The Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) recently honored Forsyth County District Four Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills with the 2023 Leadership Development Advocate of the Year Award.   

Mills was presented with the award on Saturday, April 29 during the 2023 ACCG Annual Conference in Savannah, Ga. Each year, ACCG uses its Awards and Recognition Program to honor individuals that work to further the mission of county government, ACCG, or both.  

“The knowledge I’ve obtained through ACCG leadership development courses has proven to be an asset for our Forsyth County citizens and employees,” said Mills. “When you combine the education you gain in training classes with the relationships you build networking with commissioners from across the state, you have a true recipe for success and a solid foundation to keep building upon. I am honored to have received this award and hope my passion for lifelong learning inspires others.”  

 Mills serves on the ACCG Board of Managers and is one of four National Association of Counties (NACo) Board Representatives. In this role she helps advocate for Georgia counties on federal policy issues and legislation, working alongside other ACCG board members to lead the association and guide policies during the next year.  

“The mark of a true leader is their continuous journey to seek knowledge,” said ACCG Executive Director Dave Wills. “Commissioner Mills embodies the spirit of leadership through her achievements in the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy. Her commitment to learning speaks to the value of education and training county leaders receive from our program.”  

When Mills was first elected to serve as a Forsyth County District commissioner in 2012, she enrolled in ACCG’s new approach to county official education and training: the Lifelong Learning Academy. In one year, Mills completed the training to become a Certified County Commissioner, then she moved on to accumulating more knowledge by taking ACCG Specialty Track courses. Over the next eight years, she worked diligently to complete certifications in all eight specialty tracks, joining an exclusive group of, at the time, only six county commissioners in Georgia to have ever accomplished that milestone.  Though she completed her eighth certification in 2021, Mills continues to participate in Lifelong Learning Academy classes to this day.  

ACCG is Georgia’s county association and works on behalf of county officials and their communities by providing public policy and legislative advocacy, leadership development, civic and community engagement initiatives, insurance and retirement programs that specialize in local government needs and other cost-saving programs. Formed in 1914 when county officials came together to help fund the state’s first highway department, ACCG today serves as a catalyst for advancing Georgia’s counties.  For more information, go to www.accg.org.