ACCG Welcomes Fall Interns

From left to right: Elijah Anderson, Gus Elliot and Kelly Parry.

Gus Elliott is a life-long resident of Georgia. Growing up in Valdosta, he attended Valwood School, where he played high school football and basketball. After graduating high school, Elliott moved to Athens to study at the University of Georgia, graduating in 2013 with bachelors' degrees in political science and religion. He is currently studying public management and policy as a second-year student in UGA’s Master of Public Administration program, and he hopes to work in public service and government at the state or federal level after he finishes school. Elliott has spent nine summers working at Athens Y Camp for Boys in Tallulah Falls, serving for the past five years as a program director. In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs. Over the course of his internship, Elliott will conduct research on the Business Occupational Tax Submittal System (BOTSS) program that will include determining which counties participate, how the system works, gathering data from state agencies, identifying the benefits for those that participate and making recommendations on how to better educate others on the system and its benefits. He will also follow the work of the House and Senate Annexation, Deannexation and Incorporation Study Committees, and work on tax-related and public safety projects.

Kelly Parry is a Georgia native and a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. After completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology, Parry taught as an elementary school English language instructor in Istanbul, Turkey. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University (GSU) with a concentration in management and finance. Kelly also works as a Graduate Research Assistant with GSU’s Center for State and Local Finance. A resident of Reynoldstown, Parry enjoys keeping up with Atlanta’s art and music communities and taking spontaneous road trips. During her internship, Parry will analyze and update historical SPLOST data, create reports and statistics on and prepare presentations for the Georgia County Internship Program, write research articles for the Countyline e-Newsletter, analyze data and create reports from county surveys, attend meetings and provide additional research assistance as needed.

Elijah Anderson is a Master of Public Administration candidate attending Georgia State University. Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, Anderson obtained his undergraduate degree in political science at Georgia Southern University. During his time at Georgia Southern, he was awarded scholarships to participate in study abroad trips to the countries of Egypt, Albania, Greece, Montenegro and Kosovo. Now working toward his Master’s degree, Anderson is living in downtown Atlanta and working as a Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. When not studying, he enjoys traveling, reading and exploring north Georgia’s hiking trails. Over the course of his internship, Anderson will analyze and prepare information on incorporation trends, finalize work on the fundamentals of county and city government, compile data on casino and gambling operations and requirements on a national basis, write research articles for the Countyline e-Newsletter, assist with projects relating to the Georgia State Firefighters Association (GSFA), attend meetings and provide additional research assistance as assigned.