A Dunwoody attorney will fill a vacated City Council seat until voters elect a long-term replacement in November.
Villard “Ardy” Bastien was unanimously approved Monday as Dunwoody’s newest council member, and he’s also the first Black person to serve on the city’s council since it was incorporated in 2008. He’ll fulfill the unexpired term of Pam Tallmadge, who resigned from her Post 1 seat over the summer because she moved out of the city.
Tallmadge’s term was set to expire at the end of 2021, but Bastien is not one of the candidates running to become her successor for the next four years. Mayor Lynn Deutsch, who made Bastien’s appointment, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through a city spokeswoman that the city didn’t want to appoint someone who is running in November.
“I so appreciate Ardy Bastien stepping up to serve as a member of the Dunwoody City Council,” Deutsch said in a news release. “His ample experience working in city leadership and deep involvement in the Dunwoody community make him the perfect fit for the role.”
Credit: City of Dunwoody
Credit: City of Dunwoody
Bastien is a senior partner with the law offices of Villard Bastien, LLC, and he’s been a member of the Dunwoody Zoning Board of Appeals since 2009. He will step down from the board of appeals due to his council appointment. Bastien is also a member of the Rotary Club of Dunwoody and Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber.
“This appointment is an honor and privilege,” Councilman Bastien said in the release. “I enjoy public service and look forward to taking on the additional role of representing the people.”
Bastien was sworn in by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Stacey Hydrick during the city’s Monday council meeting.
Two candidates, Catherine Lautenbacher and Terry Nall, qualified to run for the Post 1 seat on Nov. 2. The city has three council seats up for election, and each will be a contested, two-candidate race. The qualification period has ended.
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