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DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis named appointments to fill vacancies in four county departments. 

Mike Van Wie has been named airport director; Stacy Grear has been named director of geographic information systems (GIS); Burke Brennan has been named chief communications officer; and Patrick Bailey has been promoted to director of the medical examiner’s office. Van Wie, Grear and Brennan have been serving as interim directors in their respective departments. 

“These individuals have demonstrated a high level of professional competence in their respective areas of responsibility, as well as integrity and commitment to public service, and will provide appropriate leadership and stability to their respective departments,” Ellis said.

Van Wie became assistant airport director of DeKalb Peachtree Airport in October 2002, where he was responsible for day-to-day operations, maintenance, security and construction administration.  He has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master’s degree of business administration in finance from Webster University.  

Grear joined DeKalb County as assistant director of the GIS department in 2006. His background includes experience in civil engineering, surveying, aerial mapping and photogrammetry, writing legal descriptions and developing databases.  Prior to joining DeKalb County, he served as GIS director for Douglas County. Grear has a bachelor’s degree industrial technology from Tennessee State University.

Brennan joined DeKalb County in June of 2003 as a public information officer. He served as communications director from 2004 to 2006.  From March 2006 to July 2010, Brennan served as a senior project manager in the Office of Economic Development.  Prior to his tenure at DeKalb County, Brennan was a news reporter/anchor at WGST-AM and the Georgia News Network.

Bailey joined DeKalb County Police Department in 1996, where he served as a uniformed patrol officer and a community-oriented officer assigned to Center Precinct. Bailey was promoted to the detective division, where he served as a robbery/homicide detective and an internal affairs investigator. He joined the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office in 2003 as a forensic death investigator, and has served as forensic services manager and chief investigator. Bailey is a graduate of Troy University with a degree in business and finance.