| State Representative Mesha Mainor was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2020, and she represents the citizens of House District 56, which includes portions of Fulton County. Rep. Mainor is an Atlanta native and fourth generation Georgian with ancestral roots dating back to the 1820s as a decedent of the Mainor family from Dooly County, Georgia.
Rep. Mainor is a leader and expert strategist in the health care, education and business industries. With more than 20 years of experience in servant leadership, she is known as a passionate advocate for equitable and quality human services. Her career includes leadership roles, creating educational programs for youth and businesses, community engagement and advocacy, providing resources and services to seniors, executing business strategies and succession plans and lobbying elected officials for humanitarian rights.
Rep. Mainor graduated from Benjamin Mays High School in Southwest Atlanta before matriculating to Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Master of Physical Therapy, both with honors. She is currently working on her doctorate in business administration from Northcentral University. Her doctoral work focuses on succession, crisis preparedness, public sector ethics, inclusivity, corporate prosocial behaviors and competitive operations.
For more than 20 years, Rep. Mainor has been a practicing licensed physical therapist. She specializes in rehabilitating patients from orthopedic surgeries, traumatic car accidents, neurological injuries and workers' compensation claims. She also previously worked as the center director at Emory University Hospital, managing its outpatient operations.
Rep. Mainor credits her work ethic to her mentor and first "boss" former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Helene Gayle, at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She was hand-picked by Dr. Gayle to be her speech writer and research assistant directly out of college; this opportunity allowed her to serve in public health at the international level. Rep. Mainor also worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and late U.S. Rep. John Lewis at his Washington, D.C. office.
Before Rep. Mainor decided to pursue public office, she founded an immersion language school,
Little Voyages. She believes in teaching children to be citizens of the world, not just their
neighborhoods or communities. During its first year, Little Voyages also successfully received a
three out of four star Quality Rating from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.
She received an award from former Governor Nathan Deal as an exceptional childcare provider.
She also trademarked the Junior Business League, which is a program that shows children how
to think outside the box. The Junior Business League teaches entrepreneurship, wealth creation,
advocacy for human rights and the environment and the power of voting. Rep. Mainor desires to
teach children that their current environment does not have to be a reflection of their future. This
pursuit is a personal testimony as she was born in a blighted community known as "The Bluff" in
downtown Atlanta.
Rep. Mainor is committed to her two children and a life of service. She attributes her walk in life
to following God's direction. She is a dedicated member of Friendship Baptist Church and a host
of other organizations that are service-centric. Rep. Mainor's two girls, Chloe and Alexis, are
both students of Atlanta Public Schools. |