Mesha Mainor (born May 17, 1975), is an American politician from Georgia. Mesha Mainor is a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...

for District 56. She was born in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and graduated from

Benjamin E. Mays High School Benjamin E. Mays High School is a public school located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, United States, serving grades 9-12. It is a part of the Atlanta Public School System and is a Georgia School of Excellence. The school was established in the ...

. She began her political career in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

working with Congressman John Lewis. She received a master's degree in

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

at Howard University in 1999. While residing in Washington, D.C., she worked at the U..S. Agency for International Development under the leadership o
Dr. Jacob Gayle
in the Global Health division. In 2000, she began working at the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

in Atlanta. She was a speechwriter and

research analyst A financial analyst is a professional, undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. The role may specifically be titled securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, investment analyst, o ...

for the Assistant U.S Surgeon General, Dr. Helene Gayle. In this role, she was responsible for foreign and domestic public health presentations, legislative testimonies, film and radio productions, and co-authored journal articles. In Atlanta she has served the physical therapy community in leadership positions at

Emory Healthcare Emory Healthcare is a health care system in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is part of Emory University and is the largest health care system in the state. It comprises 11 hospitals, the Emory Clinic and more than 250 provi ...

an
Children’s Hospital of Atlanta
She also founded and trademarked the Junior Business League, a program to teach children entrepreneurship and advocacy. As Georgia

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

for District 56, her constituent voices are heard in Midtown Atlanta, Ansley Park,

Castleberry Hill Castleberry Hill is a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, adjacent to and southwest of Downtown Atlanta. It is a federally recognized historic district since 1985 and became a City of Atlanta Landmark District in 2006. History The area in the cit ...

English Avenue English Avenue and Vine City are two adjacent and closely linked neighborhoods of Atlanta, Georgia. Together the neighborhoods make up neighborhood planning unit L. The two neighborhoods are frequently cited together in reference to shared ...

, Atlantic Station, Hunter Hills,

Vine City English Avenue and Vine City are two adjacent and closely linked neighborhoods of Atlanta, Georgia. Together the neighborhoods make up neighborhood planning unit L. The two neighborhoods are frequently cited together in reference to shared ...

, Dixie Hills,

Mozley Park Mozley Park is a typical early 20th-century residential neighborhood, located approximately three miles west of downtown Atlanta. The community is named after the original landowner, Dr. Hiram Mozley, whose heirs inherited the land after his death ...

Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England, famous because of its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood. The area has been wooded since the end of the Last Glacial Period (as attested by pollen sampling cores ...

, West Midtown, West End, and the last residing neighborhood of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before he died, in the Sunset Avenue Historical District. Mesha Mainor is currently a

doctoral student A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

studying at

Northcentral University Northcentral University is a private online university with its headquarters in San Diego, California. It was established in 1996 and is classified among "D/PU: Doctoral/Professional Universities"; it offers bachelor's, master's, specialist, ...

. Her dissertation work focuses on

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...

diversity and inclusion The business case for diversity stems from the progression of the models of diversity within the workplace since the 1960s. In the United States, the original model for diversity was situated around affirmative action drawing from equal opportunit ...

, crisis preparedness, transformational leadership,

disruptive innovation In business theory, disruptive innovation is innovation that creates a new market and value network or enters at the bottom of an existing market and eventually displaces established market-leading firms, products, and alliances. The concept was ...

, and corporate sustainability. After finishing one year in a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

in Human Services degree program at

Capella University Capella University is a private for-profit, online university headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school is owned by the publicly traded Strategic Education, Inc. and delivers most of its education online. Capella has 52 degree progr ...

, she changed her degree plan to focus on

strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

, and implementation

theories A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

in public and private

stakeholder Stakeholder may refer to: *Stakeholder (corporate), a group, corporate, organization, member, or system that affects or can be affected by an organization's actions *Project stakeholder, a person, group, or organization with an interest in a proje ...

asset management Asset management is a systematic approach to the governance and realization of value from the things that a group or entity is responsible for, over their whole life cycles. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as buildings ...

. She has two daughters that attend

Atlanta Public Schools Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. The system has an active enrollment of 54,956 students, attending a t ...

