Stacey Abrams

Early life and education

Raised in Gulfport, Mississippi, Abrams is one of six siblings. The family moved to Atlanta while her parents pursued graduate school and later became Methodist ministers. She attended Avondale High School and was the school's first African-American valedictorian. While in high school, she was hired as a typist for a congressional campaign and was later hired as a speechwriter at age 17 based on the edits she made while typing.

In 1995, Abrams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Political Science, Economics and Sociology) from Spelman College, magna cum laude. While in college, Abrams worked in the youth services department in the office of Atlanta mayor, Maynard Jackson. She later interned at the Environmental Protection Agency. After being named a Harry S. Truman Scholar, she graduated from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin with a Masters of Public Affairs in public policy. Abrams received her J.D. from the Yale Law School.

Georgia General Assembly, 2007–

Abrams became the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African-American to lead in the House of Representatives. She represents House District 89, which includes portions of the City of Atlanta and unincorporated DeKalb County, covering the communities of Candler Park, Cedar Grove, Columbia, Druid Hills, Edgewood, Highland Park, Kelley Lake, Kirkwood, Lake Claire, South DeKalb, Toney Valley and Tilson. Abrams serves on the following committees: Appropriations, Ethics, Judiciary Non-Civil, Rules and Ways & Means.

Her first major action as Minority Leader was her cooperation with Republican Governor Nathan Deal's administration to reform the HOPE Scholarship Program. Abrams co-sponsored the 2011 legislation that preserved the HOPE program by decreasing the scholarship amount paid to Georgia students and funded a 1% low-interest loan program for students. “My fundamental philosophy,” she says, “is that my first job is to cooperate and collaborate with the other side whenever I can.” Abrams led the legislative opposition to a proposed tax hike on Georgia residents.

Abrams was supported by Koch Industries in 2014 and 2016.

Legal and business career

Abrams worked as a tax attorney at the Sutherland Asbill & Brennan law firm in Atlanta, with a focus on tax-exempt organizations, health care and public finance. She was appointed the Deputy City Attorney for Atlanta at age 29.

Abrams co-founded and served as the senior vice president of NOW Corp. (formerly NOWaccount Network Corporation), a financial services firm. She co-founded Nourish, Inc., a beverage company with a focus on infants and toddlers, and is CEO of Sage Works, a legal consulting firm, that has represented clients including the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA.

Writing career

Abrams has published articles on issues of public policy, taxation and nonprofit organizations. Under the pen name Selena Montgomery, Abrams is the award-winning author of several romantic suspense novels. According to Abrams' website, her novels have sold more than 100,000 copies. Selena Montgomery was the winner of both the Reviewer’s Choice Award and the Reader’s Favorite Award from Romance In Color for Best New Author, and was featured as a Rising Star.

Honors and awards

In 2012, Abrams received the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the Kennedy Library and Harvard University's Institute of Politics, which honors an elected official under 40 whose work demonstrates the impact of elective public service as a way to address public challenges. In 2014, she was named a Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine, an award which recognizes state and local official for outstanding accomplishments. Abrams was recognized as one of “12 Rising Legislators to Watch” by the same publication in 2012 and one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

EMILY's List recognized Abrams as the inaugural recipient of the Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award in 2014. She was selected as an Aspen Rodel Fellow and a Hunt-Kean Fellow. She was also named as #11 on The Root 100 by The Root. Abrams was named Legislator of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, Public Servant of the Year by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Outstanding Public Service by the Latin American Association, Champion for Georgia Cities by the Georgia Municipal Association, and as Legislator of the Year by the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce.

She received the Georgia Legislative Service Award from the Association County Commissioners Georgia, the Democratic Legislator of the Year from the Young Democrats of Georgia and Red Clay Democrats, and an Environmental Leader Award from the Georgia Conservation Voters. Abrams won Grand Champion for showing 1000 lb. heifer Bessie at the 2012 Legislative Livestock Showdown at the Georgia National Fair.

Abrams is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Next Generation Fellow of the American Assembly, an American Marshall Memorial Fellow, a Salzburg Seminar – Freeman Fellow on U.S.-East Asian Relations, and a Yukos Fellow for U.S. – Russian Relations.

Abrams received the Stevens Award for Outstanding Legal Contributions and the Elmer Staats Award for Public Service, both national honors presented by the Harry S. Truman Foundation. She was also a 1994 Harry S. Truman Scholar.

In 2001, Abrams was named one of “30 Leaders of the Future” by Ebony Magazine. In 2004, she was named to Georgia Trend’s “40 Under 40” list, The Atlanta Business Chronicle named Abrams to their Top 50 Under 40 list. In 2006, she was named a Georgia Rising Star by Atlanta Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine.

Other work

Abrams currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Atlanta Metropolitan State College Foundation, Gateway Center for the Homeless and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, and the Advisory Boards for Literacy Action and Health Students Taking Action Together (HSTAT). She also serves on the Board of Visitors for Agnes Scott College and the University of Georgia.

Personal life

Abrams is one of six children born to Reverend Carolyn and the Reverend Robert Abrams originally of Mississippi. Her sister is Leslie Abrams.