Darryl Hicks to Asian community: You will have seat at table

Georgia’s next labor commissioner vows inclusion

Darryl Hicks, Democratic candidate for Georgia labor commissioner continues making the rounds across the state to ensure his message of putting Georgia back to work is heard by everyone. While most candidates focus on the majority white population, black and Hispanic communities, the Hicks campaign is making certain not to leave out the Asian community.

“When I’m labor commissioner, everyone will have a seat at the table, especially our Asian sisters and brothers,” Hicks said after leaving the set of last Sunday’s televised debate in which experts said he soundly beat his opponent Terry Coleman.

Hicks, 46, is a fellow minority citizen and understands the needs and concerns of Asian citizens. He is a former executive at Atlanta Gas Light who was most-recently the top appointed officer at Fulton County as chief of staff to the County Chairman John Eaves. Hicks grew up poor on a rural Georgia Farm, before becoming a successful businessman.

Hicks says as much time as we spend talking about illegal immigrants, nobody is talking about the positive impact and efforts of those ethnic minorities who are here legally and working to bolster the economy. He says a good example of that is the Asian and Asian American community. Indeed, the U.S. Commerce Dept. released new figures Tuesday, July 13, which show phenomenal growth of Asian business in the U.S. and in Georgia.

The Dept.’s Census Bureau report said that Asians owned 1.6 million nonfarm U.S. businesses in 2007, an increase of 40.7 percent from 2002. In 2007, Asian-owned firms accounted for 5.7 percent of all nonfarm businesses in the United States, 2.4 percent of total employment and 1.7 percent of total receipts.

“It’s clear we cannot lose site of our ethnic communities talking about our state and national economy,” said Hicks. “As labor commissioner, I will be working with everyone who can help us put Georgia back to work, and the numbers show that Asian citizens are a major factor in that equation.”

Hicks also noted that the economic power of Asian Americans continues to show growth and that the work of so many Asians in Georgia, will play a role in reducing unemployment and  our economic recovery. A recent study by the University of Georgia Terry College of Business says in 2005, Asian-American buying power was estimated at $397 billion for that year, an increase of 240.4 percent since 1990. Forecasters were predicting that by this year it to be near $600 billion nationwide.

“Darryl Hicks’ plan to keep our community as part of the ongoing and future discussions about the Georgia economy is really good news to us,” said Lani Wong, a leading member of the Asian community in Georgia and chair of the National Association of Chinese-Americans.

“I plan to vote for him for labor commissioner, not just because he’s speaking our language, so to speak, but because he is simply the right man with the right experience for the job of creating new high-tech, high-paying jobs for our children and our children’s children,” Wong said.

Hicks is the second name on the Democratic ballot in Tuesday’s Primary Election. You have to look down the ballot a ways, because several other races are on the ballot first.

“Just look for the first and only Darryl or Hicks, and you won’t miss me on the voting machine, ” Hicks said.

More information on the Darryl Hicks campaign to “put Georgia back to Work” is available on his official website, www.darrylhicks.net.

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About Darryl A. Hicks

Darryl A. Hicks, 46, is a lifelong Georgian with more than three decades of experience in the public and private sectors. His skill set includes community relations, government affairs, economic development, job creation and business management.

Most recently, he served as the chief of staff to the chairman of Fulton County, the largest county in Georgia. In his role as the top-appointed officer to the chairman of the county, Hicks fashioned three consecutive annual county budgets that provided surpluses, never raised property taxes, streamlined government, cut waste and saved jobs.

Prior to joining the County in 2007, Hicks was a 2006 candidate for Georgia Secretary of State. He garnered an impressive number of statewide votes for a first-time candidate, attracting nationwide attention, in both the primary and the runoff election.

Before running for office, Hicks spent more than 20 years as a professional in the private sector in management with AGL Resources, parent company of Atlanta Gas Light Company. While a key member of AGL’s leadership team, Hicks served in several management posts, including operations manager, director of customer service, assistant to the chairman and CEO and director of government relations. He also played a role in the auditing functions of AGL Resources.

In addition to his professional attributes, for the past two decades Hicks has been dedicated to community service and has taken an active role in the community. He currently sits on the board of directors of the Atlanta Metropolitan College Foundation, after completing five years as its chairman. The foundation provides financial and community support to the College and its students. Hicks is also a member of the board of Atlanta-based Mutual Savings Credit Union, and chairs its credit committee.

He sits on the board of the Center for the Visually Impaired and chairs its Advocacy Committee, is a member of the advisory council of Habitat for Humanity of Atlanta and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Previously, Hicks served on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta, Habitat for Humanity of Atlanta and the Butler Street YMCA. He also was a member of the Atlanta Junior League Advisory Committee and chaired the South Metro March of Dimes annual drive.

Hicks’ civic endeavors have received national recognition. In June 2002, he was honored by President George W. Bush as the “Outstanding Volunteer of Georgia.”

In 2003, Hicks earned a M.B.A. in executive management from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business—while working full time at AGL Resources. The school also honored him with the Brook’s Community Award for his exemplary record in the field of community service and business ethics. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2005, he had the honor of being selected by the Middle East Travel Seminar Program to join a group of seminary students to tour the Middle East. The criteria for selection included leadership experience and a high level of commitment to community service.

Hicks was born in Atlanta and raised in Middle Georgia, in the city of Reynolds. He and his wife Shirelle have three children: two daughters, one a freshman at Georgia State University and one son. They live in Fayetteville.