Senator Gloria S. Butler began her first term as a State Senator during the 1999-2000 Legislative Session. She is a member and serves as Secretary of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee, a member of the Public Safety and Homeland Security and Regulated Industries and Utilities committees. Senator Butler also serves on the Health and Human Services Committee where she is an avid champion of children’s issues and works diligently to improve the public health system. Senator Butler was re-elected by her peers to serve as Minority Assistant Whip. Senator Butler serves on MARTOC, a committee that oversees MARTA. She has also served on the Education and Transportation committees where she was appointed Secretary, in addition, to the Retirement Committee.

During her tenure with the legislature, Butler has sponsored and co-sponsored more than 80 pieces of legislation. During her first term, Senator Butler received the Freshman Legislator of the Year Award from the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Senator Butler was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor to serve on the Georgia Workforce Investment Board, which was established in accordance with the Congressional Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to assist in preparing Georgia for a statewide workforce development system.

Active in her community, Senator Butler volunteers with Positive Growth, a youth program that provides housing and counseling for young men (ages 11-17) who have been involved with the court system. The organization recently opened a second home, which was named to honor Senator Butler, who secured funds from the annual state budget for the operation of the facilities. She also secured funding for and volunteers for VIBE, an initiative for the betterment of black male youth.

A resident of Georgia since 1977, Butler spent 12 years as Fiscal Accounting Assistant for the Health Sciences Center Library at Emory University. In 1992, she directed Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney’s Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign and, later, became a legislative assistant to McKinney, advising the Congresswoman on education, agriculture affairs, the environment, foreign agriculture and hunger issues, space and technology, and welfare reform. Two years later, Butler was recruited by the United State Information Agency (USIA) to participate in the U.S. Speaker Program, which entailed travel to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland. During the 1996 Olympics and Paralympics Games, Senator Butler served as Assistant to the Director of AmeriCorps Team for National Service. There, she recruited young adults to work alongside senior citizens, emphasizing the importance of volunteerism and cooperative efforts.

Senator Butler is a graduate of Perimeter College and holds an Associate Degree in Business Administration. She is a member of the National Council of Negro Women, the National Organization for Women, DeKalb Women’s Political Caucus, a governing member of the National Women’s Political Caucus and a member of the executive board of the DeKalb County NAACP.

Senator Butler, the mother of two daughters, is also the proud grandmother of two.