--- title: HR 902. Willis, Michelle Taylor; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr902 cite_as: HR 902, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr902 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr902.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr902/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71961 date: 2025-03-31 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/hr901.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr903.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr902.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 902 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-31 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Eric Bell - Park Cannon - Inga Willis - Betsy Holland - Dexter Sharper text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR902/2025 upstream_id: 2017642 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Georgia House of Representatives - South Fulton community - Atlanta business leaders --- # HR 902. Willis, Michelle Taylor; honor ## Text 25 LC 112 3583 House Resolution 902 By: Representatives Bell of the 75 th, Cannon of the 58th, Willis of the 55 th, Holland of the 54th, and Sharper of the 177th A RESOLUTION Honoring Michelle Taylor Willis; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Michelle Taylor Willis is a distinguished graduate of the University of Florida2 and an award-winning media executive, author, speaker, actress, and master strategist whose3 leadership and innovation have shaped the media landscape; and4 WHEREAS, she is the Founder and CEO of Gagnant Media and the Pu blisher of SoFu5 Lifestyle Magazine, a platform that has been awarded "Publication of the Year" three times6 and has received numerous accolades for its contributions to the Atlanta community; and7 WHEREAS, her achievements have earned her recognition as one of the "Top 25 Most8 Powerful Women in Atlanta," "Top 25 Most Extraordinary Atlantan s," and placement on9 multiple "Top 100" lists in Georgia, cementing her reputation as a transformative leader; and10 WHEREAS, Michelle's book, Raising Significance: A Guide to Well-Rounded, Independent,11 and Confident Kids, gained national attention and was featured on The Tamron Hall Show,12 furthering her impact in education and parenting; and13 H. R. 902 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3583 WHEREAS, she is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and has tirelessly14 worked to uplift and promote the South Fulton community, even coining and trademarking15 the term SoFu®, which represents the eight cities of South Fulton County; and16 WHEREAS, in recognition of her dedication, she was honored with a proclamation declaring17 February 18, 2021, as "Michelle Taylor Willis Day" in the City of South Fulton as well as18 a resolution from the State of Georgia and a proclamation as an "Outstanding Georgia19 Citizen" by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; and20 WHEREAS, on November 18, 2021, Senator Lester Jackson and Lieutenant Governor Geoff21 Duncan recognized her invaluable contributions by declaring "Michelle Taylor Willis Day"22 at the Georgia State Capitol in acknowledgment of her work in b usiness and community23 development; and24 WHEREAS, she has served in numerous leadership roles, including Vice Chair of the25 Atlanta-Fulton Library Foundation Board, past Secretary for the Morris Brown College26 Foundation, past President of the United Way Advisory Board Sou th Fulton, and past27 President of the Théâtre du Rêve Board of Directors, demonstrating a lifelong commitment28 to service; and29 WHEREAS, Michelle's talents extend beyond business and community leadership into the30 arts, where she debuted as an actress in 2019 and was awarded the "Emerging Star for Best31 Actress" award in 2023 from the Radio and Records Organization; and32 WHEREAS, she has been a sought-after speaker, panelist, and mod erator for national33 organizations such as the National Urban League, Blacks in Tech, National Bar Association,34 H. R. 902 - 2 - 25 LC 112 3583 Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, United Way, and the University of North35 Carolina, amplifying her voice and expertise on a national stage; and36 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding achievements and lasting37 contributions of Michelle Taylor Willis be appropriately recognized and celebrated.38 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that39 the members of this body honor Michelle Taylor Willis for her e xemplary leadership,40 entrepreneurial spirit, and unwavering commitment to the advancement of her community41 and beyond as well as extend best wishes for continued success.42 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized43 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution ava ilable for distribution to44 Michelle Taylor Willis.45 H. R. 902 - 3 - ## 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 honors Michelle Taylor Willis, an Atlanta-area media executive and author, for her business, community, and civic contributions. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia House of Representatives recognizing Michelle Taylor Willis, founder and CEO of Gagnant Media and publisher of SoFu Lifestyle Magazine. The resolution lists her professional achievements, including awards for her magazine, her book on parenting, her acting career, and her leadership roles on several nonprofit and community boards in the Atlanta and South Fulton area. The resolution does not create any new law, funding, or requirement. It simply states that the House of Representatives honors her for her leadership and community work, and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. ### What it does - Formally honors Michelle Taylor Willis on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives for her business and community achievements. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Willis. - Does not change any Georgia statute, create funding, or impose any new legal requirement. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Michelle Taylor Willis. It has no legal effect on the general public, businesses, or government agencies, since it is a ceremonial statement rather than a change to law. ### Why it matters Resolutions like this one carry no legal or financial effect; they serve as an official, public recognition by the state legislature. Its practical significance is symbolic, providing formal acknowledgment of an individual's community and professional contributions rather than changing anyone's rights or obligations. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Willis's career, including her role as founder of Gagnant Media and publisher of SoFu Lifestyle Magazine. - The resolved clause states that the House of Representatives honors Willis for her leadership and community commitment and wishes her continued success. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Willis. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-31) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-31) - Sponsors: Eric Bell, Park Cannon, Inga Willis, Betsy Holland, Dexter Sharper - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71961 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr902.md?full=1