Jabari Simama (born March 6,1950 or 1951) is an American retired educator and public official. Simama served as President of Georgia Piedmont Technical College for six years. He also served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Development and Chief of Staff in DeKalb County government from 2009 to 2012.[1] In 2001 he was the chief architect of a large municipal technology program,the Atlanta Community Technology Initiative,to bridge the digital divide where thousands of citizens were taught how to use computers and the internet.[4] Simama also organized broadband in cities' and towns' summits from 2006 to 2009 in Columbia,South Carolina which explored how broadband technology can serve rural and urban communities.[5] Featured in John Barber's book The Black Digital Elite:African American Leaders of the Information Revolution,published by Praeger Publishers,Simama is also the author of Civil Rights to Cyber Rights:Broadband &Digital Equality in the Age of Obama,published in July 2009.
He returned to Atlanta in 1980. He became the first general manager of the Public-access television program in Atlanta,sponsored by the cable operator,then Cable Atlanta. Through the program five neighborhood-based studios were opened to teach Atlanta citizens television production skills.[7]
At the end of 1986,Simama left the cable company and ran for elected office for the Atlanta City Council. In 1987,he won and became the first African American elected in the South with an African name. He served two terms as the District 3 council member,before embarking on an unsuccessful campaign for council president.
He returned to the City of Atlanta in 1998 in the position of Director of Communications where he was responsible for all communications and marketing for the city. During his tenure as Director of Communications,he negotiated an 8million dollar deal with AT&T and Media One to fund a citywide program designed to bridge the digital divide.[10] The City Cyber Program included multiple sites such as recreation centers,libraries,one historical black college,and a cyber bus that brought mobile broadband technology directly to local communities.[11] In 2003,the cyber bus became the operations center for a forum sponsored for U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein.[6]
In 2005,Simama left government and returned to education as Vice President for Community Development and External Affairs and Executive Assistant to the President at Benedict College in Columbia,South Carolina. There Simama continued his work in community technology,sponsoring four annual summits on Broadband in Cities and Towns. The summits attracted participants from around the country and focused on the idea of expanding broadband to unserved and under-served communities.[6]
In June 2009,Simama returned to Atlanta and began working as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Development for DeKalb County and Chief of Staff,the third largest county in Georgia.[11] where he remained until August,2012. A report of investigation by the DeKalb District Attorney's Office into the county's administration produced indictments against county CEO Burrell Ellis,and accused Simama,as chief of staff under Ellis,of manipulating committees that award contracts. The report recommended a criminal investigation into possible bid-rigging.[12][13]As of February2017,[update] Simama faced possible appeals or ongoing litigation as a result of the probe.[14][15]As of November2017,[update] no charges were filed against Simama.[16]
Simama served as president of Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) starting 2012.[17] He was the first black president for the college that had an 78% black student population.[18][excessive detail?] In 2018,the college was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education regarding management of its finances,placing the college under "Heightened Cash Monitoring 2" status.[19] As a result of the investigation,GPTC dismissed Simama and placed four other administrators on leave.[20][21][22] Simama denied he was removed from his position with the college,and said at the time he was retiring.[19] Simama also defended his tenure as President of GPTC,citing his positive performance evaluations,including regarding fiscal management,and citing having received a merit increase for the year prior to his departure.[23]
In 2019,Simama was one of nine candidates vying in a special general election for Atlanta's District 3 seat on the city council.[24] Simama placed fifth,receiving 9.9% of the votes,compared to the top two candidates Antonio Brown and Byron Amos,who received 19.3% and 23.4% respectively,who went on to the general runoff election for the council seat.[25]
Simama is a consultant,senior fellow with Government Technology,education and government columnist for Governing Magazine,[26] and writes a weekly blog on issues of politics,culture and maleness.
Works
Civil Rights to Cyber Rights:Broadband &Digital Equality in the Age of Obama,(2009) ISBN0-615-29662-9
The Information Society and the Black Community, "Race, Politics, and Pedagogy of New Media: From Civil Rights to Cyber Rights" ed. John Barber, 2001 ISBN0-275-95724-1
↑Badertscher, Nancy (October 14, 2013). "English, Simama face off in citywide school board race". Education. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 28, 2021. [Nisha] Simama, wife of former Atlanta City Councilman Jabari Simama ...
↑The Information Society and the Black Community, "Race, Politics, and Pedagogy of New Media: From Civil Rights to Cyber Rights" ed. John Barber, 2001 ISBN0-275-95724-1
↑Hunt, April (August 22, 2013). "DeKalb report: Corruption spans administrations, all levels of government". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 28, 2021. ... CEO Burrell Ellis is the only person the report recommended by charged with crimes. But it says former CEO Vernon Jones and 10 others – including Ellis' former chief of staff ... should be criminally investigated for their possible roles in manipulating contracts, theft and obstruction.
↑Torpy, Bill (September 15, 2013). "Fallout continues from DeKalb grand jury report". Local news. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 28, 2021. The grand jury also recommended Ellis' former chief of staff, Jabari Simama, be investigated for bid rigging and perjury.
↑Niesse, Mark (February 10, 2017). "No further charges expected from DeKalb corruption report". Politics. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 28, 2021. Because of pending appeals and ongoing litigation, [DeKalb District Attorney Robert James] declined to discuss three others named by the special grand jury: Ellis, former Chief of Staff Jabari Simama and former campaign manager Kevin Ross.
↑Hunt, April (October 12, 2013). "DeKalb's purchasing director key to CEO corruption case". Local news. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 28, 2021. Simama, who served as chief of staff under Ellis, is accused in the report of manipulating the committees that award competitively bid contracts to influence the outcome. The report recommends a criminal investigation into possible bid-rigging.
↑Judd, Judd; Edwards, Johnny; Niesse, Mark (November 2, 2017). "As DeKalb investigators turned up the heat, top officials resisted". Local news. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 28, 2021. The special grand jury whose work led to criminal charges against CEO Burrell Ellis recommended investigations of at least 11 other people. They included ... his former chief of staff, Jabari Simama ... None of the 11 has been charged.
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