George Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (November 2007) |
George M. Israel, III (b. 1949) is the current chairman and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and is a former mayor of Macon, Georgia (1979–1987), the sixth largest city in the state. He is also on the board of directors of YKK Group. In 2005, Georgia Trend, a prominent state business and political magazine, named Israel as one of its top 20 leaders of the past 20 years.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Israel was born George and Margaret Israel in rural Bibb County, Georgia. His father worked as an engineer at Robins Air Force Base and his mother was a teacher who helped veterans returning from World War II to earn their GEDs. He grew up in a tight-knit family with three brothers and an aunt whom he considered a second mother. [1]
He met his wife, Pam, while working to pay his way through college, and they married in 1971. They have two children: Katie Beth and Matthew, and one grandchild. [1][2]
[edit] Education and early career
Israel attended Middle Georgia College in Cochran and the University of Georgia in Athens. He began his career as an underwriter for the life, health and accident insurance industry.[1][2] In 1975, he made a sudden announcement to his family that he planned to run for a seat on the Macon City Council. Israel went door-to-door in his district to gain support for his run. A conservative Republican in Jimmy Carter's Georgia, Israel's run for city council seemed a long shot, but he won the seat.[1]
[edit] Political career
Just four years after winning his first election, Israel was elected mayor of Macon in 1979, the second Republican to have won the position, the first having been the flamboyant Ronnie Thompson in 1967. Israel's success has often been attributed to the beginnings of the growth of the Reagan coalition in Georgia and the rest of the American South. He served as the state chairman of Ronald Reagan's reelection campaign and was himself reelected to the mayoral post in Macon in 1984. Israel's reelection was considerably achieved more on his merits and successes in his first term than was his first election. As a mayor, he was known for his fiscal conservatism, integrity and bi-partisan attitude. [1][3]
At the end of his second term as mayor in 1987, Israel was considered a serious contender for governor of Georgia. However, Israel instead decided to return to the business sector.[1][3]
[edit] Business career
Following his retirement from politics, Israel became president and CEO of the Potomac Corporation, a European venture capital firm. From 1990 to 1994 he served as CEO of Fickling and Walker, a real estate company, and in 1994 he left to become CEO of the privately-held Secure Health Plans of Georgia. Israel currently sits on the board of directors for YKK. He was appointed chairman and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 2002 and is the current holder of the post.[1][2][3]
Israel has also served as chair of the Macon Chamber of Commerce and the Macon Economic Development Commission, and has also several other business and community leadership committees. He has been appointed to several state advisory boards including State of Georgia Commission on Privatization, the Georgia Military Affairs Committee and the Southern Growth Policies Board.[2][4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Coppola, Vincent. "The Gospel According To George Israel", Georgia Trend, January 2006. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ a b c d George Israel Biography. American Justice Partnership. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ a b c Grillo, Jerry; Susan Percy, Shannon Wilder, Ben Young, Michele Cohen Marill, Krista Reese. "20 Years, 20 Leaders", Georgia Trend, September 2005. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ Office of the Governor (2003-08-22). "Governor Perdue Swears in Military Affairs Coordinating Committee". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
|
|||||||
