaLink, Mr. Roberts served in the Georgia State House of Representatives (2003-2015). While in the House, Jay was elected as both Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the House Majority Caucus by his peers. Former Gov. Sonny Perdue asked him to serve as his Administration Floor Leader in his second term. He served in that capacity for 2 years. Jay was named the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee by the Speaker of the House in 2010. He served as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee for 6 years. During his tenure in the House, Jay served on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Ethics, Economic Development & Tourism, Ways & Means, Appropriations, Rules, Game & Fish, and Transportation Committees. Jay has served several communities during his 13 years in the House. He served Irwin, Ben Hill, Tift, Turner, Coffee, Telfair, Wheeler, Wilcox and Jeff Davis counties. Governor Nathan Deal appointed Jay to the distinguished position of Director of Planning for the State of Georgia at the Georgia Department of Transportation. He was tasked with the planning of the state's transportation projects including developing and implementing the STIP. Governor Kemp asked Jay to serve on his transition team. He was then asked by Governor Brian Kemp to continue to serve him as the Director of Planning. In September 2019 Mr. Roberts joined GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group. He and his wife Sarah have two children, and they reside in Irwin County.
Nigel Walton is one of the newest members of our team. He will serve as the Legislative Director for GeorgiaLink. Prior to joining GeorgiaLink, Nigel served as an intern with the Office of Government and Community Affairs at Georgia State University. Mr. Walton is a recent graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy. He previously served as an intern for Viatris in the government relations department helping with federal and state issues. He also served as a Legislative Aide to Minority Leader Gloria Butler during the 2021 Legislative Session. Nigel resides in Atlanta, and spends his time playing golf, hiking, and looking for the next restaurant.
Shalamar J. Parham is an award-winning attorney providing government relations services. Prior to joining GeorgiaLink, Ms. Parham worked in the Office of the House Minority Leader James Beverly as Policy Manager and legal counsel. Ms. Parham's career in state politics also includes working as Policy Analyst for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus and Chief of Staff to Representative Erick Allen. Before working at the state capitol, Ms. Parham founded her own boutique law firm and developed a reputation for her strong advocacy work on behalf of her clients. She is a member of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA) and elected to the GABWA Political Action Committee. Ms. Parham graduated from Atlanta's John Marshall Law School and Valdosta State University. She is an alumna of the 2018 Leadership DeKalb class and the 2012 State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy class. In her free time, Ms. Parham enjoys traveling and volunteering in the community.