Sam Olens - Attorney General

Sam Olens is currently Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners and Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission.

After serving as a District Commissioner, Olens was elected Chairman of Cobb County Commission in August 2002.  In December 2004, he was elected Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission. He is also Vice Chair of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District.  In 2003, he was appointed by Governor Sonny Purdue to represent the 6th congressional district for Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs.

Leadership:

With his successful tenure and management of Cobb County’s 5,000 employees, Olens was re-elected Chairman of Cobb County without opposition in 2008. His conservative, common-sense and fiscally responsible management of one of the state’s largest counties has won him many awards and accolades.

Awards:

Olens is the recipient of many awards and honors including the 2008 Tom Bradley Leadership Award by the National Association of Regional Councils and the 2007 Excellence in Public Service Award by the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute. He received the 2005 Liberty Bell Award from the Cobb Bar Association and recently was named Volunteer of the Year by the United Way of Cobb County. For the past six years, he has been named one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine.

Education:

A graduate of Emory University School of Law, Olens received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the American University in Washington, D.C.

Law Career:

Sam Olens has practiced law in Georgia for more than 25 years, successfully representing clients in both state and federal courts. Olens has been a partner of Olens & Ezor, PC since 1983. He is a registered mediator/arbitrator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.   Olens is rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest accolade that confirms a highly respected, ethical member of the Bar. Olens was board certified in Civil Litigation by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in 2000 and is a Fellow of the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia.

He is admitted to the Georgia and District of Columbia Bars, the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia and the United State Supreme Court.

Family:

Olens and his wife Lisa have two children, Lauren and Jonathan.

Read more about the Olens Family here.

Accomplishments

Sam Olens has been at the forefront of addressing Georgia’s infrastructure, water and traffic issues. As the Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission, he has continually rejected the notion of “two Georgias” and promoted cohesion throughout the state.

At the helm of the Cobb County government and its 5,000 employees, the county has been become a role model for other local governments and the State.  Olens has balanced the budget every year without using rainy day reserves and has maintained high standards of excellence in local governance.