GBI director resigns, appointed to new role as Cobb Public Safety Director

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Michael Register, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, will leave his role as one of Georgia’s investigative leaders to return to his roots.

According to an announcement from the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, Register was selected to be the new Public Safety Director of the county.

Commissioners will vote to finalize the appointment on June 27.

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“It has been an honor to be the director of the GBI and serve under one of Georgia’s greatest governors, Brian Kemp,” Register wrote. “I leave a great law enforcement agency with some of the most dedicated and competent professionals I have ever worked with. I look forward to leading the tremendous men and women who make up public safety in Cobb County and once again serve a great community.”

Register currently serves as the GBI Director, a position he has filled since Aug. 25, 2022, taking over the role after Vic Reynolds.

The outgoing GBI director has a 30-year public safety career, which in the past included being Public Safety Director for Cobb County.

Additionally, his law enforcement record includes being assistant chief of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Cobb County Chief of Police, and Clayton County Chief of Police.

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Register has also previously served as a Director with the Department of Defense (DoD) Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDO) at the Pentagon, according to his GBI biography. He also served in the U.S. Army Special Forces as part of a 20-year military service career.

“We are thrilled that he has agreed to come back and lead Public Safety in Cobb,” Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said in a statement. “We are making tremendous strides in public safety, and it will be a tremendous benefit to our citizens to have a director who has already forged relationships in the community and has a deep understanding of the opportunities we have as a county.”

The appointment of Register to the Cobb Public Safety Director spot is aimed at filling a role opened after then-director Randy Crider retired in 2022.

In the intervening time, Fire Chief Bill Johnson has served as the interim Public Safety Director for Cobb County.

Weighing in on the change of position, Gov. Brian Kemp wished Register well and thanked him for his service.

“I greatly appreciate Director Register’s service in this vitally important public safety role for our state, and we wish him and his family well in their next chapter,” Kemp said in a statement. “The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and its future success will continue to be a top priority of my administration as we work to keep Georgia families safe and support our local law enforcement partners across the state.”

The governor’s office said Register will remain in his seat as head of the GBI through July, with a successor to be named later on.

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