Georgia – Governor Brian Kemp selected David Burge to be the new commissioner of the Georgia Department of Revenue. This will happen at the same time as a big change in the state’s tax court system.
The announcement comes after the Georgia House and Senate Judiciary Committees confirmed current Revenue Commissioner Frank O’Connell as Georgia’s first Chief Judge of the Tax Court. Kemp named O’Connell commissioner in February 2023. O’Connell has worked for the Department of Revenue for more than 20 years. He will officially take over as commissioner on April 1, 2026.
Kemp complimented O’Connell’s long time in charge and the adjustments he made, especially those that made the agency run more smoothly. The governor noted that O’Connell was a good pick to assist lead the new court since he was focused on helping taxpayers and making things run better.
David Burge will start working at the Department of Revenue on February 1, 2026. He will officially take over as commissioner on February 16. Kemp noted that Burge has decades of professional and civic experience that fit with the administration’s focus on being careful with public money.
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Burge is currently a partner with the Atlanta law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell. His work at the company focuses on real estate deals that involve commercial loans, corporate matters, and capital markets, as well as leasing and selling property. He also has a lot of experience working for the state. Kemp named Burge to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs board in 2020. He later served as both chair and vice-chair, helping to manage dozens of programs and almost $300 million in state and federal funds each year. He is also a member of the State Ethics Commission.
Burge has been involved with a lot of civic and legal groups in Georgia outside of his job. He has worked with state commissions, municipal election boards, bar associations, nonprofit groups, and schools as part of his service.
Burge went to Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate degree and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his law degree. He and his wife, Sally, and their two kids live in Atlanta.
