After serving 14 years as an Education and Training Coordinator, Bobby Davis was recently appointed as the new Director of Georgia’s State Approving Agency.

“We are excited to have someone with Bobby’s knowledge and experience to lead the division overseeing the VA’s Post-9/11 and ‘Forever GI Bill’s’ On-the-Job Training and Apprenticeship Program here in Georgia,” said Georgia Department of Veteran Service Commissioner Mike Roby. “He brings a new personality and management style to the SAA director’s position.”

Davis grew up in Winona, Mississippi and began a 21-year career in the Navy from there in 1981.  He spent 13 years on sea-duty and was stationed on numerous ships out of Naval Station Norfolk. Davis spent most of his career in administration, personnel, and disbursing assigned to units totaling as many as 5,000 seamen and Defense Department employees. Deployed during the Gulf War, Davis was assigned to a “Visit-Board-Search-Seizure” unit which successfully completed 25 boarding missions enforcing the United Nations trade embargo.

Following his retirement from the Navy, Davis joined state government in February 2003 as the Executive Assistant for the Deputy Commissioner for Information Technology in the Georgia Department of Revenue. In this role, he was responsible for all human resource functions for a 525 employee IT Department.

In September 2005, Davis began working for the GDVS as an Education & Training Coordinator.

 “I am honored to be entrusted with this position and I intend to work hard to ensure that veterans using their GI Bill benefits and the approved training facilities continue to receive first-class service,” said Davis.

The State Approving Agency is the approval authority for all facilities and companies within the state where veterans can use their Post-9/11 or Forever GI Bill education benefits for vocational, on-the-job, and apprenticeship training. The SAA not only approves each facility or company’s training program, but also conducts yearly audits to ensure compliance within federal law.  There are over 1,500 SAA approved training establishments used by Georgia veterans, generating over $225 million in tax-free VA benefits.

Davis holds an MBA in Human Resource Management from Columbia Southern University and a BAS in Organizational Leadership and Development from Mercer University.

Davis and his wife, Abby, live in Fayetteville. They, combined, have nine children and six granddaughters, and one grandson.

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For more information on the content of this news release, please contact the GDVS Public Information Division at 404-656-5933 or [email protected].