2010 Drug, DUI and Mental Health Court Conference

Presenter Biographies 26
Commissioner Michael Thurmond serves as Georgia’s labor commissioner for the Georgia Department of
Labor. He became the first African-American elected to the Georgia General Assembly from Clarke County since
Reconstruction in 1986. While serving in the General Assembly, Thurmond authored major legislation that has
provided more than $200 million in tax relief to Georgia's senior citizens and working families. Following his tenure
in the legislature, Thurmond created the innovative Workfirst program, which has helped over 90,000 welfaredependent
Georgia families move into the workforce, saving more than $100 million in tax dollars that have been
reinvested in childcare, training and other support services. In 1997, Thurmond became a distinguished lecturer at
the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The following year, he was elected Georgia Labor
Commissioner. Now serving his third term as labor commissioner, the Labor Department has undergone a
significant transformation in customer service and efficiency. Thurmond is also author of two books: Freedom:
Georgia's Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865 and A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athen’s History. He is a
graduate of Paine College and the University of South Carolina's School of Law.
Mr. David R. Turpin is the CEO/President of Clinical Services of North Carolina, Inc. and the North Carolina
Program Consultant for the Southeast ATTC, located at Morehouse School of Medicine. He is one of the founders
and presently serves as treasurer of the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional License Board. Mr.
Turpin earned degrees from The City University of New York, The University of North Carolina, and Webster
University in St. Louis where he is currently completing requirements for his Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology-Substance
Use Disorders. He is a therapist, clinical supervisor and administrator in both substance abuse &
mental health areas. For the past 10 years, he has served as a clinical instructor at North Carolina State University
in Raleigh, where he teaches pharmacology for SA/MH professionals. He holds licenses as a Psychological Associate,
Clinical Addiction Specialist, and Certified Clinical Supervisor.
Mr. Terrence D. Walton, MSW, CSAC, IDADC is the Director of Treatment for the District of Columbia
Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), in Washington, D.C., and is among the nation’s leading experts in providing treatment,
training, and technical assistance in the areas of substance abuse prevention, assessment, and treatment. He
is currently responsible for directing the PSA operations that provide substance abuse and mental health assessment,
treatment, and social services for all adults released under PSA supervision in the District of Columbia.
These responsibilities include overseeing the city’s adult drug court—the Superior Court Drug Intervention Program,
as well as various programs for assessing, treating and supervising justice system involved men and women.
Additionally, he serves on the faculty of the National Drug Court Institute. Previously, he excelled as the director
of what was then the District of Columbia’s leading adolescent outpatient substance abuse treatment center. Previously,
Mr. Walton helped evaluate a multi-million dollar White House Anti-Drug Media Campaign and served on
the substance abuse task force as a part of the White House Best Practices Collaborative. In addition to his extensive
work domestically, he has assisted addiction treatment programs in Mexico, Bangladesh, Barbados, Guam and
Bermuda. He is the creator of the MAC Group® and MAC Free Group®, multi-session substance abuse education
curricula being used by adult and youth programs across the country. Terrence Walton is an internationally certified
alcohol and other drug abuse counselor with over twenty years of experience helping men, women, and youth
to champion positive change in their lives. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Master of Social
Work degree with specializations in program administration and substance abuse. Noted for his practical
strength-based approaches to complex issues, Terrence Walton is actively sought out for insight on treating urban,
suburban and rural substance abuse issues. Terrence Walton is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network
of Trainers (MINT). A gifted and entertaining speaker, Terrence Walton travels extensively informing and
inspiring audiences across the globe. Find out more at TheWaltonInstitute.com.