Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed three people to leadership positions in several state departments.

Deal announced Thursday that Gretchen Corbin will serve as commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. Corbin, of Rome, has worked for the Department of Economic Development since 1998 and holds degrees from Clemson and University of Oklahoma.

Deal appointed Braxton Cotton as executive director of the Governor's Office of Transition, Support and Re-entry. The newly-created program is part of Deal's criminal justice reform initiative. Cotton worked as a state trooper for five years and holds degrees from Georgia Military College and Saint Leo University.

Deal also announced that Blake Ashbee has been appointed to serve as executive director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Development. He holds three degrees from the University of Alabama.

Tags: Nathan Deal, military, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Governor's Office of Workforce Development, Georgia military, gretchen corbin, braxton cotton, blake ashbee