Mike Beatty is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Jefferson, Georgia

Jefferson, Georgia

Jefferson is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,825 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Jackson County. Jefferson is known for its superior recreation department...

.

Private life

Beatty is a native of Jefferson, Georgia and a graduate of the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

.

He has been a high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 teacher

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

 and football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 coach.

His wife is Judy Garrett and they have one daughter and three grandchildren.

Political career

He was elected as the first Republican since Reconstruction from Jackson County, Georgia

Jackson County, Georgia

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population in 2000 was 41,589. Explosive growth is evident with a population of 63,544 in the 2009 Census estimates. The county seat is Jefferson.-History:...

 to the Georgia House of Representatives

Georgia House of Representatives

The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...

 in 1990. While in office he strongly opposed the creation of a state lottery

Lottery

A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...

. After legislative redistricting placed Beatty in a district with another incumbent Republican legislator, he decided not to seek re-election in 1992 opting to focus on the small businesses he and his wife owned including a poultry

Poultry

Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...

 and cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 farm. In the 2000 election cycle, Beatty was drafted by the Senate Republican Caucus to oppose the incumbent Democrat State Senator

Georgia Senate

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...

. He was elected State Senator and proved instrumental in the successful battle to ban video poker

Video poker

Video poker is a casino game based on five-card draw poker. It is played on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine.-History:...

 in Georgia.

In 2002, he opted not to seek re-election to the Senate and declared his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor....

. He finished first in a three-way Republican primary but failed to gain a majority of the votes, forcing a primary run-off in which he was narrowly defeated.

He was then appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in 2003 by Governor Sonny Perdue

Sonny Perdue

George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....

, a post which he still holds today.

Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs

As DCA Commissioner, Mike Beatty has spear headed the launch of several new community-building programs, including: which encourages collaboration between DCA’s unique divisions in an effort to better serve its customers; which works with communities already on the right track and helps them implement key portions of their comprehensive plans; to encourage the creation of jobs and businesses in communities transitioning from blight to economic growth; to teach Georgia’s young people about the importance of water to our community’s growth and prosperity; and Dream City partnerships in six Georgia cities to encourage homeownership opportunities throughout our state.