FOP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Secretary Adrienne Grooms Was Elected by the Members
Secretary Adrienne Grooms was elected by the members on 12/19/2019.
Adrienne Grooms retired from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Atlanta, GA where she was assigned to Administration. After 28 years of dedicated service, she retired in July 2018.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Treasurer Andrea Thomas Was Elected by the Members
Treasurer Andrea Thomas was elected by the members on 11/21/2019.
Andrea Thomas is from Columbus, GA She attended Baker High School. She received a BA from Morris Brown College, Criminal Justice in 1984. She began her career at the FCSO 1985.
She retired from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in December 2012 in which she gained over 20+ years of experience with managing the following areas for 5,000 inmates and staff at the Fulton County Jail. The areas are: inmate commissary, inmate property, sanitation, building grounds, inmate programs and inmate classification just to name a few of her primary duties during her employment.
President Charlene Heard began her career in Law Enforcement with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in 1989 as a Deputy Sheriff. She advanced through the ranks to become the first female Major in the Law Enforcement Division of the Sheriff's Office. After 27 years for dedicated service, she retired in December 2016. President Heard was elected to this position by the members on 12/19/2019.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Founding Partner of the Jones Law Firm
Derek has been the Lodge 64 Attorney since 1987 and has advised the Lodge Executive Board on a wide range of matters. In addition, he has represented hundreds of individual Lodge members and other law enforcement officers in OPS/IA investigations, disciplinary hearings,
Job Titles:
- 2nd Vice President
- Second Vice President
- 2nd VP
Second Vice President Elbert Carter began his career with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in 1988. He had the privilege of working in the Jail Division, Courts and Administrative Division. Second Vice President Carter was elected to this position by the members on 12/19/2019.
Elbert Carter retired from the Fulton County Sheriffs Office in October of 2011, as a captain, and Commander of the Office of Professional Standards.
Part of 2nd VP Carter's duties include Chairman of the Training Committee and Chairman of the Legal Defense Plan. Second Vice President Carter served as Sergeant at Arms prior to being elected to this position.
Job Titles:
- 1st Vice President
- First Vice President
Howard Billingslea Past President Howard Billingslea was the president of Fulton County Lodge #64, from 1996-2018. He retired from the Fulton County Marshal's Department with 25 years of service. Fulton County Executive Board member from 1984 to present. He has held the position of State Trustee, Vice President, President, and Past President. He has sat on the Georgia Fraternal Order Of Police Executive Board for six years. He was appointed to the National Fraternal Order of Police, Easter Seals Committee 1992 to present. He was the Chairman of the Georiga Easter Seals Committee. Also, he serves on the Easter Seals of North Georgia Board of Directors, a position held secretary, vice chairman and chairman of the board
Meghan earned her Bachelors of Arts at Oberlin College and her Juris Doctor at Georgia State University College of Law, graduating magna cum laude and in the top tenth percentile of her law school class. During law school, Meghan was a member of the Student Trial Lawyers Association (the Mock Trial Team), worked as a legal intern for former Chief Justice Carol W. Hunstein of the Georgia Supreme Court, and served as a Graduate Research Assistant for Professor Russell Covey of the GSU Criminal Law Department. Her excellence and success in law school earned her membership into the Bleckley Inn of Court and a "Cali Award" for receiving the highest grade in Constitutional Law.
Prior to becoming a partner at The Jones Law Firm, Meghan worked as the Assistant Chief Counsel of The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor. In that role she appeared as lead counsel in hundreds of proceedings at Stewart Detention Center, including bond hearings, removal proceedings and asylum hearings. Meghan also served as the point of contact with Citizen and Immigration Services for expedited requests of visa applications.
Meghan joined forces with her father, Derek H. Jones, the Founding Partner of The Jones Law Firm, in January of 2015. She attributes her academic and professional success, as well as her fine-tuned debate skills to Mr. Jones and Mrs.
Meghan is licensed to practice law in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Northern District of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court, and all of Georgia's county courts. She is also licensed to practice law in California. She handles criminal, personal injury and employment cases.