ATLANTA – A longtime telecom lobbyist at the Georgia Capitol is joining Georgia Electric Membership Corp. (EMC).
Kevin Curtin will become the utility’s senior vice president of government relations on Oct. 20. He will represent the state’s 41 EMCs before the General Assembly, the Georgia Public Service Commission, Congress and state and federal agencies.
Curtin brings vast experience in public and government affairs as well as customer relations and public relations from more than 22 years with AT&T and BellSouth.
“We’re very pleased to welcome someone of Kevin’s caliber who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to advocate for EMCs across Georgia and to educate lawmakers on important issues to co-ops and their members,” Georgia EMC President/CEO Dennis Chastain said.
Most recently, Curtin was AT&T’s assistant vice president for legislative affairs, where he served as the company’s chief lobbyist before the General Assembly and the executive branch of state government. He also managed the company’s home state relationships for Georgia’s congressional delegation.
“I’m looking forward to this next chapter and working closely with EMCs across the state to identify and prioritize topics of concern and ensure their continued ability to provide Georgians safe, affordable, and reliable electricity and related services,” Curtin said.
Prior to BellSouth’s merger with AT&T in the mid-2000s, Curtin served in a number of leadership positions including director of public affairs and economic development, director of corporate communications and regional manager of external affairs in Savannah.
Before that, he held government relations, public affairs and public relations positions with Georgia’s Commissioner of Insurance, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, the Alliance of American Insurers and the Georgia Association of Health Plans.
Curtin is a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, where he currently chairs the chamber’s Political Affairs Council.
Curtin, who grew up in Dunwoody, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and a master’s degree from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.