Teresa Tomlinson

Teresa Pike Tomlinson (born February 19, 1965) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 69th Mayor of Columbus, Georgia elected in 2010.[1][2] On January 3, 2011, she was sworn in as the city's first female mayor.[3]

Teresa Tomlinson
69th Mayor of Columbus
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 9, 2019
Preceded byJim Wetherington
Succeeded bySkip Henderson
Personal details
Born (1965-02-19) February 19, 1965
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationSweet Briar College (BA)
Emory University (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

On May 20, 2014 she was re-elected to a second term with 63% of the vote, making her the first Mayor since the city's consolidation in 1971 to win re-election in a contested race.[4]

Early life and education

Tomlinson is a 1983 graduate of Chamblee High School in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sweet Briar College in Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the Emory University School of Law.[5][6][7]

Career

For 16 years she practiced with the law firm of Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick, Morrison and Norwood, where she specialized in complex litigation and was the firm's first female partner.[8] She served as Executive Director of MidTown, Inc., a non-profit community renewal organization, from 2006 until 2010.[9]

During her tenure, Columbus, Georgia, was named one of both 2016 and 2017 top fifty Best-Run Cities in America.[10][11] Her administration reduced crime by 39.3% from its height in 2009, including a 41.2% drop in property crime and a 15% drop in violent crime.[12][13] Under her leadership, the Columbus Consolidated Government balanced the budget for the first time in 16 years using no reserve funds[14][15] and provided city and county services at the prudent cost of $1,300 per person.[16] Tomlinson instituted reform in the city's pension plan, saving taxpayers some $39 million and increasing funding of the General Government plan to over 90%, while preserving the valuable Defined Benefit Plan for Employees.[17][18][19][20] Reform was also instituted at the Muscogee County Prison with the Rapid Resolution Initiative, which expedited the disposition of unindicted inmates at the Muscogee County Jail.[21][22][23] Tax Allocation Districts were adopted to encourage the revitalization of city districts, including City Village and the Liberty District.[24][25][26] New biking/walking trails were constructed, known as the Dragonfly Trails, to create 60 miles of connected trails throughout the city, including trails and streetscapes in previously blighted areas.[27] Over two miles of the Chattahoochee River were returned to its natural state, creating the world's longest Whitewater Course in an urban setting.[28] Tomlinson has overseen the renaissance of the city's downtown creating a dining and entertainment district, known as Uptown.[29][30]

In 2015, after the announcement of the potential closure of her undergraduate alma mater, Sweet Briar College in Virginia, Mayor Tomlinson joined with thousands of alumnae across the nation to raise $28.5 million in 110 days and convert over $12 million of that to cash in 70 days in order to fulfill the terms of a court approved settlement, which saved the college and kept the doors open, where it thrives today.[31] She was a primary witness in the court case that was successful before the Virginia Supreme Court and was involved in discussions with the Virginia Attorney General's Office regarding the saving of the college.[32]

Tomlinson has written opinion pieces for The Daily Beast and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.[33][34][35][36][37]

Tomlinson completed her second term on January 6, 2019.[38][39] On January 7, 2019, Tomlinson joined the law firm Hall Booth Smith, P.C., as a partner specializing in complex litigation, crisis management and strategic solutions.[40] Tomlinson ran in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Senator David Perdue in the 2020 United States Senate election in Georgia.[41][42]

Personal life

She moved to Columbus in 1994 from Atlanta and married Wade "Trip" Tomlinson, who was raised in Columbus.[43]

References
  1. "Columbus runoff results, Tomlinson wins mayor's race". Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  2. "Columbus mayor offers advice to women seeking success". The Newnan Times-Herald. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  3. "Mayor Tomlinson is guest speaker for Women's Equality Day". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  4. "Tomlinson wins reelection with 62 percent of vote". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  5. Giles, Roslyn (December 2, 2010). "Mayor-Elect Teresa Tomlinson gets up close and personal". WTVM. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  6. "Wade H. Tomlinson".
  7. "Wade H. Tomlinson | Pope Mcglamry". Pope Mcglamry. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  8. Communications, Emmis (May 10, 2017). Atlanta Magazine. Emmis Communications.
  9. "Georgia Trial Attorney Named Executive Director of MidTown, Inc". PRWeb. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  10. "Columbus in top third of nation's 'best-run' cities, website reports". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  11. "Columbus makes top 50 "Best-Run Cities in America" list". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  12. Gunn, Olivia. "City of Columbus reports crime rate at lowest level in 30+ years". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  13. "2018 State Of The City Highlights" (PDF). Columbus Consolidated Government. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  14. "Mayor Tomlinson recommends leaner budget for 2018; unveils major changes". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  15. "FY 18 Budget Letter" (PDF).
  16. "Columbus in top third of nation's 'best-run' cities, website reports". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  17. "FY 18 Budget Letter" (PDF).
  18. "FY 18 Budget Letter" (PDF).
  19. "Mayor Tomlinson recommends leaner budget for 2018; unveils major changes". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  20. wrbljoeyripley (May 9, 2016). "Mayor says pension reform paying off, how changes affect city workers". WRBL. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  21. "Council votes to overturn prison lieutenant's rehire". Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  22. "Plan aims at moving criminal cases, reducing jail population". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  23. "'Rapid Resolution' has paid rapid dividends for city". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  24. "TAD referendum breezes to victory". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  25. "City proposing two new TADs for Midtown redevelopment". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  26. "TAD referendum breezes to victory". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  27. "Richard Bishop hired to develop The Dragonfly trail system in Columbus". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  28. "U.S. Largest Urban Whitewater Course Opens in Columbus". Georgia Public Broadcasting. June 3, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  29. "Columbus: Roaring Ahead - Georgia Trend". www.georgiatrend.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  30. "Columbus: Gearing Up - Georgia Trend". www.georgiatrend.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  31. "Alumnae vowed to save Sweet Briar from closing last year. And they did". Washington Post. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  32. Team, WTVM Web. "Mayor Teresa Tomlinson testifies over Sweet Briar College closing". Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  33. "Opinion: Don't mistake racism for politics". myajc. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  34. "From the Atlanta Journal Constitution, 2017-08-12: Generals are playing vital civilian role now". Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  35. Tomlinson, Teresa (June 30, 2017). "Why the Republican Brand Is So Strong Where I Live". The Daily Beast. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  36. Tomlinson, Teresa (August 21, 2017). "The Conservative Plan to Rewrite the Constitution, and Yes, It's a Thing". The Daily Beast. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  37. Tomlinson, Teresa (February 22, 2018). "In Georgia, It's the NRA and the Legislators vs. the Police". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  38. http://www.wtvm.com/story/38261838/mayor-elect-skip-henderson-looks-forward-to-being-full-time-mayor/
  39. "City leaders bid farewell to Mayor Tomlinson, Councilor Baker at last meeting of 2018". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  40. "Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson announces her plans when she leaves office". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  41. Wooten, Nick (May 1, 2019). "Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson formally announces 2020 U.S. Senate bid". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  42. MayorTeresaTomlinson (May 16, 2015), Mayor Teresa Tomlinson’s Sweet Briar College Commencement Speech 2015, retrieved September 5, 2017
  43. "Mayor-Elect Teresa Tomlinson gets up close and personal". Retrieved May 10, 2017.
Political offices
Preceded by
Jim Wetherington		 Mayor of Columbus
2011–2019		 Succeeded by
Skip Henderson
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