Senator Nan Orrock

Nan Orrock is a Democratic state senator representing Senate District 36 in Georgia, which encompasses downtown Atlanta, southeast Atlanta, parts of northeast and southwest Atlanta, and the Fulton County Tri-Cities area of College Park, East Point, and Hapeville.

A longtime advocate for progressive causes, Orrock has been deeply involved in public policy since participating in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. She is the daughter of a Georgia native and an East Tennessee mother and has resided in Atlanta since 1968. She has two grown sons and is a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Atlanta.

Education

Orrock earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia.

Political Experience

Orrock was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1987, where she served 10 terms and achieved numerous distinctions:

• First woman elected to the position of House Majority Whip
• Served as Governor's Floor Leader
• Served as a committee chair
• Member of the Speaker's Policy Committee

She was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 2006 and has served continuously since her swearing-in on January 8, 2007. In the Senate, her committee appointments include Higher Education, Urban Affairs, Health and Human Services, Finance, and MARTOC.

Legislative Expertise and Achievements

Orrock's legislative expertise encompasses health policy, women's issues, civil rights and civil liberties, workforce issues, and the environment. She is a founder of both the Georgia Legislative Women's Caucus and the Working Families Legislative Caucus. She formerly chaired the Labor Workforce Standing Committee of the National Caucus of State Legislatures.

Her leadership has been widely recognized, including receiving the 2010 State Leader Award from the Progressive States Network and being featured in Governing magazine. She was selected by Creative Loafing readers as the "most effective local elected official" and received their 2010 ARNIE "loyal opposition" award.

Additionally, Orrock serves as President of Women's Action for New Directions and has held board positions with organizations including the Sapelo Foundation, Progressive States Network, the YWCA, and Women In Government.