Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: 12:15
Location: Roswell Area Park
Bill Johnson Community Activity Building
Woodstock Road
Roswell, GA 30075

We are pleased to welcome John F. King, Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, as our speaker on April 9. Commissioner King was sworn into office on July 1, 2019, by Governor Brian Kemp, becoming the first Hispanic statewide official in Georgia’s history. He was elected to a full four‑year term in 2022 and continues to lead the state agency responsible for insurance regulation and fire safety. Commissioner King’s career began in 1985 as an Atlanta police officer, where he served in specialized units including Red Dog and Organized Crime/Intelligence. In 1987, he received the Chief’s Blue Star after being injured in the line of duty during a criminal attack involving a firearm. His law enforcement service also included assignments as a Task Force Agent with both the FBI and DEA. King later became Chief of Police for the City of Doraville, where he focused on community trust, multilingual accessibility, and youth crime‑prevention initiatives.

A native of Mexico, King made significant contributions to Doraville’s diverse community by hiring bilingual officers, adding multiple languages to police vehicles, and ensuring access to translators and public defenders in the City Courthouse. His initiatives included anti‑gang education programs for elementary students and parents, small‑business education partnerships with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and a collaborative pedestrian‑safety effort along Buford Highway. He is also a member of Leadership DeKalb.

In addition to his law enforcement career, King retired as a Major General in the U.S. Army following his final assignment to NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. He previously commanded the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. He served as Military Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Interior for Security in Afghanistan, supporting an agency of more than 96,000 police officers.

His military awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (2), Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals, the El Salvador Gold Medal for Achievement, and numerous additional federal and state honors.

Commissioner King holds a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and public administration from Brenau University and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His professional education includes programs at Harvard University, Syracuse University, the FBI National Academy (Class #229), and the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange program to Israel. He is fluent in Spanish.

We look forward to hearing Commissioner King share insights from his decades of leadership in public safety, military service, and statewide administration.