The City of Suwanee has named a new police chief and a new city clerk following the recent retirements of two 20+ year city employees.
Cass Mooney, who had served as deputy chief for the Suwanee Police Department, took the reins as chief of police on Feb. 1, 2021. He fills a position left vacant by the retirement of Mike Jones.
Jones spent 23 years with the City of Suwanee and a total of 47 years in law enforcement, according to a statement from city officials. During Jones' tenure, the Suwanee Police Department more than doubled in size. The department was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2010 – one of just 56 in Georgia – and in 2016, the department was named the Phyllis Goodwin Agency of the Year by the Georgia Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. Jones was also named Outstanding Chief of the Year by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police in 2018.
"I can’t say enough about Chief Jones and his outstanding tenure with the city. He transformed the Suwanee Police Department into the high quality Department that it is,” said Suwanee City Manager Marty Allen.
Mooney, who has spent 23 of his 26 years in law enforcement at the City of Suwanee, holds a degree in criminal justice from the University of North Georgia, as well as a Master of Public Administration with concentration in Justice Administration from Columbus State University. Chief Mooney is a member of the FBI National Academy, Georgia Law Enforcement Command College, and he completed the Certified Public Manager program at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.
Meanwhile, Elvira Rogers announced her retirement as city clerk after a 22-year career with the City of Suwanee. Rogers originally was hired part-time to support the planning, inspections and public works departments. She completed the Management Development Program at the University of Georgia in 2001, and became a Certified Municipal Clerk in 2009, obtaining her Master Clerk Certification in 2016. Prior to the city, Rogers worked for Gwinnett County government for 12 years.
Rogers is a pastor within the United Methodist Church, and plans to “devote more time to her calling” in her retirement.
Administrative coordinator Robyn O’Donnell has been named to fill the position of city clerk, according to city officials.
O’Donnell completed the Georgia Clerks Education Certificate Program in 2020, receiving the designation of official Georgia Certified Clerk. She began working on her accreditation in 2017, completing 105 hours of instruction in public administration courses. O’Donnell has been with the city since 2013, and has worked in municipal government since 2006.
