--- title: SR 1052. Cottrell, Don Michael "Mike"; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr1052 cite_as: SR 1052, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1052 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1052.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1052/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74496 date: 2026-03-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 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/sr1051.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1053.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1052.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 1052 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-27 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Steve Gooch - Drew Echols - Max Burns - Bo Hatchett text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR1052/2025 upstream_id: 2138469 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - North Georgia business - University of North Georgia - Lumpkin County --- # SR 1052. Cottrell, Don Michael "Mike"; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 1052 By: Senators Gooch of the 51st, Echols of the 49th, Burns of the 23rd and Hatchett of the 50th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and honoring the life and memory of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell was born on January 3, 1953, in Vohburg, Germany, the eldest of five children of Don and Connie Cottrell, and passed away on February 25, 2026, at his home in Dahlonega, Georgia; and WHEREAS, Mr. Cottrell proudly served his country in the United States Air Force Reserves and thereafter began his professional career working alongside his father at Cottrell, Incorporated, in Gainesville, Georgia, where he helped design innovative truck transports and develop the company into a leader in the car-hauling industry; and WHEREAS, in 1987, he purchased Cottrell, Incorporated, and through his leadership and entrepreneurial vision expanded the company's reach, acquiring a major competitor within a decade and initiating international sales in 1999; and WHEREAS, Mr. Cottrell was widely respected as a leading entrepreneur in the North Georgia region whose business success strengthened the local economy and created opportunities for countless workers and families; and WHEREAS, he was also deeply committed to civic and community service, serving as chairman of the Lumpkin County Development Authority, vice chairman of the Lumpkin County Water and Sewerage Authority, and a member of the board of directors of United Community Bank of Dahlonega, and he was appointed to the State Board of Economic Development in 2008 by Governor Sonny Perdue; and WHEREAS, a dedicated supporter of education and opportunity, Mr. Cottrell made transformational contributions to the University of North Georgia, leading to the naming of the Mike Cottrell College of Business in recognition of his generosity and commitment to student success; and WHEREAS, his gifts to the university have provided scholarships for students, supported internships and international study tours, funded faculty research and professional development, established the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and provided a permanent home for the Mike Cottrell College of Business on campus; and WHEREAS, Mr. Cottrell faithfully served as a trustee emeritus of the University of North Georgia Foundation, co-chairman of Living Our Values: The Campaign for North Georgia, and former vice chairman of the advisory council for the Mike Cottrell College of Business, receiving numerous honors for his philanthropy, including an honorary doctorate; and WHEREAS, he was also a devoted supporter of Junior Achievement and served as the lead investor in the first Junior Achievement Discovery Center located outside of Metro Atlanta, and in recognition of their generosity, he and his wife, Lynn, were honored as Philanthropists of the Year in 2008 by the North Georgia Community Foundation; and WHEREAS, a devoted family man and outdoorsman, Mr. Cottrell enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, traveling, and spending time in nature with family and friends, and he is survived by his wife, Lynn Cottrell; his children, Merri Kris Cottrell Wayne (Daren), Michael D. Cottrell (Kim), DJ Cottrell (Meghan), Dakota Cottrell-Graham (Levi), and Kayla Cottrell; his sisters, Christine Cottrell, Terry Leming (Derrick), and Kathy Moore (Chuck); his beloved grandchildren; and many nieces and nephew. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and honor the life and memory of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell and extend their deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his remarkable life. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell. ## 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 Senate resolution honors the life of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell, a Dahlonega businessman and philanthropist who died in February 2026, and expresses condolences to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate recognizing the life of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell, who led Cottrell, Incorporated, a Gainesville truck transport company, and served the North Georgia community through several civic and philanthropic roles. It recounts his military service, his business career, his local government service, and his major gifts to the University of North Georgia, including the naming of the Mike Cottrell College of Business. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally states the Senate's recognition of Cottrell's life and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to his family as a gesture of condolence. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and honors the life and memory of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell through an official Senate resolution. - Extends the Senate's sympathy to Cottrell's family, friends, and community. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Cottrell's family. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and affects the family of Don Michael "Mike" Cottrell, including his wife, children, sisters, and grandchildren, as well as institutions connected to his life such as the University of North Georgia and Cottrell, Incorporated. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect, it provides an official public record of the Georgia Senate honoring Cottrell's business and philanthropic contributions and offers his family a formal expression of the legislature's condolences. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Cottrell's birth, military service, business career at Cottrell, Incorporated, and civic and philanthropic contributions. - The first resolving clause states the Senate's recognition of Cottrell's life and extends sympathy to his family and community. - The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Cottrell's family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-27) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-27) - Sponsors: Steve Gooch, Drew Echols, Max Burns, Bo Hatchett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74496 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr1052.md?full=1