Management

The PPS Corporate Leadership Team has more than 170 years of combined experience.

C. Keith Ward

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Keith is a graduate of Furman University with a B.S. in History. He also is a graduate of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council Academy and is a P.O.S.T. Certified Instructor. Mr. Ward has been with PPS since 1993 working his way up from Probation Officer to Office Manager, Regional Manager, Director of Training and Compliance, Vice President of Georgia Operations, and now serves as the Chief Operations Officer for the entire corporate family. Keith has more than 28 years of experience in privatized offender management, and is the Past President of the Private Probation Association and is a current Board Member Community Corrections Association. Keith and his wife of many years have two sons.

Connor Cox

President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of Governmental Affairs

Connor began his work with PPS in 2012 as a marketing assistant and has since served as a Court-Intake Specialist, Probation Officer, Veterans Court Coordinator and Deputy Director of Compliance. Connor is a graduate of the University of North Georgia (The Military College of Georgia) and holds a M.S. in Political Science from Liberty University. Mr. Cox is also a veteran of the Georgia Army National Guard and an alumni of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.  Connor is married to his wife Allison.  They attend Christ Place Church and reside in Buford, Georgia.

 

 

Thomas York, Esq.

Corporate Secretary, Corporate Counsel and Chief Operations Officer

Tom obtained a B.S., in Criminology from Auburn University and his Juris Doctorate from Faulkner College of Law. He has been with PPS for 28 years working as a probation officer, office manager and has overseen field operations.  Tom and his family reside in Opelika, Alabama.

Larry Shurling

Vice President of Information Technology

Larry is a graduate of Georgia College and possesses a Masters Degree in Information Security from NOVA University. Larry has developed and oversees the constant evolution of all software assets of PPS and our subsidiaries. Larry pioneered the industry’s capabilities to manage offender related data, and was the first to integrate probation service provider data with that of court clerks and administration. Larry has been with PPS for 21 years, and developed software for the Carters Clothing Corp prior to that. Mr. Shurling also teaches Database Design and Computer Basics for Southern Crescent in Griffin, Georgia.

Donna Kennedy

Vice President of Adminsitration and Corporate Affairs

Donna brings 30+ years of administrative and management experience to her role. She and her staff oversee human resources, accounts payable, court accounting, restitution management and remittance, as well as employee benefits and banking. Ms. Kennedy has been with PPS since 1995.

Sonie Brown

Director of Compliance

Sonie first joined PPS in 1994. She has faithfully and professionally served the company as a
probation officer, office manager, regional manager, and director. She is a graduate of the
University of Georgia with a degree in Social Work, and has an advanced degree from the University
of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Kellie Harrison

Director of Field Operations

Kellie Harrison serves as the Director of Field Operations to which our Regional and Office Managers directly report. Kellie brings 25+ years of experience in the direction of probation services to a variety of courts at all levels. She is a graduate of Georgia College and State University, and the State of Georgia’s Parole Officer Training Academy. Prior to her recent assignment with PPS, Ms. Harrison directed the operations of the entire GPM division’s 40+ courts and multiple locations. She also served as a state of Georgia Parole Officer.

Clay Cox

Founder

Clay is the founder of Professional Probation Services, Inc. (PPS). He is a graduate of Western Carolina University, the Georgia Public Safety Training Council’s BPOT Academy and the University of Georgia’s Legislative Leadership Institute. He has more than 30 years of experience in offender management in both the public and private sectors. Clay served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2005-2010. He was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to serve as a Member of the Georgia Board of Community Health from 2011-2015, and was elected again to serve in the House of Representatives in 2016. Clay and his wife have been married since 1991 and have two grown sons. Clay has served on the boards of Bethany Christian Services, The Dream House for Medically Fragile Children and other civic organizations. The Cox family has served as interim foster parents for newborns and they attend Lilburn Christian Church in Lilburn, Georgia.