About ​Sen. ​Renee Unterman

2012
Georgia-ALFA 
Legislator of the Year Award

Sen. Renee Unterman

Renee Unterman, throughout her service of 22 years as a public servant on the local and state government level, she has focused on health and social law, consumer issues, and has given special attention to the young and vulnerable, as well as the elderly citizens of Georgia. With each legislative session, Sen. Unterman has championed legislation that has sought to end the sexual exploitation of minors. She continues to fight for a change in Georgia law that will view those children forced into prostitution as the victim and not a criminal.

Also an advocate of public health, Sen. Unterman has twice been named a “Public Health Hero” by the Georgia Public Health Association (GPHA). GPHA President Russ Toal has cited her dedication to a healthy population with a pragmatic approach to lawmaking as one of the numerous reasons for honoring her with this distinguished title. She has been a devoted contributor to the Aging Services of Georgia which is a statewide association that represents numerous non-profit organizations.
Sen. Unterman assists this group as they seek to provide quality housing, health care, and community based services that many Georgians depend on in the latter stages of their lives. Over the past several years, Sen. Unterman has lead a concerted effort to reduce metal theft in Georgia, and has worked to support the adoption of several pieces of anti-metal theft legislation, including SB321, SB203 and SB82. With the establishment of her two private charitable organizations, Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services and Aid Gwinnett, she remains committed to serving the needs of senior citizens and those families and individuals who are affected by the AIDS virus.

Sen. Unterman grew up in Gwinnett County and graduated from Berkmar High School. She earned her Nursing Degree at Georgia State University and trained at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Georgia, as a clinically trained social worker. After graduation, she worked as an emergency room and critical care nurse.
First elected as the Mayor of Loganville, Georgia, she then went on to serve four years as a Gwinnett County Commissioner. She served as Chairman of the National Association of State Legislature’s Committee on Human Welfare, Honorary Chairman on the Hunger Initiative, and has been a member of the American Legislative Exchange Committee for many years, serving on the Health Committee. Sen. Unterman has always demonstrated strong pro-life, conservative family values.

Sen. Unterman now serves as Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee and Vice Chairman of Appropriations. She is also a member of the Rules, Assignments, Administrative Affairs and the Insurance and Labor committee. She also co-chairs the Behavioral Caucus and Women’s Legislative Caucus. Sen. Unterman continues to serve her community as the chair of the Lake Lanier Caucus. She represents the 45th Senate District, which include portions of Gwinnett County.
She is a native Georgian and has lived in Gwinnett for many years, currently residing in Buford with her husband Phil.