HD 116 (D- Greensboro)

                Born in Washington, Georgia, Representative Channell has been a life long resident of district 116, which he’s been serving since 1992.   He has become the fourth generation of Channell’s to raise a family in Greene County.  After graduating from Greene County Public Schools, he went on to attend Young Harris College, where former Georgia Governor, Senator Zell Miller taught him political science.  The avid Bulldog fan also obtained his B.A. in Business Administration from the University Of Georgia Terry College Of Business.
            Representative Channell has a very good grasp on the economic needs of his region, having owned several small businesses throughout the years. Prior to being elected in 1992, he held several public offices in his district including membership in the Greene County Board of Commissioners and Board of Education.  He served as Chairman of the Georgia Nonpublic Post Secondary Education Commission the same year he became a Georgia State Representative. As a County Commissioner, he has been quite effective in the construction of the Greene County Regional Airport, helping to acquire $3 million in Federal, State and Local Funding.        
             Representative Chanell is serving on the following committees: Appropriations, Rules and Transportation. He was very recently appointed to Special Committee on Civil Justice Reform by House Speaker Glenn Richardson. 
            Representative Channell is on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Cities Foundation, a public-private partnership that provides loans for revitalization projects for downtown areas in small towns throughout Georgia. He has earned a reputation as an expert on public health care in Georgia.  He was Chairman of the Community Health Subcommittee of Appropriations in a previous session, overseeing the allocation of a $7 billion State Health Care Budget.  Representative Channell also serves on the Board of Governors for the Mercer University School of Medicine.  His proudest achievement in the State Legislature was authoring the PeachCare for Kids legislation, securing affordable healthcare services for over 200,000 children of Georgia’s working families.          
            He has been married for the past 42 years to his wife, Carolyn.  They are the proud parents of four children and grandparents of nine grandchildren.  The family is active in the first United Methodist Church.  Representative Channell is a founding member of the Greene County Rotary Club and a past President of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce.  He was also a co-organizer for the Greene County Youth Baseball Program.