The City of Lawrenceville held a swearing-in ceremony on December 17, 2025, to welcome Randy Travis and Bryant Harris as new members of the city council. The event took place in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Mayor David Still administered the oath of office before family, friends, and current council members. Travis will serve in Post 3 and Harris in Post 4, with both terms beginning January 1, 2026, after their election in November.
Randy Travis was sworn in with his wife Joan holding the Bible. Travis is a retired investigative journalist who worked for television stations across the Southeast for 45 years, including more than thirty years at WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta. He has received several awards for his reporting, including a Peabody award, two national Edward R. Murrow awards, and over twenty regional Emmys.
Travis graduated from the University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication and has lived in Gwinnett County since 1990. He is active in Saint Lawrence Catholic Church and the Saint Vincent de Paul ministry with his wife Joan. They have two adult daughters and support the Aurora Theatre. Since retiring, Travis has served as a poll manager for Gwinnett County and sits on the Lawrenceville Financial Review Board.
Speaking at the ceremony about Lawrenceville’s diversity, Council Member Randy Travis said: “We celebrate it. We embrace it. It is our superpower,” he said. “You don’t have to look like me, sound like me, pray like me, or love like me for me to care about you and want to make sure you live your best life in Lawrenceville.”
Bryant Harris was sworn in by Gwinnett County Sheriff Jonathan Keybo Taylor holding the Bible. A lifelong resident of Lawrenceville, Harris has more than twenty-four years of public service experience at local and national levels. His background includes serving as a United States Marine, probation officer, member of the Secret Service Uniformed Division, and twenty years with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Harris is a graduate of Catawba College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and holds a master’s degree in emergency management from University of Maryland Global Campus. He completed training at the FBI National Academy and now serves as major within the sheriff’s office where he oversees various divisions such as training and field operations; he became chief of staff to Sheriff Taylor in 2023.
Harris also coached Little League football through the Gwinnett Football League for seventeen years as part of his mentorship efforts for young athletes.
At his swearing-in ceremony Council Member Bryant Harris stated: “Change in leadership does not mean that you will not be represented,” he said. “I am committed to being a leader who listens first, seeks common ground, and builds bridges between different perspectives.”
Lawrenceville operates under a council-manager form of government with policy set by an elected mayor and four council members chosen at-large by voters according to its official website. The city manages local services—including utilities such as electricity and natural gas—and oversees development initiatives as outlined on its history page.
Lawrenceville serves as county seat for Gwinnett County and was incorporated on December 15, 1821.
