Sandra Deal

Sandra Deal (née Emilie Sandra Dunagan;[1] born in Gainesville, Georgia) is an American education activist and former public school language arts teacher. As the wife of Georgia state's governor, Nathan Deal, she had served as the First Lady of the U.S. state of Georgia from 2011 to 2019.[2]

Sandra Deal
First Lady of Georgia
In role
January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byMary Perdue
Succeeded byMarty Kemp
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1966)​
Children4
Alma materGeorgia College & State University

Education

The daughter of educators, Emilie Sandra Dunagan grew up in Gainesville, Georgia. She is a two time graduate from Georgia College & State University.[3] She received her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1963. She received her master's degree in elementary education in 1968.[4]

Career
First Lady Deal at the Milledgeville Grand Opening

Before becoming the first lady of Georgia, Dunagan taught language arts at public schools for over 15 years, and retired as a sixth-grade middle-school teacher in Hall County, Georgia.[5] As Georgia's first lady, she is known for advocating for literacy and education throughout the state,[6] for which the Georgia Association of Broadcasters awarded her their 2016 "Georgian of the Year" award.[7]

In 2015, her book Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion was published.[8] Copies of the book were donated to every public library in the state of Georgia.[9]

In 2016, she served as the keynote speaker at Georgia Gwinnett College's summer commencement.[10]

In 2017, Georgia College & State University unveiled the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy.[11] A state-funded educational institute, the center aims to provide professional development, or training, to early elementary teachers to improve the early language and literacy skills of Georgia's children by providing research-based professional development for organizations working with children from birth through age 8.[12]

Personal life

Dunagan married Nathan Deal in 1966.[13] She and Deal have four children: Jason, Mary Emily, Carrie, and Katie.[3]

Sandra Deal was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018.[14] She completed radiation treatments in May 2018.[15]

References
  1. Official Congressional Directory. Government Printing Office. p. 75.
  2. Woolen, Angela (2016-08-21). "Georgia's first lady talks school bus safety". The Telegraph.
  3. McKee, Sarah (2011-10-10). "Nathan Deal (b. 1942)". New Georgia Encyclopedia.
  4. Georgia College (1995). Georgia College 1995 Alumni Directory. White Plains, NY: Bernard C Harris Publishing Company. p. 86.
  5. "First Lady Biography". Georgia official government website.
  6. McGowan, Mary Kate (2016-11-29). "Georgia first lady shares love of reading". Marietta Daily Journal.
  7. Story, Luke (2016-06-09). "First Lady Sandra Deal Named 2016 Georgian of the Year". Georgia Association of Broadcasters.
  8. Caldwell, Carla (2015-09-30). "Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal releases book". Atlanta Business Chronicle.
  9. Yeomans, Curt (2017-01-27). "First Lady Sandra Deal donating history book to libraries". Gwinnett Daily Post.
  10. "First Lady Sandra Deal to speak at GGC summer commencement" (Press release). Georgia Gwinnett College. 2016-07-22.
  11. "Georgia College unveils Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy". The Union-Recorder. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  12. "Home". Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  13. Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion. University of Georgia Press. 2015. p. 168.
  14. Georgia first lady Sandra Deal diagnosed with breast cancer, has tumor removed, gainesvilletimes.com; accessed January 29, 2018.
  15. "First Lady Sandra Deal marks major milestone in breast cancer fight". Retrieved March 28, 2019.
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