on a cotton farm in the community of Farrar in northern Jasper County.

Susan was an honor graduate of Monticello High School and received a BS degree in Business

Education from the University of Georgia. In later years she earned over 144 hours credit in

administration and leadership from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government of the University of

Georgia. She has taught school (both public and private), served as a postmaster, a legal

assistant, and was CFO of a family owned insurance company. She is a licensed real estate agent.

She served on the board of directors of Griffin Technical College, Piedmont Academy, and has

been a member of the Jasper County Zoning Board, Jasper Memorial Hospital Board, the Jasper

County Library Board, and the Georgia trust for Historic Preservation. She was a member of the

Jasper County Board of Health for eleven years, serving as chair for the last year. She was a

member of the Georgia College and State University Foundation Board and the Griffin Technical

College Foundation Board.

Susan served twelve years as Mayor of the City of Monticello. Elected as the first female mayor

and working with a majority black council, she succeeded in bringing many honors to the City

along with making unprecedented progress. The City of Monticello was named one of the first

ten Better Hometown Cities in the state, one of the first five Cities of Excellence, and a City of

Ethics. The downtown area has undergone extensive restoration and is on the National Register

of Historic Places.

Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Mrs. Holmes as vice chair of the Rural Development Council

and appointed her to the Georgia Workforce Development Council. She has served as president

of the Georgia Municipal Association which represents over 600 Georgia cities. She was on the

board of the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center, the Georgia Academy of

Economic Development, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government Training Board, Leadership

Jasper, and Monticello Downtown Development Authority.

Mrs. Holmes was selected as Monticello-Jasper County Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of

Commerce. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians by Georgia Trend

Magazine and one of the five most outstanding women in Middle Georgia by the Girl Scouts

Council. She received recognition as Northeast Georgia’s Most Outstanding Citizen and the

Georgia Downtown Association’s Outstanding Leadership Award.

In January 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Susan as State Executive Director of the

Farm Service Agency for the State of Georgia. With 84 offices around the State, Mrs. Holmes

administered and managed farm commodity, credit, conservation disaster, and loan programs.

These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of the agricultural industry and

to help farmers adjust production to meet demand. Economically, the desired result of these

programs is a steady price range for agricultural commodities for both farmers and consumers.

Susan and her husband of 48 years, Paul Holmes, live in Monticello where they are members of

Monticello Presbyterian Church. Susan is a member of the Monticello-Jasper Chamber of

Commerce, Jasper County Historical Foundation, Monticello Garden Club, Monticello Kiwanis

Club, and Sergeant Newton Daughters of the American Revolution. Susan and Paul are very

proud of their children, John and Lou Holmes and Cammie and Thomas McCook of Macon, Sam

and Lara Holmes of Atlanta and their eight grandchildren, Paul and Sims Holmes, students at the

University of Georgia, Tommy, Evans, and Shorter McCook of Macon, and Sam, Susan, and

Cammie Holmes of Atlanta.