Representative Rick Crawford
HD 16 (D - Cedartown)
Rick Crawford is a lifelong resident of Polk County. He is married to the former Susan Pinkard of Rockmart, and they live in the Fish Creek community with their two children, daughter Janae and son Parker. They are active members of the First Baptist Church of Cedartown.
Rick was born in Cedartown and grew up on his grandfather’s farm in the Antioch community. Growing up that way he learned early on values like faith, family, hard work, and community. Rick was the first in his family to graduate from high school and go to college.
After graduating from Cedartown High School, Rick received music and academic scholarships to Jacksonville State University, where he earned a B.A. degree in music. He then studied to be a pastor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While he still considers that to be one of the most important and rewarding times of his life, he was eventually led in another vocational direction and enrolled in law school at Georgia State University. In addition to his J.D., Rick also completed an M.A. degree in political science at Georgia State. He is presently working on his dissertation to complete a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Georgia.
During law school Rick worked in the Clerk’s Office and the Speaker’s Office at the Georgia House of Representatives. Before starting his own practice in Cedartown, Rick served a s law clerk to the superior court judges of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. He has also served as Judge of the Municipal Court of Cedartown, Judge of the municipal Court of Rockmart, and as Chief Magistrate Judge of Polk County. He has been active in the Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges and served several terms on the executive committee of that body.
Rick has also been very active in the community. He has served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Cedartown, president of the Exchange Club of Cedartown, and as chairman of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Leadership Polk County, as well as the regional economic development program of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.