Gwinnett County has a new fire chief, as the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners have approved a recommendation by County Administrator Glenn Stephens to appoint Fred Cephas to the role. Current Gwinnett County Fire Chief Russell Knick, who has served since 2018, will move into a leadership position within the County Administrator’s Office.
Stephens says: “With his military background and over 20 years of experience in Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, Fred brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role as chief. As deputy chief, he strengthened operations within the department and increased trust within the community, and I look forward to seeing where he leads the department in the future. At the same time, we are fortunate to retain Russell’s experience and leadership as he transitions into a new role.”
As a teenager, he admired the hard work and dedication of firefighters in his hometown of Mobile, Ala., and believes his life has come full circle. Cephas found his passion to serve in 1996 when he joined the United States Air Force. After basic training, he was assigned to the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy where he trained as a Department of Defense Aircraft Rescue Firefighter. Following his military service, the veteran firefighter served the Winston-Salem Fire Department before launching his Gwinnett County career in 2001.
Serving in the field alongside first responders while they answered emergency calls during an arctic blast that swept the nation over the past holiday season counts as one of Cephas’ most memorable moments in Gwinnett. He cited the commitment, resilience, professionalism and courage he witnesses as the reason he is proud to lead the department.
The new fire chief’s priorities are continuing to work on retention and team building within Fire and Emergency Services and supporting other departments and agencies in the county government. His promotion is effective April 1.
Cephas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from Shorter University. He is also a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett 2019.
Deluca-Johnson joins staff of Railbow Village
Deluca-Johnson
Cheryl Deluca-Johnson has joined Rainbow Village as its Special Projects Coordinator. She is the former CEO of Street Grace, Women’s Program Supervisor at MARR Addiction Treatment Center, and a consultant with World Hope International. She has also served on the board of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia and the strategic planning committee for Annandale Village. She has lived in Gwinnett County for five decades. The wife of sportscaster Ernie Johnson, she has been “MOM” to six children – four of whom were adopted, and three with special needs. When not working with the nonprofit, you can find her playing with her five grandchildren, swinging a racquet on a tennis court, or worshiping with the congregation at 12Stone Church.
PCOM students complete mission trip to Guatemala
At the volcano Pacaya, Guatemala, are PCOM students Shrey Patel, Ahmedabad, India; Jessica Meredit, Marietta;Maddy Felice, Cumming; Meghan Pommier, Brandon, Fla.; and Alice Manning, Marietta. Pacaya’s elevation is 8,373 feet above sea level.
Sixteen Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students and faculty members exchanged their Christmas holidays for a mission trip to Guatemala where they impacted the lives of almost 1,000 patients.First, second and third year DO students, along with a DO student from the PCOM South Georgia campus, staffed several clinics located near Antigua, some in remote mountainous areas.
Donald Penney, MD, the chair of clinical education and a clinical professor of emergency medicine at PCOM Georgia, served as the chief medical officer for the trip arranged through International Medical Relief, a nonprofit mission organization headquartered in Colorado.
During the trip, the students’ routine included debriefing sessions each day after clinics to discuss issues related to the day’s work. Some of the students used their free day to hike Pacaya, an active volcano. Manning was fascinated to see a Guatemalan cooking a pizza on top of lava at the volcano’s peak.
Dr. Penney, who noted that the Guatemala trip was dedicated to the memory of PCOM Georgia Doctor of Osteopathic student Danny Martinez, is planning another mission trip to Tanzania this summer through International Medical Relief. The organization is active in multiple countries and provides hotel lodging, transportation to and from the clinics, as well as some meals. In addition, the organization provides medications, eyeglasses and dentistry, along with follow-up care for patients needing attention after the clinics.
According to first year DO student Alice Manning (DO ’26), the trip to Guatemala was “an amazing and eye-opening experience.” She said, “Spending five days in clinics opened my eyes to the poor healthcare system in Guatemala and how much of a difference we can make by volunteering, donating medications, and providing health care through mission trips.”
She added: ““In the United States, we take for granted having clean water, being taught at a young age to wash your hands, and how to brush and floss our teeth. As a medical student sometimes you are so focused on treating the ailment that you can forget the importance of prevention and giving your patients the knowledge.”
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