Friday, December 5, 2003
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Friday, December 5, 2003 |
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Buckner to address CCSU grads State Rep. Gail Buckner, a Clayton State alumnus, will give the commencement address at the University’s December graduation ceremonies, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the University’s Athletics & Fitness Center. The University’s “Distinguished Alumni of 2002,” Buckner graduated from Clayton State with an A.A. in education in 1977 when the University was a two-year college. Her May 2002 award marked the first time Clayton State had ever recognized an “alumni of the year.” Buckner was elected to the Georgia Assembly House of Representatives in 1991, and is now in her sixth term of service in the Legislature. A Democrat, she is currently the state representative from Georgia's 95th district, a district including parts of Morrow, Ellenwood, Rex, Lake City, and Stockbridge. As a state representative, Buckner plays an active role in various committees and caucuses. She serves on the Appropriations and Industry Committees, and is the Vice-Chairman of the Children & Youth Committee. In the past, Buckner served as Tri-chair of the Georgia Women’s Legislative Caucus. Above her duties in office, Buckner volunteers in community projects relating to children and the environment. She is the co-founder and former board chairman of the Rainbow House, an emergency shelter for children. For her dedication to the youth of the state, the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics presented Buckner with the Friend of Children award in 1998. Buckner has been named Legislator of the Year by three separate organizations. The Cobb County Democratic Women and the Breast Cancer Coalition presented her with this title in 1998 and 1999. The Georgia Association of Public Health Officials also named her Legislator of the Year in 1998. Most recently, the Clayton County Council of PTA’s named Representative Buckner Citizen of the Year 2002. “Having studied the fundamentals of education while at Clayton State helps me relate to the myriad of issues relative to effective teaching techniques,” Buckner said when reflecting upon her experiences at CCSU. Aside from politics and her devotion to education, Buckner is the mother of three grown children and one foster child. She and her husband Charles Buckner are the proud grandparents of three grandchildren, Todd, Galyn, and Lauren. Buckner currently lives in Jonesboro.
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