City Administrator's Bio 

Raphel D. Maddox is a native of Waycross, Georgia. He is married to Mrs. Yolanda Pender Maddox of Blackshear, Ga. Mr. and Mrs. Maddox have two children. Ravhen 25, resides in Suwanee, Ga and teaches 3rd Grade for Gwinnett County Public Schools in Norcross, Ga. Raphel II, 22 is a Junior at Columbus State University, in Columbus, Ga.

Raphel served 20 years in the United States Army. He served honorable and was highly respected throughout the Human Resources Field and executive levels (Secretary General Staff). While serving as an active duty soldier in the United States Army, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama. After retirement from the Army, Raphel returned to his hometown, Waycross, Ga and served 10 years of dedicated service.

Raphel was appointed to City Administrator of the City of Fort Valley, April 2019. Raphel is no stranger to executive level governmental management. Raphel served as the City Manager for the City of Waycross from March 2014 – August 2018. Some of his accomplishments include the passage of the Single County T-SPOST; construction of a new Fire Station which dropped ISO ratings to a two; Waycross Police Department - body camera implementation for, National and State accreditation. He also served as the Development Authority point of contact during the eight month gap between directors. During this time, he oversaw two major extensions of GATX and Carolina Skiff. In addition, Raphel started quarterly business breakfasts in which all business owners within Ware County were educated on the community, services, and other relevant matters to ensure the growth of businesses. Prior to City Manager duties, Raphel served as Community Improvement and Human Resources Director from 2008– 2014. During his tenure, Raphel completely restructured the city's website, created branding/marketing collateral for the city, and revamped old codes, policies and procedures to ensure efficient operations. Raphel's grant submittal to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs resulted in over two-million dollars being provided for housing and infrastructure for the City of Waycross. He is also a member of the International City/County Managers’ Association (ICMA) and Georgia’s City-County Management Association (GCCMA).

“My family and I are very thankful to have this opportunity to work with the Mayor and Council to build upon the foundation already established in the City of Fort Valley. We will work diligently and professionally with elected officials, staff, and citizens to ensure the City of Fort Valley’s success. Making sure that the city’s vision becomes reality is our priority. I am grateful for the opportunity to humbly serve in the leadership role of City Administrator.