{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Terry Coleman | image = Terry Coleman (191750516) (1).jpg | image_size = | caption = Coleman in 2006 | office = Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives | term_start = January 13, 2003 | term_end = January 10, 2005 | predecessor = Tom Murphy | successor = Glenn Richardson | office1 = Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | term_start1 = January 8, 1973 | term_end1 = January 8, 2007 | successor1 = Jimmy Pruett | constituency1 = 102nd district, Post 1 (1973–1975)<br />118th district (1975–1993)<br />142nd district (1993–2003)<br />118th district (2003–2005)<br />144th district (2005–2007) | birth_name = Terry Lewis Coleman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|12|5}} | birth_place = Eastman, Georgia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | occupation = lawyer | spouse = {{marriage|Carol Cofield|January 31, 1969}} | children = 2 | relations = | alma_mater = Reinhardt College, Brenau College, Woodrow Wilson College of Law }}
'''Terry Lewis Coleman''' (born December 5, 1943) is an American politician from the state of Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Terry L. Coleman Papers | url=https://www.mga.edu/library/archives/docs/terry_coleman_papers.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219134620/https://www.mga.edu/library/archives/docs/terry_coleman_papers.pdf | archive-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
==Political career== Terry Coleman is a former member of Georgia General Assembly and speaker of the house. First elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1972, he chaired many House Committees and was elected as the Speaker of the House for the 2003-2004 Legislative Session. He served as Assistant Commissioner for the Georgia Department of Agriculture under Tommy Irvin from 2007-2010, when he stepped down to run for Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor.
==Personal life== Born and raised in Dodge County, Coleman graduated from Dodge County High School in 1961. From there, he went on to attend Reinhardt College where he earned an associate degree. He later obtained his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice before obtaining his Juris Doctor from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. He is currently employed by Coleman and Company Benefits, Inc. which deals with business insurance. He has also been a member of the Eastman Volunteer Fire Department for the past 23 years. As Speaker of the House he cast the deciding vote to allow Georgians the opportunity to vote for the state flag of their choice.
His community involvement includes membership on the Board of Directors for the Bank of Dodge County and the Colony Bank Corporation. He served on the Mercer medical School Board of Governors from 1990–2002,<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/premium/0286/0286-9035638.html Special Projects Shrink Georgia Scholarship Program's Cut of Lottery Proceeds]. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. November 11, 2003.</ref> and was a President of the Chamber of Commerce from 1985-1987. He continues to play an active role in the Huddle House Franchise in Eastman and McRae-Helena, Georgia. Representative Coleman is married to Carol Cofield Coleman; they have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. He is a member of the First Methodist Church of Eastman.
==See also== * List of speakers of the Georgia House of Representatives
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ga-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Clarence G. Ezzard, Sr}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives<br>from the 102nd district, Post 1|years=1973–1975}} {{s-aft|after=David Lucas}} |- {{s-bef|before=William Mobley Howell}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives<br>from the 118th district|years=1975–1993}} {{s-aft|after=Henry L. Howard}} |- {{s-bef|before=Bobby Long}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives<br>from the 142nd district|years=1993–2003}} {{s-aft|after=Ron Borders}} |- {{s-bef|before=Henry L. Howard}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives<br>from the 118th district|years=2003–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Ben Harbin}} |- {{s-bef|before=C. Ellis Black}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Georgia House of Representatives<br>from the 144th district|years=2005–2007}} {{s-aft|after=Jimmy Pruett}} |- {{s-off|us}} {{s-bef|before=Tom Murphy}} {{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives|years=January 13, 2003-January 10, 2005}} {{s-aft|after=Glenn Richardson}} {{s-end}}
{{Speakers of the Georgia House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Terry}} Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:People from Dodge County, Georgia Category:Reinhardt University alumni Category:Speakers of the Georgia House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Category:21st-century members of the Georgia General Assembly