About
Originally from the beautiful island of Barbados, Dr. Arlene Beckles relocated to Norcross, GA, in 2003 after spending 18 years in New York. Her impressive career spans several industries, including finance, banking, media, entertainment, and healthcare. Known for her humor, she describes her "claim to fame" as "trying to stay out of trouble". Dr. Beckles is a Lead Cybersecurity/Information Security Project Manager.
Education
Dr. Beckles' educational background is equally diverse, encompassing Marketing and Sales, Management, Computer Information Systems, and Project Management. The pinnacle of her academic achievement is her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, with a specialization in Emotional Intelligence and Leader Effectiveness. Her research, "The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Style, and Leader Effectiveness: A Quantitative Correlation Study," was published in May 2018 and has since been cited nine times by future doctoral students.
Cybersecurity and Publications
She recently completed a postgraduate program in cybersecurity at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas and is the author of "Mitigating Data Breaches & Enhancing Cybersecurity," the first in a series of books focused on information security and privacy. Dr. Beckles completed her Master of Jurisprudence in Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Technology Risk Management at Florida State University College of Law in May 2025.
Community and Leadership
Beyond her academic and professional roles, Dr. Beckles is deeply involved in community and organizational leadership. She is a founding member of the Transformational Emotional Intelligence Foundation (Corpus Christi, TX) and serves as a board member for the CyberMinds Research Institute (Miami, FL). Additionally, she contributed to the State of Georgia's Cybersecurity Planning Committee, collaborating on the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.
Public Service
Dr. Beckles is the first Barbadian immigrant to serve on the Norcross City Council (2021–2024). She is now the first Barbadian to serve in the Georgia General Assembly, representing District 96, which includes Norcross, Duluth, and parts of the surrounding unincorporated Gwinnett County. She is also the proud mother of one daughter, Nyasia, a graduate of Mercer University's Stetson-Hatcher School of Business, where she earned her MBA with a concentration in Data and Business Analytics. Nyasia also earned her Bachelor's degree in Economics with a focus on Business Administration from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi.
State representatives serve in their state's lower legislative chamber. Responsibilities include drafting and voting on state laws, representing their district's interests in the state capitol, serving on state committees, and shaping the state budget. State legislation covers areas like education, healthcare, transportation, criminal justice, and local taxation that directly affect residents' daily lives.