Mike Beatty

Beatty is a native of Jefferson, and a graduate of the University of Georgia. He was elected as the first Republican since Reconstruction from Jackson County, Georgia to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1990. While in office he strongly opposed the creation of a state lottery. After legislative redistricting placed Beatty in a district with another incumbent Republican legislator, he decided not to seek re-election in 1992 opting to focus on the small businesses he and his wife owned including a poultry and cattle farm. In the 2000 election cycle, Beatty was drafted by the Senate Republican Caucus to oppose [http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/election_results/2000_1107/0006200.htm 11/7/2000 - State Senator - District 47] the incumbent Democratic State Senator. He was elected [http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2001_02/senate/gass47.htm Senate - Hon. Mike Beatty (GA SS 47)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624061900/http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2001_02/senate/gass47.htm |date=2006-06-24 }} State Senator and proved instrumental in the successful battle to ban video poker in Georgia.

In 2002, he opted not to seek re-election to the Senate and declared his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. He finished first [http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/election_results/2002_0820/0000320.htm Lieutenant Governor] in a three-way Republican primary but failed to gain a majority of the votes, forcing a primary run-off in which he was narrowly defeated.

He was then appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) [http://www.dca.state.ga.us/main/teamga/index.asp DCA | Team Georgia] in 2003 by Governor Sonny Perdue, a post which he held until being replaced by Gretchen Corbin on August 1, 2013.

As DCA Commissioner, Beatty led the launch of several new community-building programs, including:[http://www/main/teamga/index.asp Team Georgia],{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "Team Georgia" which is designed to encourage collaboration between DCA’s divisions;[http://www/communities/regionalism/programs/signatureComm.asp The Signature Community Program]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The "Signature Community" which works with communities and helps them implement key portions of their plans;{{Cite web |url=http://www.dca.state.ga.us/economic/DevelopmentTools/programs/opportunityZones.asp |title=Opportunity Zones |access-date=2008-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422163153/http://www.dca.state.ga.us/economic/DevelopmentTools/programs/opportunityzones.asp |archive-date=2012-04-22 |url-status=dead }} "Opportunity Zones" to encourage the creation of jobs and businesses in communities transitioning from blight to economic growth;[http://www.dca.state.ga.us/DCANews/PressReleaseDetailnet.asp?view=849 Winning Water Festivals] Establishing "Winning Water Festivals" to teach Georgia’s young people about the importance of water to the community’s growth and prosperity; and Dream City partnerships in six Georgia cities to encourage homeownership opportunities in the state.

Beatty has been a high school teacher and football coach. His wife is Judy Garrett and they have one daughter, and three grandchildren.

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• [http://www.uga.edu/ University of Georgia]

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Category:Republican Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives

Category:People from Jefferson, Georgia

Category:University of Georgia alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:20th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly