Representative Georganna Sinkfield

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Representative Georganna T. Sinkfield has been a civil servant to the people of Georgia for more than two decades. The South Carolina native earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tennessee State University and attended Emory University School of Law.

Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1982, from then-District 37 in Atlanta Fulton County, she is the senior-tenured woman in the Legislature. Rep. Sinkfield chaired the Committee on Children and Youth for 14 years. She also chaired the Subcommittee of Appropriations on Human Development, which had the responsibility to oversee the budgets of the departments of Human Resources, Juvenile Justice, Veterans Affairs, Medicaid and Medicare, and the Department of Labor. She currently represents House District 60 and her committee assignments include Banks and Banking, Children and Youth and Insurance.

Having begun her political tenure with legislation in education that preserved programs for often-marginalized students, and later, authoring legislation to create the Office of the Child Advocate, Rep. Sinkfield has established herself as a champion of legislative solutions for all Georgians, particularly children and youth.

As chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Development, Rep. Sinkfield worked to ensure the availability of resources for the healthcare of senior citizens and Georgians with inadequate health insurance. In November 2002, a United Nations (UN) report stated that for the first time in the 20-year history of the AIDS epidemic, about as many women as men are infected with HIV. In true visionary spirit, Rep. Sinkfield and her committee had already provided the wherewithal for uninsured Georgians to access HIV/AIDS related drugs, prior to the release of the UN report.

Rep. Sinkfield was appointed by Gov. Joe Frank Harris to serve on The Education Review Commission, which laid the groundwork for the Quality Basic Education Act (QBE); the State Chapter 2 Advisory Committee; and the Statewide Task Force on Homelessness. She also served on the State Task Force Turning Points; Preparing our Youth for the 21st Century, and Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. She chaired the Georgia Democratic Party Delegate Selection Affirmative Action Committee. She was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court Commission on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Court System. She has served on the Department of Education's Task Force on Violence and the Schools, Georgia Commission on Family Violence, the Governor's State Policy Council for Children and Families, and the Georgia General Assembly's Conference on Health Care Reform/Managed Health Care.

Citizens and colleagues alike recognize Representative Sinkfield for her leadership and diligence. She was a recipient of the 2008 Trumpet Award. Georgia Trend magazine named her one of the Most Influential 100 People in Georgia. She was elected as the first female Chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC). She also chaired several major committees of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL). She is a member of the Women's Forum of Georgia, Inc. She received the Tom Murphy State Service Award for Health and Human Services Visions-Compassion-Courage and the Shero Award from The Georgia Women’s Legislative Caucus. She was inducted into the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers in 1994. Rep. Sinkfield is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta and Atlanta Regional Leadership.

The Georgia Gerontology Society recognized her with a Legislative Award for consistent support of aging issues that benefit older Georgians. She also received the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Legislative Award, for her determination and commitment to fighting predatory lending. Rep. Sinkfield is a member of the East Point-College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has been a recipient of the Sorority’s Fortitude and Torch Award and their Pinnacle of Leadership Award. She has received the Vision in Action Award from the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (GCAPP).

Rep. Sinkfield has been recognized by many organizations for her compassionate and fearless stance to help improve the lives of children and their families during the state and national Welfare Reform debate. They include the Council for Children, Inc. Friend of Children Award, Public Health Nurses of Georgia Leadership Award, the National Organization of Women Bread and Roses Award, Georgians for Children Champion Award, and the Women's Policy Group "Woman of Courage" Award.

Rep. Sinkfield is the recipient of the SCLC Drum Major for Justice Award in Government; NAACP Hall of Fame Award Lobbying Network; City of Atlanta Women Distinguished Service Award; the Georgia Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Public Service Award; the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless Award; the Georgia Conservation Voters Environmental Leadership Award; and the Georgia Department of Labor Outstanding Achievement Award.

A member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Rep. Sinkfield and her husband, Richard H. Sinkfield, have two children, Rita Denise and Richard III, and five grandchildren. The couple resides in Atlanta.

Georganna Sinkfield considers it a privilege to serve the citizens of her district and this state. She appreciates the trust and confidence of the citizens of House District 60, and her commitment is to continue to work hard and serve them well.