County Adds 2 New DOT Professionals

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce the appointment of two new employees in its Department of Transportation.

Mihaela Valeanu is the new Land Acquisition Coordinator for the Department.  Valeanu is certified by the Georgia Department of Transportation for Land Acquisition/Condemnation Preparation and is also a GDOT Certified Interpreter in French and Romanian languages. Valeanu is a native of Romania who emigrated to the United States after the fall of the Soviet bloc.  She holds degrees from Bucharest University (Romania), and Sullivan University (Kentucky), and is also a Paralegal. She is a member of the International Right-of-Way Association.

Valeanu has lived in Georgia since 2006 and has performed right-of-way acquisition for Moreland Altobelli and Associates, Inc., on numerous projects in Gwinnett, Oconee, Walton, Forsyth, Troup, Fulton, Clayton and Douglas Counties. Her first project with Douglas County will be the right-of-way acquisition for the Lee Road expansion project (Interstate 20 to Fairburn Road), currently underway.

Valeanu is married with two children. She fills the Land Acquisition Coordinator position vacated by the retired June.

Bobby Elliott, P. E., is the new Maintenance Construction Engineer/Division Manager for the Department, filling the position vacated by the retired David Baxter.

Elliott is a lifelong resident of the Cobb County and Powder Springs, and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University (Marietta), and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa). He is a Registered Professional Engineer.

He began his career as a utility worker with the City of Powder Springs at the age of 17 and, after attending college, eventually became Public Works Director in 1975.  During his almost 30-year career with Powder Springs, his responsibilities included overseeing water and sewer systems, roadway and right-of-way maintenance, stormwater management, solid waste services, and community development.  He became City Engineer for the City of Cartersville in 2003 and the City’s Public Works Director in 2007.

As Division Manager, Mr. Elliott will be supervising the field operations and crews of the DOT, including paving, roadway repairs, right-of-way maintenance, sign installation, and emergency services. His stated goal is to improve the level of services to the citizens of the County every day.

Elliott is married with four children and nine grandchildren.