Donald Hunt

After graduating from the University of Georgia Lumpkin School of Law in 1981 (having graduated from Emory University in December, 1977), Donald Hunt has practiced law for more than 40 years in Northeast Georgia. Donnie came to Gainesville, Georgia in 1983 as an assistant district attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. At the time he left the district attorney's office in 1985 to join the local law firm of Smith, Gilliam & Williams, he was serving as the chief assistant district attorney. Donnie's early private practice of law focused on litigation (insurance defense) and municipal law (City of Gainesville). After he left to form his own firm, Donnie has practiced in the areas of litigation, probate and estates and has served as a Special Assistant Attorney General and as the city attorney for the City of Oakwood, Georgia for 32 years and as county attorney for Habersham County for ten years. He brings to the practice of law years of experience of handling and negotiating politically sensitive issues efficiently and effectively - especially land use and zoning matters.

Donnie is also very involved in our local community having been a member of various service clubs and coaching youth sports such as recreational boys' and girls' soccer and basketball as well as an Athena girls traveling soccer team. He served in many roles with the sports and band programs at North Hall High School and is an active member of Lakewood Baptist Church where he has taught an adult Sunday School class and served as a deacon for over 38 years. He is a huge Georgia Bulldog fan - having grown up in Washington, Georgia - near Athens. His wife, Kathy, is a retired professor of mathematics (and chair of the math department) at the University of North Georgia and they have two grown children (Jared who resides in Texas and Rebekah who resides in Western/Central Asia after a lengthy stay in Southeast Asia.) Pictures of all four grandchildren are available upon request.