Dean of state House, Gerald Greene, marks 42nd year fighting for the needs of rural Georgia

ATLANTA — Monday’s start of the 2024 Georgia legislative session marks state Rep. Gerald Greene’s 42nd year as a member of the Georgia House.

Serving under five Georgia governors and seven House speakers, Greene, R-Cuthbert, earned the title “dean” of the Georgia House — the longest-serving member — for his more than four decades of political service. He said his tenure has been marked by his dedication to meeting the needs of his district and his love for his constituents, and that those are the primary factors that keep him going back to Atlanta.

He represents House District 154, which includes Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Early, Miller, Quitman, Randolph and Seminole counties as well as portions of Dougherty County. Greene was elected to the House in 1982 and serves as chairman of the State Properties Committee, co-chairman of the House Rural Development Council and vice chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development.

Serving such a large district is not an easy task, Greene said. The representative travels between Atlanta and around the nine counties each week — a mad dash to try to attend each event or network with more community members.

“It’s tough serving an area with so many cities, so many counties, so many needs,” he said. “Each and every week, there’s somewhere I can be in the district, meeting the constituents, serving … and I enjoy it. There’s just not enough of me. I wish they could clone me.”

Staying present in his district is the secret to his longevity, Greene said.

“You’ve got to remember who sent you to the legislature,” he said. “You meet their needs. Sometimes you can’t help them, but you try.”

The representative switched his political party from Democrat to Republican in 2010, a further display of his commitment to meeting the needs of his constituents. He said he chose to be a member of the majority party so that he could enhance his position and get more done for District 154.

“It has worked out well,” Greene said. “I don’t think people look at me as a Republican or a Democrat. I don’t think they care, as long as I serve their needs.”

Greene was born in Randolph County and lives in Cuthbert. The district he serves is his life-long home, granting him close ties with his constituents.

“I have good people in every one of these districts that help me and give me ideas as to what’s going on,” Greene said. “They know who I am, and they can call me. They know if there’s a way, I’m going to help them.”

Greene said he spends the weeks in Atlanta during the legislative session, but he makes it a priority to get home each Friday so he can make it to Springvale Baptist Church on Sunday, where he’s served as the only deacon and Sunday school teacher for about 40 years, he said.

The representative said he loves the rural areas and knows their needs well. Much of his district experiences high poverty levels. He sees the need for new roads and transportation services as well as support for law enforcement and accessible mental health services, he said.

Greene is also a strong supporter of the Georgia Lottery, which, he said, serves a major purpose in making college more accessible for young people.

Before entering politics, he worked in the Randolph-Clay School System, teaching political science and history. So addressing education needs is a priority for Greene, he said. The Georgia Association of Educators recognized him as a 2023 Friend of Education award recipient, the organization’s highest honor, in December.

The GAE wanted to honor his decades dedicated to promoting excellence in his district’s public education system and for his strong support of educators, GAE President Lisa Morgan said.

Greene struggles to pinpoint a singular best moment in a political career that spans more than four decades. He looks back fondly on his years serving under former Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, who was elected to the house in 2002. He was the longest-serving House speaker in the United States at the time of his death in 2022.

Greene said he believes Ralston truly cared about the state of Georgia and wanted to make it a better place for Georgians.

The dean of the state House said he is happy to have secured funding for new schools and libraries in his district. The expansion of broadband and Medicaid access are also highlights. In more recent legislative sessions, he points to securing $18 million for renovations to George T. Bagby State Park in Fort Gaines as a moment of pride.

“No one thought we could do it, but we did it,” he said.

Greene said he’s proud to have achieved renovations for vocational studies in Baker County in the 2023 session.

Greene has a lot on his plate for the upcoming session. Leaders from the district put in their requests — many related to road and school needs, he said. His office gets an abundance of requests each year.

“We’ve got a lot to do,” Greene said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m like a little kid on the first day of school. It never gets old.”

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