Sam Olens is Chairman of the five-member Cobb County Board of Commissioners. He was first elected Chairman in August 2002 and was unopposed for re-election last year. Previously he served as Cobb County District 3 Commissioner from 1999 through June 2002.

In December 2004, Olens was elected as Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). He is the second ARC Chairman from Cobb County. He is also Vice-Chair of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, a 15-county planning entity dedicated to developing comprehensive regional and watershed-specific plans for the district.

Chairman Olens was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to represent the 6th Congressional District on Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs Board in August 2003. He also serves on the boards of the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority, Cobb Board of Health, Cobb Community Services Board, Downtown Marietta Development Authority, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, and NACo Transportation Steering Committee.

Active in various non-profit organizations, Olens serves on the boards of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, Cobb County United Way Campaign Cabinet, U.S. 10K Classic, WellStar Institute for Better Health and The Georgian Club.

Sam Olens is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, to include the 2008 Tom Bradley Leadership Award by the National Association of Regional Councils and Georgia Trend magazine’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” for the past six years. Other awards include the 2010 Trumpet Award from the Cobb County Republican Women’s Club, the 2009 James L. Rhoden, Jr. Award for Visionary Philanthropy, the 2009 United Way in Cobb County Volunteer of the Year, the 2008 Blacks United for Youth–Cobb “Justice Benham Award for Community Service,” the 2007 “Excellence in Public Service Award” by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute, the 2007 National Guard Association’s Patrick Henry Award, the 2007 MUST Ministries Ginger Kaney Servant Leader Award, the September 2007 Public Broadcasting Atlanta “Lexus Leader of the Arts,” the 2007 Cobb Community Leader of the Year by the Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County and Cobb’s “Citizen of the Year” by the Marietta Daily Journal in 2006. Further, the 2006 Flourish Award presented by the College of the Arts of Kennesaw State University, the 2005 Liberty Bell Award for outstanding community service by the Cobb County Bar Association, the 2005 Chattahoochee Nature Center’s “Partners in Environmental Education Award,” and 2004 Executive Director’s Award from the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust for his assistance in bringing the Anne Frank exhibit to Kennesaw State University. In 1997, Olens was recognized as East Cobb Citizen of the Year by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

A graduate of Emory University Law School, Olens received his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the American University in Washington, D.C. He is a registered mediator/arbitrator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. Olens has been a member of Ezor & Olens, P.C. since 1983.

Olens and his wife Lisa have two children, Lauren and Jonathan.