Senator Tyler Harper w as first elected to the Georgia
State Senate on November 6, 2012, and was sworn in to
serve Georgia's 7th Senate District on January 14, 2013. He
was re-elected, unopposed, for his second and third terms
in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Currently, he serves as
Chairman of the Natural Resources and the Environment
Committee and Vice Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee
and Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee.
Senator Harper is a lifelong resident of Irwin County and a
proud alumnus of the Irwin County School System. He is
also a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor
of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering (BSAE) and
holds an Associate of Science Degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
As a small businessman and farmer, Senator Harper understands and knows firsthand the importance of agriculture
and small business to both our state and nation. Since joining the General Assembly, Senator Harper has been a
champion for agriculture, natural resources and public safety. He has not only passed numerous pieces of legislation
supporting agriculture and those in the public safety arena,
but he is also the host of the annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at the Capitol - a time for members of the
General Assembly to recognize and show their support to
our State and local law enforcement. Furthermore, Senator
Harper has dedicated many hours to various study committees researching topics such as transportation, rural broadband, and other issues important to the 7th District and the
State of Georgia. Along with those study committees, he
had the honor of serving, as an appointee of Governor Nathan Deal, on the Governor's Education Reform Commission, which intently evaluated our state's education system
and funding, was appointed by Governor Deal to the Law
Enforcement Task Force and was appointed by Lt. Governor
Casey Cagle to serve on the Compensation of Police and
Sheriffs (COPS) Task Force.
Since joining the Senate, Senator harper has received numerous awards and honors. He has been named a
"Defender of Liberty" by the American Conservatives Union
and has been selected by GOPAC as one of twenty Emerging Leaders, a program comprised of promising state legislators from across the country. The Georgia Chamber of
Commerce has given Senator Harper an "A" rating and the
NFIB has rated his performance in the legislature at "100%"
for his stance on business issues. He continues to receive
the highest rating of an "A+" by the NRA for his continued
fight for our 2nd Amendment rights. He has been named
the Legislator of the Year by the Council of Probate Court
Judges of Georgia and the Georgia State Firefighters Association/Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs, as well as being
named an Outstanding Young Alumnus by Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Senator Harper has been honored with Associate Life Membership by the Peace Officer Assocation of Georgia and has
been recognized by the Georgia Department of Driver Services and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police for his
work on public safety issues in our state. As a member of
the National FFA Organization in high school, Senator Harper was honored to have been chosen to receive the Chapter, State and American Honorary FFA Degrees. Senator
Harper is also a proud graduate of Leadership Georgia, a
graduate of the Legislative Leadership Institute and a graduate of the Georgia Academy of Economic Development.
As an active member of his local community, Senator Harper has served in many leadership capacities. Senator Harper is a past President and active member of the Ocilla Rotary Club, a past State President and active member of the
Georgia Young Farmers Association, and is an active member in multiple local and state organizations. He also serves
as a member of the University of Georgia Alpha Gamma
Rho Fraternity Alpha Eta Chapter Alumni Board. Along with
these positions, he previously served on the University of
Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Strategic Planning Committee and on the college's Alumni
Association Public Affairs Committee. Senator Harper is also
a former member of the Ben Hill - Irwin Joint Development
Authority.
Senator Harper began his political career serving as a Congressional Fellow to Senator Saxby Chambliss, as well as
serving as the County Campaign Chair for the election of
Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. Senator Harper is an
avid outdoorsman, a rated helicopter and fixed-wing pilot
and is a member of Satilla Baptist Church and serves the
church as a musician with his God-given talents on the piano and guitar. |