50 Most Influential Latinos

John F. King

Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner.

John F. King was sworn in as Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner by Governor Brian Kemp on July 1, 2019. He previously was the Chief of Police for the City of Doraville since October 2002.

Previously, Chief King served in many capacities with the Doraville Police Department, including Deputy Chief over enforcement operations. He began his employment with the City of Doraville in 1993 as a Detective. Prior to that, Chief King was an Atlanta police officer beginning his career there in 1985. While at the Atlanta Police Department, Chief King worked various assignments including Red Dog, Organized Crime/Intelligence. Chief King’s career also includes assignments to both FBI and DEA as a Task Force Agent. In 1987, while at the Atlanta Police Department, Chief King received the Chief’s Blue Star for being injured in the line of duty as a result of criminal attack with a firearm.

A native of Mexico, King has created meaningful impact by building bridges among Doraville’s diverse populations and implementing youth education and crime-prevention programs. Recognizing the international composition of Doraville’s community, King made it a priority to hire bilingual police officers, place multiple languages on police cars, and ensure effective translators and public defender where employed at the City Courthouse. Chief King’s initiatives include Anti-Gang education programs for elementary school students and parents. Chief King worked with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to establish an education program for prospective small business entrepreneurs and worked with state, county and local leaders to implement safety and speed reduction program targeted on Buford Highway to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities. Chief King is also a member of Leadership DeKalb.

In addition to his role as Doraville’s Chief of Police, King serves as a Major General in the U.S. Army National Guard assigned to U. S. Army North and Commander Task Force 51. Chief King was the former Commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and has deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Afghanistan. Chief King served as the Military Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Interior for Security for Afghanistan, an agency of over 96,000 police officers. He has won many awards for military and public services including the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantry Badge, meritorious service medals, and a NATO award for his service in both Bosnia and Afghanistan, among others. He also received the El Salvador gold medal for achievement in 2006.

King received his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in criminal justice and public administration from Brenau University and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Chief King was a graduate of class #229 in the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and a graduate of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange program to Israel (GILEE).