(L-R) Mayor Jerry Chapman, Craig Tully, City Manager Cory Thomas In what could be best described as a rags-to-riches story, Colquitt-Miller County Fire-EMS Chief, Craig Tully, a 30-year veteran of the Georgia Fire Service, was unanimously elected as president of the statewide Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (GAFC).

A born leader with a vision for a statewide fire service that is rated best in the United States, Craig worked his way up from sergeant-atarms, vice president and now president of the association. GAFC and the Georgia State Firefighters Association partner on representing all fire service personnel before the Georgia General Assembly.

The swearing-in ceremony took place on August 9 in Macon before a packed house of fire chiefs, firefighters, Craig's immediate family, Jerry Chapman, mayor for the City of Colquitt, and Cory J. Thomas, Colquitt city manager.

"For a small city in Southwest Georgia to produce a president for a prestigious statewide association like GAFC is a story that makes us all proud," said Kenneth Hannon, Georgia director of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Southeast Association. The Association of Fire Chiefs covers 11 states in the Southeast Region. Hannon added, "Craig has shown his leadership ability in many ways; he was instrumental in the formation of the Southwest Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs (SOWEGA), now one of GAFC's strongest regional associations. Craig started as a volunteer in the '70s when there was one little truck in the town of Colquitt and nowhere to house it to one of the most progressive volunteer departments in Southwest Georgia. Recently, EMS was merged with the Colquitt Miller/ Fire Department and the entire unit reclassified as a combination department. This is truly a rags-to-riches story."

Craig was also recently named by Governor Sonny Perdue to the Georgia Firefighters Standards and Training Council.

He has been a member of the Colquitt/Miller Fire/ EMS for almost 30 years, where he has served as chief for most of that time. He is an active member and deacon at the Colquitt Freewill Baptist Church. Craig is married to the former Cyndi Whitaker, and they have two children, Kristin and Matthew.