Governor Brian P. Kemp took the oath of office to Gerlda B. Hines as State Accounting Officer and Candice Broce as Commissioner of the Department of Human Services. Commissioner Broce will also serve as Director of the Family and Children’s Services Department.
“I am proud to appoint Gerlda B. Hines as our new State Accounting Officer,” said Governor Kemp. “She has a wealth of experience and is a respected and valued leader in the state government. I am confident that it will continue the longstanding tradition of conservative fiscal management that enables Georgia to become a AAA and top state for business. “
“Candice Broce is an excellent fit with leading the Department of Human Services and the Division of Family and Children Services,” said Governor Kemp. “Given her experience in numerous leadership roles in my administration and her proven commitment to the civil service, I have no doubt that she will continue to make the State of Georgia proud as Commissioner of DHS and Director of DFCS.”
Gerlda B. Hines serves as the State Accounting Officer for the State of Georgia and is the first African American woman to serve in this position. Hines was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Human Services by Governor Kemp on July 1, 2021. Before that, she had been the department’s chief of staff since January 2019. Hines also worked as an interim representative for the DHS from November 2018 to January 2019. Prior to her interim appointment, Hines served as the DHS ‘s Assistant Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer, leading the executive team and overseeing a budget of more than $ 1.9 billion.
Prior to joining DHS, Hines was Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the Georgia Department of Community Health from 2013-2015, where she was responsible for a $ 13 billion budget. She also served as vice president and chief financial officer for the Georgia Student Finance Committee, budget manager for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, and policy analyst for the Georgia Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget. Hines holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Loyola University in New Orleans and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, the Georgia Fiscal Management Council, and the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association. Hines lives in Marietta and has a son.
Candice Broce is Commissioner of the Department of Human Services and Director of the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Broce most recently served as Interim Director for DFCS and as Chief Operating Officer. Previously, she was Director of Communications and Deputy Chief Attorney for Governor Kemp. She previously directed communications and served as an election and legislative legal advisor for the Georgia Secretary of State. Broce holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Georgia Institute of Technology and a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law. Originally from Cartersville, Bartow County, she now lives in White, Georgia with husband Jason and two sons, Beau and Jack. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Federalist Society, the Republican National Lawyers Association, and the Georgia Board of Nursing.