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

. She is an active member of a

baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

church in her community. Her campaign slogan is “The People’s Voice,” and she promises laws and

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

that support her SHE CAMPAIGN. SHE stands for safety, health, and 4 E's (education, economics, environment, equality). In particular, she is a strong advocate for all crimes under the umbrella of family violence after becoming a victim of aggravated stalking when she began her first campaign for an elected office. She has been tied to the criminal justice system fighting for

Victim Rights Victims' rights are legal rights afforded to victims of crime. These may include the right to restitution, the right to a victims' advocate, the right not to be excluded from criminal justice proceedings, and the right to speak at criminal just ...

since 2019. Family violence laws include stalking,

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...

, and

dating violence Dating abuse or dating violence is the perpetration or threat of an act of violence by at least one member of an unmarried couple on the other member in the context of dating or courtship. It also arises when one partner tries to maintain powe ...

. State Representative Mesha Mainor served her first legislative term during the 2021-2022 sessions. The 2021-2022 session was one of the most contentious sessions for Georgia and America. Elected leaders voted on

election reform Electoral reform is a change in electoral systems which alters how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of: * Voting systems, such as proportional representation, a two-round system (runoff voting), instant-ru ...

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...

, constitutional carry, school choice
gang crimes

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

critical race theory Critical race theory (CRT) is a cross-disciplinary examination, by social and civil-rights scholars and activists, of how laws, social and political movements, and media shape, and are shaped by, social conceptions of race and ethnicity. Goa ...

, and the

defund the police "Defund the police" is a slogan that supports removing funds from police departments and reallocating them to non-policing forms of public safety and community support, such as social services, youth services, housing, education, healthcare and o ...

movement. Rep. Mainor is a member of the Georgia General Assembl
Governmental AffairsEducation
an
State Planning & Community Affairs
committees. She was nominated to attend the 2021-2022 Georgia Legislative Leadership Institute at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

; appointed Vice-Chair of a Georgi
Local Redistricting and Elections
subcommittee; created th
Fulton Technology and Energy Enhancement Authority
to decrease energy burden in marginalized communities and increase the

workforce development Workforce development, an American approach to economic development, attempts to enhance a region's economic stability and prosperity by focusing on people rather than businesses. It essentially develops a human-resources strategy. Work-force deve ...

opportunities in

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

and

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

. Rep. Mainor also passe
H.R.798
which creates the House Study Committee o
Cannabis Waste
The study committee will research and develop legislation on the benefits of using discarded portions of the

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

and

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...

plants. Particularly, Rep. Mainor is most interested in the production of

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...

from cannabis waste. Ga State Representative Mesha Mainor

When asked what she is most proud of during her first term, she replied, "Serving my constituents and rising above the pressures to vote for laws that have a negative impact on my community
House Bill 1331
was controversial for political reasons, but it transferred $63 million dollars from the

Georgia Department of Labor The Georgia Department of Labor is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Georgia. With approximately 4,000 employees in 2008, it provides services to the state's current and emerging workforce. History The department was originally create ...

to the Technical College System of Georgia." Rep. Mainor is proud to differentiate herself from status-quo politicians that are concerned about re-elections instead of their constituency. As a result of her steadfastness and ability to work across the aisle to improve the communities she represents, she was re-elected for her second term (2023-2024) with nearly 70% of the votes in a three-person race without a run-off. "The people spoke, I am the People's Voice, and I will continue to vote based on what my community needs." Representative Mainor published her first-year legislative highlights, including her controversial votes as a Democrat. "Voting across party lines is isolating in a highly politicized society, but, if voting against my party is best for my community I'd do it again," according to Representative Mainor. Many of her Democrat colleagues campaigned against her due to her commitment to people over party. The 2021-2022 controversial bills that made headlines include her support for th
GA Special Needs Scholarship
for children with disabilities
anti-defund the police legislation
increasing funding and infrastructure support for Georgia'
Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act
programs; and drawing th
Fulton County Board of Commissioners'
redistricting map after the Board and others failed to present a map to the State Reapportionment office by the deadline to ensure the County could operate its 2022 May primary elections.

References

External links

www.MeshaMainor.com Campaign webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mainor, Mesha African-American state legislators in Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives 21st-century American politicians Living people 21st-century American women politicians Women state legislators in Georgia (U.S. state) 1975 births 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women