Teresa Tomlinson
Teresa Pike Tomlinson (born February 19, 1965) is an American politician and attorney who in 2010, was elected and served as the 69th Mayor of Columbus, Georgia. On January 3, 2011, she was sworn in as the city's first female mayor. On May 20, 2014, she was re-elected to a second term with 62% of the vote, making her the first Mayor since the city's consolidation in 1971 to win re-election in a contested race. 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. 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. She served as Executive Director of MidTown, Inc., a non-profit community renewal organization, from 2006 until 2010. During her tenure, Columbus, Georgia, was named one of both 2016 and 2017 top fifty Best-Run Cities in America. 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. Under her leadership, the Columbus Consolidated Government balanced the budget for the first time in 16 years using no reserve funds and provided city and county services at the prudent cost of $1,300 per person. 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. 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. Tax Allocation Districts were adopted to encourage the revitalization of city districts, including City Village and the Liberty District. 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. Over two miles of the Chattahoochee River were returned to its natural state, creating the world's longest Whitewater Course in an urban setting. Tomlinson has overseen the renaissance of the city's downtown creating a dining and entertainment district , known as Uptown. 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. 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. Tomlinson has written opinion pieces for "The Daily Beast" and "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution." Tomlinson completed her second term on January 6, 2019. 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. Tomlinson ran in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Senator David Perdue in the 2020 election but lost to Jon Ossoff who would ultimately go on to win the runoff against Perdue. Personal life. She moved to Columbus in 1994  from Atlanta and married Wade "Trip" Tomlinson, who was raised in Columbus.