--- title: HR 695. Kelley, Councilwoman Dr. Melody; recipient of the 2025 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr695 cite_as: HR 695, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr695 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr695.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr695/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71580 date: 2025-03-21 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr694.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr696.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr695.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 695 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-21 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Shea Roberts - Betsy Holland - Long Tran - Deborah Silcox - Karen Lupton text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR695/2025 upstream_id: 2012786 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - legislative commendation - Sandy Springs - education - local government --- # HR 695. Kelley, Councilwoman Dr. Melody; recipient of the 2025 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award; commend ## Text 25 LC 112 3419 House Resolution 695 By: Representatives Roberts of the 52nd, Holland of the 54th, Tran of the 80th, Silcox of the 53rd, and Lupton of the 83rd A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley, reci pient of the 20251 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley has been honored with t he 2025 Georgia3 Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award in recognition of her remarkable perseverance,4 groundbreaking achievements, and unwavering commitment to uplifting her community; and5 WHEREAS, she made history as the first African American woman doctoral candidate in the6 chemistry department at the University of Alabama, where she co -founded the nationally7 recognized Graduate Parent Support Program to assist student pa rents navigating higher8 education, earning her doctorate in organic chemistry in 2014; and9 WHEREAS, after building a distinguished academic career, she became a tenured associate10 professor of chemistry at Georgia State University's Perimeter College and a STEM faculty11 associate at the GSU Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learnin g, and Online Education,12 where she has shaped the next generation of STEM leaders; and13 H. R. 695 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3419 WHEREAS, in 2016, she moved to Sandy Springs with her daughter, Kiara, and quickly14 became a dedicated advocate for education, serving on the PTO b oards of Sandy Springs15 Charter Middle School and North Springs High School; and16 WHEREAS, she is the driving force behind Georgia State Universi ty's Rising Panthers17 Program, which provides Sandy Springs K-12 students with immersive college experiences,18 encouraging underrepresented youth to pursue higher education; and19 WHEREAS, in 2021, she made history as the first African American person elected to the20 Sandy Springs City Council, where she has continued her commitment to equity, education,21 and civic engagement, serving as a powerful voice for her community; and22 WHEREAS, she spearheaded Sandy Springs' first Juneteenth Celebr ation in collaboration23 with the City of Dunwoody, bringing together communities in cultural appreciation; and24 WHEREAS, Dr. Melody Kelley exemplifies the true spirit of a Leg acy Builder, breaking25 historic barriers, advancing opportunities for others, and work ing to empower future26 generations.27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that28 the members of this body recognize and commend Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley on29 being named the recipient of the 2025 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award30 and extend best wishes for her continued success.31 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized32 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution ava ilable for distribution to33 Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley.34 H. R. 695 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends Sandy Springs Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley for receiving the 2025 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award and for her academic and civic achievements. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley after she received the 2025 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award. The text recounts her history as the first African American woman doctoral candidate in the chemistry department at the University of Alabama, her work co-founding a support program for student parents, her academic career at Georgia State University's Perimeter College, and her election as the first African American person on the Sandy Springs City Council. The resolution formally states that the House recognizes and commends her for the award and wishes her continued success. It also directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. The measure does not change any Georgia law; it is a ceremonial statement by the legislature. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley for receiving the 2025 Georgia Single Parent Fifth "Legacy Builders" Award. - Documents her academic history, including being the first African American woman doctoral candidate in chemistry at the University of Alabama. - Recounts her role in founding Georgia State University's Rising Panthers Program for K-12 students in Sandy Springs. - Notes her election as the first African American person on the Sandy Springs City Council in 2021. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare an official copy of the resolution for her. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Councilwoman Dr. Melody Kelley. It also references Sandy Springs city government, Georgia State University's Perimeter College, and the students involved in the Rising Panthers Program and local PTO boards she has served. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it puts the General Assembly's formal recognition on record for a local official's career achievements and community service in Sandy Springs. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe her academic and civic accomplishments, including earning her doctorate in organic chemistry in 2014 and becoming a tenured associate professor at Georgia State University's Perimeter College. - The resolved clause states the House recognizes and commends her for the 2025 award and wishes her continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-21) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-21) - Sponsors: Shea Roberts, Betsy Holland, Long Tran, Deborah Silcox, Karen Lupton - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71580 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr695.md?full=1