Marlene Fosque

CEO

Marlene M. Fosque was the first African American elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, District 4 seat in November 2018. She served as vice chair for 2020 and 2021.

Marlene recently began serving on the Mosaic Georgia Board of Directors. Mosaic Georgia is a ‘dual services’ center with specialized services for children, teens, and adults. We provide free, confidential support and services to victims and survivors of rape, sexual assault, and child sexual molestation and abuse. We work with survivors of all genders regardless of when the violence occurred and whether they choose to report. Support to children and their non-offending caregivers are offered with care.

Marlene was invited to become a Georgia Banking Company’s Gwinnett Marketing Advisory Board member in January 2024, where she assists in “facilitating deeper engagement between the board members and GBC's leadership, fostering a stronger sense of partnership.”
In March 2023, Marlene was elected by the Gwinnett State Legislative Delegation to serve a 4-year term on the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL-Region) board, representing Gwinnett’s Transit District 006 and 13 Counties from Cherokee to Coweta in Georgia.

In June 2023, Marlene served a brief stint as the Vice President of Partnership Gwinnett, an initiative of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. She assisted in leading the Business Community and Economic Development with staff, and its innovative approaches in 5 concentrated industry sectors: Information technology solutions, Health Sciences and Services, Corporate & Professional Services, Supply Chain Management and Advanced Manufacturing. Marlene oversaw a $6.2 million budget that included staff programs and events that assisted in “driving the economic prosperity in Gwinnett.” She also reviewed monthly profit and loss statements while working with the staff to develop sound budgets and financial plans.
On a national level, Marlene served as 2021 vice chair and 2022 chair of the National Association of Counties' (NACO) Transit/Rail Subcommittee of the Transportation Steering Committee and as a member of both the Large Urban Counties Caucus Steering committee and the International Economic Development Task Force. Her statewide roles include serving on the Association County Commissioners of Georgia’s (ACCG) Policy Council as 2022 chair of the Health and Human Services Policy Committee and as a member of the Economic Development, Transportation Policy, and General County Government Policy committees.

Marlene graduated from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development 2019 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program. She also became a Certified County Commissioner in 2019 through the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy operated with the Carl Vinson Institute for Government at the University of Georgia. Additionally, she completed training by CVIOG that qualifies her to assist in the resolution of annexation disputes around the state as a member of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Annexation Arbitration Panel and received a certificate of achievement from The Community Planning Institute sponsored by the DCA and the Georgia Planning Association.

Locally, Marlene served as the 2020 and 2021 vice chair of the board of directors for the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau Inc., which oversees the Gas South District and Explore Gwinnett, the county’s tourism arm and avid board member of the 1818 Club.

She also served on the board of directors for View Point Health, a behavioral health services organization, and is a proud member of the Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated .

Marlene is a graduate of the 2020 Leadership Gwinnett Class, known as “the Most Resilient Class” and serves on the Leadership Gwinnett Foundation Board. She was also a 2022 Regional Leadership Institute Graduate sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Marlene retired from Aetna Inc. in 2017 after a 20-year career in the health insurance industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Shorter University, a Master of Public Administration with Pi Alpha Alpha honors from Regent University, and an event and meeting planning certificate from Clayton State University.

Her numerous honors include receiving Georgia House Resolution 409 recognizing her leadership and passion for the community through advocacy for opportunities for all Gwinnett residents to thrive (2021), Public Service Award from the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce (2020), Trailblazer Award from The Family – a business professional networking organization that mentors entrepreneurs and small businesses (2020), and Social Action Award from the Rho Kappa Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (2019). During Black History Month 2023, Marlene received the first ever, Gwinnett, “Emblem Award,” for displaying tenacity, vision, creativity, and courage in lasting contributions in Gwinnett County.” She also received the C.E.R.M., Reese-Walker Community Partner Award, and a Leadership award from the City of Lawrenceville. The Gwinnett Parks Foundation dedicated a park bench at Alexander Park in honor of Marlene’s public servant leadership and support for Gwinnett’s parks.

Marlene is the CEO of Coalesce Consulting, LLC., a small entrepreneurial business specializing in economic development, land usage, and corporate events since 2017. She is a resident member of the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center program.

Marlene relocated to Georgia from North Carolina in 2002 and settled in Lawrenceville in 2003. She has a son who is currently serving in the United States Air Force.