| Senator Michael Rhett w as first elected to the state Senate in
2014 to represent a portion of Cobb County. He is the first African
American resident to be elected to the state Senate from Cobb
County and was recently named the Cobb County Democratic Legislator of the Year by Cobb Democrats for 2017.
Senator Rhett is a member of the Senate Finance, Higher Education,
Judiciary, and Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committees.
Senator Rhett has an Associate Degree Community College of the
United States Air Force in Administrative Management, a Bachelor's
Degree in Communications and Afro-American Studies from the
State University of New York, a Bachelor's Degree in Business Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, a Master's Degree
in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Oklahoma,
a Specialist's Degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia State
University and a Doctorate's Degree in Educational Leadership from
the University of Georgia.
Senator Rhett is a retired Master Sergeant in the United States Air
Force. He managed personnel, prepared young individuals for leadership and worked as a training instructor for the 700th Airlift
Squadron. As part of his 25 plus years of enlisted service, he has
received the United States Air Force Meritorious Service Medal.
Senator Rhett was born in Harlem in New York City. He grew up in
building 1315 of general Grant Public Housing on 125th street. He
played little league baseball for the Cardinals and football for Riverside Church. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated
from Bishop Dubois High School, where he lettered in Varsity Basketball. He also ran with Coty and the 1315 Turks.
In his civilian life, Senator Rhett was a Vocational, Educational and
Instructional Coordinator at Jefferson Place and City of Refuge. The
organizations give homeless men and battered homeless women a
second chance at life by creating a curriculum that emphasizes vocational and personal development. Combining classes about job
seeking skills, basic computer skills and co-facilitated substance
abuse recovery classes, students are able to find housing, jobs, and
open a new bank account with Capitol City Bank. The organizations
are located in the city of Atlanta's English Avenue "Bluff" Community. Each week volunteers went into the local metro jails, recruited
ex-offenders and enrolled them as students in Senator Rhett's program.
Currently, he works for the Cobb County School System teaching in
the Adult Education Program. Senator Rhett teaches adult literacy,
English as a second or other language (ESOL) and GED exam preparation classes.
Senator Rhett was the Jr. Vice Commander of American Legion Post
296. He has served as a member on various community committees
including the Cobb County NAACP, Cobb County SCLC, Austell Community Taskforce, Powder Springs Economic Development Committee, Six Flags Drive Stakeholder Economic Community Development
Committee and the Cobb County Commission of the Children &
Youth.
Senator Rhett is a trustee for Turner Chapel AME Church in Marietta, Georgia. |