business acumen, and fresh ideas to the Georgia General Assembly.

Representative Waites was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives of the 60th

district on February 6, 2012. Since taking office, Rep. Waites, has secured a

community grant from the Home Depot Foundation, sponsored a regional Job Fair, and

hosted numerous community clean ups. Rep. Waites has also secured in-kind

sponsorships for the youth of district 60 to attend the following premium venues at no

cost to the students, parents, or taxpayers- Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, High

Museum of Art, Browns Mill Golf Course and Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Rep. Waites is a member of the Children and Youth Committee, Interstate Cooperation

Committee, and Special Rules Committee.

Rep. Waites has dedicated much of her life to public service as a community advocate.

Prior to her election, Rep. Waites served at the Small Business Administration (SBA)

and formerly the Department of Homeland Security. She has gained hands on

experience critical to addressing public safety and fiscal management which are major

challenges for Georgia residents. Rep. Waites formerly served in the Legislative Affairs

Division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Her primary duties

entailed acting as a liaison to the United States Congress, engaging and communicating

with Members of Congress and their staffs to build strong working relationships that will

enhance the agency’s legislative priorities and FEMA’s ability to respond to the needs of

disaster survivors.

Rep. Waites has over 10 years experience and knowledge of the legislative process at

the local, state, and federal levels of government. She currently serves as a contract

Governmental Affairs Officer with FEMA and previously supporting the 8 southeastern

states, now the entire continental United States. Rep. Waites supported Members of

Congress during the following domestic and international incidents- BP Oil Spill, Haiti

Earthquake, Hurricane IKE and Hurricane Katrina. Rep. Waites has a proven

background in solving problems.

Following college, Rep. Waites gained insider knowledge of mortgage lending laws and

consumer finance while working for a major lending institution. Her greatest

accomplishments include assisting hundreds of homeowners with the American dream

of homeownership. At the US Small Business Administration, Rep. Waites facilitated

loans to many small businesses to help them grow, create new jobs and nourish the

economy. During her tenure with the SBA, Rep. Waites formed relationships and gained

professional expertise that provided her with a superior understanding of the needs of

small and large business owners, while balancing those needs with residential

communities.

Rep. Waites has worked with homeowners, corporations, and non-profit organizations

throughout Georgia and the United States who have suffered property damage in a

presidential disaster. The SBA Disaster Assistance program makes low-interest, longterm

disaster loans to applicants affected by natural disasters- floods, earthquakes,

hurricanes, wildfires recover and rebuild their lives.

Active in many local community and civic based organizations, Rep. Waites has served

on the following boards- Atlanta Commission on Women and National Women’s

Political Caucus-Atlanta Chapter. She is a graduate of the Atlanta Planning and

Advisory Board Leadership Institute and member of the National Organization of

Women. This unique experience has allowed Rep. Waites to make an immediate and

significant impact for small business owners and Georgia families.

Proven Leadership

• Rep. Waites worked with small business owners and corporations facilitating

SBA loans to help them grow create new jobs and nourish the economy.

• Rep. Waites gained insider knowledge of mortgage lending laws and consumer

finance while working for a major lending institution.

• Assisted hundreds of homeowners with the American dream of homeownership.

• Utilized her business acumen to build bi-partisan partnerships on regional and

federal levels of government.

• Hurricane Katrina Long-Term Recovery Team – (Member). Rep. Waites was

directly involved issues with including economic development, transportation, and

public safety.

Political/Civic Engagement

• Atlanta Leadership Institute, Alumni

• Atlanta Planning and Advisory Board, previous member

• National Women’s Political Caucus NWPC – Atlanta Chapter, Board member

• White House Project Alumni

• Police Benevolent Association - Endorsed

• Sierra Club - Endorsed

• Atlanta Commission on Women, Board member

• National Organization of Women- NOW, member

Professional Experience

• Georgia House of Representatives District 44, Chief of Staff/Legislative Director

• U.S. Small Business Administration, Commercial Loan Division

• U. S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, Congressional Affairs Liaison

• City of Atlanta, Department of Revenue