First Lady Sandra Deal traveled the State of Georgia as an educator, author, historian, volunteer, and forever learner. As Georgia’s First Lady, Mrs. Deal promoted community service, volunteerism, and literacy initiatives alongside her husband of 56 years, Gov. Nathan Deal.
As a passionate advocate for literacy and student achievement, Mrs. Deal read to students in all of Georgia’s 159 counties and 181 school districts, including 1,000 schools and Pre-K programs during her time as First Lady. As a former teacher of 15 years the Hall County School System, Mrs. Deal believed that reading is the gift that keeps on giving, and that education is the key to for any student to achieve future success.
Mrs. Deal served as co-chair of the Georgia Literacy Commission, which hosts a series of symposiums to examine and improve multigenerational low literacy rates. As a part of her work to improve literacy rates across the state, she played a major role in “Read Across Georgia Month” during the month of March and partnered with the Get Georgia Reading Campaign, an initiative to have all of Georgia’s students reading on grade-level by the end of the third grade.
Mrs. Deal served as a chairwoman of the Georgia Children’s Cabinet, which brings together community leaders, philanthropists, educators, and business stakeholders to best utilize resources and improve outcomes for children and families. Along with Mrs. Sandra Deal, the Georgia Children’s Cabinet has led campaigns such as “Babies Can’t Wait” and “Look Again.” This Cabinet has also worked to improve Georgia’s juvenile justice system and provide immunization cards for young children. Mrs. Deal also chaired The Georgia Older Adults Cabinet, which addresses policy matters related to aging and focuses on bringing awareness to the welfare of older Georgians.
To encourage volunteerism and promote community service, Mrs. Deal launched a statewide campaign called “With a Servant’s Heart” in 2011. The initiative has introduced many Georgians to community service programs and volunteer opportunities in every corner of the state. Mrs. Deal also served on the board of trustees for Georgia College, her alma mater and Piedmont University.
In 2015, Mrs. Deal co-authored a book, “Memories of the Mansion,” with two professors from Kennesaw State University, Dr. Catherine Lewis and Dr. Jennifer Dickey. “Memories of the Mansion” covers the rich history of the Governor’s Mansion and experiences of Georgia’s first families. Mrs. Deal also served as a docent at the Governor’s Mansion, where she shared her own stories as a resident and her vast knowledge of the history, furniture, artwork, and architecture of the Mansion.
Governor Deal and First Lady Deal have four children and six grandchildren.
Since taking office in 2011, Gov. Nathan Deal has led Georgia to become the No. 1 state in the nation for business for six years in a row - a first in Georgia history - and helped create more than 750,000 private sector jobs. In the last six years, Georgia’s job growth has outpaced the national average while its population has jumped from 10th to 8th nationally.
Through tax reform, workforce development initiatives and investment in education and infrastructure, the state continues to grow local small businesses and attract top companies from around the world. During Gov. Deal’s tenure, Georgia has become a global destination for companies in a wide range of industries. Under Deal’s leadership, Georgia has produced seven balanced budgets, saved millions of taxpayer dollars by maintaining Georgia’s AAA bond rating and grown the Rainy Day Reserve Fund to more than $2.5 billion.
In order to keep up with a growing infrastructure demand, Deal implemented a number of investments in Georgia’s transportation system. Deal worked with the General Assembly on the Transportation Funding Act of 2015, which included a number of significant infrastructure projects and will generate $10 billion in new transportation funding over 10 years. Transportation projects under Deal have alleviated traffic and improved safety for a growing state, including the completion of the Jimmy DeLoach Parkway extension near the Port of Savannah. To track the progress of infrastructure projects, the GA Roads website was launched to provide unprecedented clarity and transparency in these investments. Georgia’s infrastructure projects and transparency measures are currently being used as a model for other states across the nation.
Georgia also leads the nation in criminal justice reform. When Deal took office, Georgia was in the midst of a criminal justice crisis, with high incarceration costs and recidivism rates. To address these issues, Deal implemented a series of bipartisan reforms that have already paid dividends by saving taxpayers $264 million and reducing the need for 5,000 prison beds.
These reforms include:
Deal believes that education reform is the best criminal justice reform and a strong education system leads to a strong economy. Deal has made investments in education a top priority to strengthen the workforce pipeline that runs from the classroom to the job market.
A Sandersville native, Deal served in the U.S. Army at Fort Gordon in Augusta after graduating with college and law degrees with honors from Mercer University. He then began a private law practice in Gainesville, the hometown of his wife, Sandra Deal. While his wife taught in Hall County public schools, Deal began a career in public service, working as a prosecutor, judge, state senator and U.S. Congressman for Georgia’s 9th District. He was elected Georgia’s 82nd governor in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.
The Deals have four adult children and six grandchildren.