ATLANTA, GA— At the December 7th City Council Meeting for Conyers, Mayor Vince Evans and the City Council Members provided the opportunity to present three local recipients of the inaugural class of the James A “Bud” Cody Community Impact Award recipients. The award, (The Cody) recognizes individuals who have impacted communities via motivation, determination, and innovation. The award honors James A. “Bud” Cody, Executive Director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association; Director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes; and Secretary of the Sheriffs’ Retirement Fund for 46 years.
Antony (Tony) J. Lucas, City Manager of Conyers
Tony Lucas is a lifelong resident of Conyers and Rockdale County. He initiated his public service career in 1977 with the Rockdale County Sheriff’s office under then Sheriff J.T. Wallace as a deputy sheriff. In January 1983, Lucas accepted a position as a special deputy United States Marshal assigned to the Richard Russell Federal Courthouse and the Federal Court of Appeals, leading to his acceptance of a position with the Conyers Police Department in 1984. In ten years, Tony rose to the rank of Chief of Police in 1994 and subsequently was named City Manager and the Director of Public Safety in 2005.
During his tenure, Lucas consistently pushed to expand his abilities to provide the best leadership for Conyers. He graduated from the 166th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Lucas subsequently served as a Member of the Olympic Security Support Group (OSSG), which planned and implemented the security initiatives for the 1996 Olympic Games. In addition, he is a member of the Conyers Rockdale Prevention Alliance, Atlanta Metropol, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Chief Lucas serves as Chairman of the East Metro Drug Enforcement Team Control Board and on the Advisory Board for the Clayton Regional Law Enforcement Academy. Lucas is also a member of the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors and Charter President of the Fraternal Order of Police Georgia Lodge #69. Lastly, Chief Lucas has served on the Atlanta Area Council on Battered Women board, the Rockdale Emergency Relief Fund, the Rockdale County Board of Health, the Rockdale Coalition for Children and Youth, and the United Way.
Mayor Vince Evans sums up Lucas with the observation, “We can all sleep better at night knowing that Tony is at the helm. This was most evident during the pandemic, which saw the City of Conyers respond to adversity and thrive”.
Lucas is a native of Conyers and Rockdale County, Georgia. He has three children, Kimberly, Tony Lucas II, and Natalie, and is married to Fran Jones Lucas.
Additional recipients for 2022 include Judge Nancy N. Bills, Rockdale County Superior, Mrs. Mona Franklin, Rockdale Drug Free Coalition, and Mrs. Marty Kemp, First Lady of the State of Georgia. More information on each winner can be found on the site.
If you know someone who has made a sustainable impact in your community from any field, go to marchmanconsulting.com and go to the tab for “Cody Award for CIA.” Recognize their efforts by completing and submitting the application. The application process is continuous and does not have a dedicated deadline. For more information, email [email protected] for additional details.
Marchman Consulting aids communities to make an impact by assisting with program data analysis, grant development, implementation, and evaluation for sustainability efforts. An example is the award-winning alcohol risk management (ARM) initiative incorporating development of environmental scans, ordinances, certification courses such as RASS for servers/owners, and training for code enforcement.
