2025 Workers' Compensation Law Institute

Mr. Benjamin James Vinson Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Ben Vinson was appointed as Chairman and Chief Appellate Judge of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation for the State of Georgia by Governor Brian Kemp in May of 2021. He previously served as Director and Appellate Division Judge for the Board having been appointed by former Governor Nathan Deal in July of 2017. In addition to hearing workers’ compensation cases onappeal, ChairmanVinson shares responsibility with Judges McKay and Bah lfor governing the state agency, which includes regulatory, policy,and operational matters.Prior to joining the Board, he was a partner at Dentons US LLP, focusing his practice on public policy and political law for over ten years. Before that he served as majority caucus counsel in the Georgia House of Representatives and as counsel to the administration floor leaders for former Governor Sonny Perdue. He clerked for Judge W. Brevard Hand of the United States District Court following law school and has been a long-time member of the Atlanta Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society. During his time at Dentons, he was appointed by Governor Deal to serve as Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on the City of Brookhaven and the Georgia Immigration Enforcement Review Board. ChairmanVinson grew up in Dallas, Georgia and earned a bachelor’s degree from Furman University then a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was a member of the editorial board and an articles editorof the Georgia Law Review. Heand his wife, Ansley, have two children and reside in Greensboro, Georgia

Mr. William Brian Mallow Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Mr. Richard Hampton Sapp III Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Worker's Compensation

RICHARD HAMPTON SAPP, III is an Administrative Law Judge with the State Board of Workers Compensation. He handles the Northwest Georgia territory including the Dalton, Blue Ridge, Jasper, and Rome areas.  He is a 1984 graduate of Emory University and a cum laude 1987 graduate of Mercer Law School.  He spent four years after graduation from law school handling a variety of cases including criminal cases, divorce cases, and workers compensation cases at the Dalton, Georgia, law firm of Kinney and Kemp.  Next, he was an in-house attorney for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for a few years, and then he was a partner at the Atlanta law firm, Swift Currie, for over 20 years where he handled workers compensation cases.  He has been an administrative law judge for eight years.  

Mr. Frank McKay Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Judge FRANK R. McKay is an Appellate Judge and Director for the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation where he served as Chairman and Chief Appellate Judge for eight years.

In 2024, Judge McKay was inducted into the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary Hall of Fame. He also received the 2019 National Judge Comp Laude Award from WorkCompCentral.  He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (CWCL).  He is a Past-President of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA) and Co-Dean of the 2024 and 2023 Roger L. Williams National Regulators College.  He served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ).  He served on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI). He served on the Board of Directors of Kids’ Chance of Georgia.  He served on the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute’s (WCRI) Georgia Advisory Committee.  He serves on Georgia’s Statewide Opioid Task Force.  Judge McKay is a frequent speaker at the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary College and many other conferences.

He came to the Board in 2013 from private practice where he was a partner in the Stewart, Melvin and Frost law firm in Gainesville, Georgia. His practice was concentrated in workers’ compensation, and he tried and presented many cases before the Administrative Law Judges and the Appellate Division of the State Board and appeals to the Superior Courts and the Georgia Court of Appeals. He was a former Special Assistant Attorney General handling workers’ compensation claims for the State of Georgia. He was on the State Board’s Advisory Council prior to being appointed the Chairman by the Governor of Georgia in 2013 and 2017.  He was reappointed as a Director and Appellate Judge by Governor Brian P. Kemp in 2021.

He obtained his law degree (J.D.) from Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, and his undergraduate degree (B.A. Economics) from Clemson University. 

Hon. Nicole Danielle Tifverman Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Nicole Tifverman is an Administrative Law Judge with the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation in Savannah, Georgia. Prior to her appointment as a judge in 2011, she practiced workers’ compensation law in Atlanta for 24 years. She received a B.A. from the University of Rhode Island and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law

Hon. Johnny W. Mason Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Judge

State Board of Workers' Compensation

JUDGE JOHNNY MASON, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, obtained his B.A. in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania, and obtained his law degree in 1984 from Woodrow Wilson College of Law. Judge Mason was in private practice as a trial lawyer from 1985 to 1995, primarily practicing in the areas of civil rights, domestic law, workers’ compensation, criminal defense, and personal injury. In 1995, Judge Mason was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge with the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. In 2000, on appointment by the Governor, Judge Mason served for one year as Chief Judge of the Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings and, thereafter, returned to the Workers’ Compensation Board where he continues to serve as an Administrative Law Judge.

Hon. Kimberly Stone Boehm Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Kimberly Boehm is an administrative law judge with the State Board of Workers’ Compensation’s Atlanta office.  Prior to joining the Board in 2017, she represented injured workers for several years and before that, had a defense practice representing employers, insurers, servicing agents, and group funds in Duluth.  She graduated from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in history and philosophy, and obtained her law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law in 1996. She is a member of the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ) and Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA). 

Hon. Neera Ahuja Bahl Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Judge Neera Bahl started her legal career in January 2005. Prior to starting her legal journey, Judge Bahl worked as a Research Specialist in the Pulmonary Department at The University of AL, Birmingham, and later in the Dermatology Department at Emory University, Atlanta. Transitioning to law (after 22 years) in 2005, she joined a small firm and eventually became a named partner in 2007. In 2009, she bought the same firm and founded Neera Bahl & Associates, specializing in all areas of Immigration and Family Law. Renamed One Path Legal in 2018, she sold the practice in 2019 and ran Neera Bahl Legal Consulting, LLC until her Judicial Appointment in August 2020. On August 17, 2020, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp swore Neera Bahl into office as an Appellate Judge and Director of the Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation. On July 8, 2024, Governor Kemp reappointed Judge Bahl to serve another four-year term in her capacity as Appellate Judge and Director of the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.

