From left to right:  Mantin Diomande, Aaron McClellan, Sierra Hubbard, and Chad Cox

Chad Cox, one of two policy interns, is a graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in political science. Cox plans on attending graduate school this upcoming fall to pursue a masters of public administration. A Georgia native, Cox was born and raised in Gwinnett County.  His hobbies include golf, water skiing and attending country music concerts. Over the course of his internship, Cox will help track local legislation, research local animal control ordinances and weight limits on trucks, attend meetings and assist the policy staff as needed.  

Mantin Diomande, policy intern, is currently completing her Master’s in Economics at Georgia State University. Upon completing her master’s, Diomande plans to pursue a Ph.D in Economics. She is originally from Cote d’Ivoire, a French speaking country in West Africa. Diomande has a strong interest in issues related to economic development and policy and in her spare time enjoys outdoor activities and adventures. During her internship, Diomande will assist the policy staff by tracking local legislation, researching revenue and finance issues, attending meetings and completing additional tasks as assigned. 

Sierra Hubbard will serve as the spring communications intern. She is a junior at Kennesaw State University and is earning her bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism. Living the majority of her life in the Paulding County area, she immediately began writing for the campus newspaper when she enrolled at KSU in 2013. She is the current news editor for the third semester in a row, managing writers and content on a weekly basis. During her internship, Hubbard will disseminate the daily state and county news highlights internally, update the website, and manage the association’s social media accounts. She will also edit and create content for several projects, including the Georgia County Government magazine, the annual awards supplement, the launch of the "County Courthouse Passport" booklet and the new "How to be a County Commissioner" booklet, regular press releases, and any other aspects of the communication department as needed.

Aaron McClellan, legal intern, is currently a second-year law student at Georgia State University College of Law. Originally from Wisconsin, McClellan moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering. After graduation, he worked as a structural engineer in Marietta for nearly a year before starting his law degree at Georgia State. He is currently enrolled in the Urban Fellows Program and hopes to practice law related to land use and government policy after graduation. Before and during school, McClellan made a living as a carpenter with a specialty in framing for over ten years. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and playing bass guitar. During his internship with ACCG, McClellan will assist the legal staff by verifying and updating legal citations for several ACCG publications, preparing memoranda and summaries on a variety of topics for the association, updating local legislation salary information, attending meetings and providing general legal research.