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Deal appoints 2 Gainesville men to serve on state boards
Canada and Wilheit Jr. excited about getting to work
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Gov. Nathan Deal appointed two Gainesville men to statewide boards Friday.

Philip Wilheit Jr. was named to the board of directors for the Department of Natural Resources, and Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada will serve on the Georgia Board of Public Safety.

Wilheit replaces Dwight Davis, who resigned Jan. 10 from the 4th Congressional District seat to join the Judicial Nominating Commission.

"I got a call a week ago to ask if I would be interested, and of course I was," Wilheit said Friday evening. "I'm very excited to get a chance to serve our state, especially in a capacity that's so important right now with issues such as water."

The DNR board, composed of 14 district members and four at-large members, is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The board meets 10 times a year to set water quality and hunting season regulations and provide input on budget recommendations and legislative initiatives.

Wilheit, a partner at Wilheit Packaging LLC and owner of TargetMatz LLC, serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Hall County and the John Jarrard Foundation.

Wilheit also is a member of the Benedicts of Atlanta and sits on the Chattahoochee Bank of Georgia Advisory Board and the Greater Hall County Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee.

"This is a great opportunity, and I hope I'll be able to contribute a lot," he said. "I've been interested in hunting my whole life, so I understand that aspect, and I'm also a registered real estate agent in Georgia, so I'm aware of zoning laws and those aspects."

Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada will serve a spot on the board of directors for the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Georgia State Patrol, Capitol Police and Motor Carrier Compliance Division. Hall County
Sheriff Steve Cronic is also a board member.

"I got a call from the governor's office last week asking if I would be willing to serve," he said. "I'm honored to be chosen to serve on this board and under Gov. Deal."

Canada is certified by the National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications and is a member of the Georgia State Firefighters Association and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.

He holds a Class One Firefighter Certification from the Georgia Fire Academy at Georgia's Public Safety Training Center.

"I believe that public safety is one of the core functions of service that the government gives to citizens at both the state and local level," he said. "I'm truly excited to serve."