Judge Bahl is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award 2010 from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School as well as the “TIP Volunteer of the Year Award” in 2007. She is the recipient of the Glory of India Award in January 2012 and on the Super Lawyers List for 2012, 2013, and 2014. Ms. Bahl is the 2014 Honoree of the “I Am the Dream: Legends of a New Era” MLK Celebration. In July 2024, she was honored with an award as one of the 25 most influential Asian Americans in Georgia by the Georgia Asian Times. She is a member of several organizations, some of which include the State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), South Asian Bar Association of Georgia (SABA-GA), Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association (GAPABA), Multi Bar Legal Council, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, Georgia Indo American Chamber of Commerce (GIACC), and Cobb Chamber of Commerce. She is a former member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. Currently she serves on the Board of SAWCA (Southern Association of Workers’ Comp Administrators) and NAWCJ (National Association of Workers’ Comp Judges)

Judge Bahl served as the Chairwoman of the Regional Advisory Council of the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC-SE) after serving three years as the President of this organization. She also served on the Board of Advisory Council for the Chairman’s Club of Cobb Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Diversity and Inclusion section of the Chamber. She was appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission in January 2019. She was a member of Rotary Club of Marietta until 2021. She was appointed to serve on the Cobb Board of Elections in 2018 for a four-year term. Ms. Bahl strongly believes in giving back to the community and community service. She herself volunteers and helps at least six different volunteer and community service programs.

Hon. Viola Sellers Drew Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Judge Viola Drew is a graduate of Emory University School of Law. She has been an administrative law judge with the State Board of Workers’ Compensation for over 30 years.  She has also served as a Director of the Board, as Chief Judge, as Interim Executive Director, and as acting Director of the Licensure and Self-Insurance Division during her tenure with the Board.  She is currently serving as Deputy Executive Director of the Board, and she also continues to hear cases as an administrative law judge in Atlanta.  In addition, she serves as Ethics Counsel to the Board and as a member and staff liaison to the Advisory Council’s Rules Committee.

Hon. David K. Imahara Related Seminars and Products

Chief Judge

State Board of Workers' Compensation

David is the Chief Judge in the Hearing Division at the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.  David has been involved in Georgia’s workers’ compensation system for over 25 years.  David is a frequent speaker on hearings, mediations, the Board’s paperless/online processes, and workers’ compensation.  David obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Georgia (“Double Dawg”). 

Hon. Melodie Lynn Belcher Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

Melodie Belcher is an Administrative Law Judge for the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. After spending nearly 10 years as a flight attendant, Melodie attended Georgia State University College of Law where she was an editor on the law review and graduated cum laude. Melodie then went to work for Swift, Currie, McGhee and Hiers, an Atlanta firm, where she represented employers and insurers in workers’ compensation claims. In 1999, Melodie joined the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. She served as the chief judge from 2009 until 2012. Melodie is actively involved with the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators and  previously served as SAWCA’s president. She served on the Board of the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ) and was inducted into their initial Hall of Fame class. She has also been inducted as a fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys. Melodie speaks frequently on workers’ compensation issues in Georgia and nationally. She lives in Lagrange, Georgia. 

Mr. Daniel Ryan Richardson Related Seminars and Products

Hall Booth Smith PC

Daniel Richardson is an attorney in the Atlanta office of Hall Booth & Smith. For almost seven years, he has specialized exclusively in defending employers in all aspects of their workers' compensation claims throughout Georgia. Currently, he represents school districts, insurance companies, industrial companies specializing in flooring, roofing, and automobile manufacturing, and several other small businesses. Before his current role, he served as a trial attorney in the DA's office in Coweta County. He also has a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech. 

Ms. Luanne Bryant Smith Related Seminars and Products

Luanne Bryant Smith PC

Mr. John Douglas Christy Related Seminars and Products

John D. Christy P.C.

JOHN D. CHRISTY

JOHN D. CHRISTY, P.C.

909 BALL STREET

P.O. BOX 1816

PERRY, GEORGIA 31069

CURRICULUM VITAE

John D. Christy has a statewide litigation practice located in Perry, Georgia.  He represents severely injured individuals and the families of individuals who are injured or have been killed, on the job or through the negligence of others. While the focus of his law practice is handling claims for individuals in the areas of workers’ compensation and personal injury, John has successfully represented major employers and insurers, giving him the advantage of understanding how employers and insurers defend claims. John has been involved in numerous cases involving complex litigation issues in both the workers’ compensation and personal injury areas of the law.  John is a registered mediator and has successfully mediated many complicated workers’ compensation claims.

John is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals.  He formerly served as the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Georgia.  John is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in 2012 and 2014 through 2025. 

John is the past chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of Georgia, has served on the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council Medical Committee, as Editor of the State Bar of Georgia Workers’ Compensation Section Law Letter, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Workers’ Compensation Claimant’s Law Section of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.  He is a frequent speaker at seminars on employment and workers’ compensation legal issues.

John is a native of Atlanta, GA and enjoys reading and spending time with his family.

Hon. Jerome J. Stenger Related Seminars and Products

State Board of Workers' Compensation

JERRY STENGER, ALJ

State Board of Workers' Compensation

7 East Congress St., Suite 601

Savannah, Georgia 31401

(912) 651-6223

Graduated with a B.A. from West Georgia College (now the University of West Georgia) in 1983

Graduated with J.D. from Mercer University School of Law in Macon, Georgia, in 1986.

Law Clerk for trial court judges in Savannah, Georgia 1986-1989.

Practiced workers' compensation law in Savannah and Atlanta from 1989 to 1995.

Administrative Law Judge in the Savannah office of the Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation from October 1995 through the present.

Heather Sanderson Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Shane Mangrum, M.D. Related Seminars and Products

Physician