| State Representative Mesha Mainor was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2020, and she represents the citizens of House District 56 in the heart of Atlanta, including Midtown, Georgia Tech, the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Atlanta's historic Westside, Atlantic Station and Piedmont Park. In 2023, she became the first African American woman to serve in the Georgia General Assembly as a Republican with a historic party switch sending shock waves throughout the nation. Rep. Mainor is an Atlanta native and sixth-generation Georgian with ancestral roots dating back to the 1820s as a descendent of the Mainor family from Dooly County, Georgia. Rep Mainor is currently working on her doctorate in business administration from Northcentral University. Her doctoral work focuses on corporate prosocial behaviors, succession planning, crisis preparedness, leadership, cross-generational communication and disruptive solutions that add value to stakeholders. Her professional experience includes a Master's in Physical Therapy from Howard University. She worked with Congressman John Lewis and the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Global Health in Washington, D.C. Rep. Mainor was hand-selected to work with former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. Helene Gayle at CDC. Today, her first boss and mentor, Dr. Gayle, is now her constituent as the new president of Spelman College. Known as a committed and passionate advocate for helping the underserved and those often neglected, all of Representative Mainor's constituents consider her an expert strategist and problem-solver. During her first legislative session, Rep. Mainor authored bipartisan legislation to create the Fulton Technology and Energy Authority, the first public agency in the nation to focus on the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) workforce. Her historic legislation makes Fulton County a leader in technology and renewable energy career readiness, while also improving the state's energy infrastructure. Before serving in public office, Rep. Mainor founded an immersion language school to teach children how to be citizens of the world, not just of their neighborhoods. She received an award from Governor Nathan Deal in her first year of operation for providing exceptional childcare services. Rep. Mainor also trademarked the Junior Business League, a program showing children how to think outside the box through entrepreneurship, financial literacy and civic engagement. Rep Mainor's favorite job is being the proud mother of Alexis and Chloe, students of the Atlanta Public School System. As an APS graduate herself from Benjamin E. Mays High School and Southwest Middle, she is nationally known as a parent rights loyalist that will stop at nothing to ensure children have resources to succeed. Her walk in life is attributed to following God's plan while being led by the Holy Spirit. |