--- title: SR 965. Clemons, Chief Latosha; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr965 cite_as: SR 965, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr965 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr965.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr965/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74170 date: 2026-03-19 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/sr964.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr966.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr965.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 965 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-19 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sonya Halpern - Kenya Wicks - Nan Orrock - Gail Davenport text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR965/2025 upstream_id: 2135916 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - fire service - Forest Park - public administration - honorary resolution --- # SR 965. Clemons, Chief Latosha; honor ## Text Senate Resolution 965 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Wicks of the 34th, Orrock of the 36th and Davenport of the 17th A RESOLUTION Honoring Chief Latosha Clemons for her historic leadership, trailblazing service, and distinguished contributions to fire service and public administration; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Chief Latosha Clemons serves as the City of Forest Park's first African American woman Fire Chief, exemplifying professionalism, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to excellence in public service; and WHEREAS, with more than 25 years of fire service experience, Chief Clemons began her career in 1996 with the Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Department as the first African American woman in the department's history, marking the beginning of a pioneering and impactful career; and WHEREAS, Chief Clemons has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to education and leadership development, earning associate degrees in Emergency Medical Services and Fire Science, a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership, and a master's degree in Executive Management; and WHEREAS, Chief Clemons further strengthened her leadership capacity through advanced training, including the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, the National Fire Academy's four-year Executive Fire Officers Program in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and the Fire Service Development Program; and WHEREAS, Chief Clemons' professional service extends beyond operational leadership through active involvement in organizations such as the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, Women in Fire, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, where she serves as President of the South Palm Beach County Chapter; and WHEREAS, on August 18, 2025, Chief Clemons was appointed Interim City Manager by the Forest Park City Council, further reflecting the confidence placed in her leadership, experience, and vision; and WHEREAS, Chief Clemons' career reflects perseverance, resilience, and a commitment to uplifting communities, having navigated personal and financial challenges while continuing to pursue excellence in service and leadership; and WHEREAS, Chief Latosha Clemons' legacy stands as a testament to trailblazing leadership, determination, and service-driven impact, inspiring future generations of public servants. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor and commend Chief Latosha Clemons for her historic leadership, trailblazing achievements, and distinguished service in the fire service and public administration. 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 Chief Latosha Clemons. ## 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 Senate resolution honors Chief Latosha Clemons of Forest Park for her career in fire service and her recent role as interim city manager. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate recognizing Chief Latosha Clemons, who serves as the City of Forest Park's first African American woman Fire Chief. It recounts her more than 25 years in fire service, starting in 1996 with the Boynton Beach Fire Rescue Department, her degrees in emergency medical services, fire science, organizational leadership, and executive management, and her advanced training programs. The resolution also notes her involvement in professional organizations and her August 2025 appointment as interim City Manager of Forest Park. It does not change any Georgia law. The Senate resolves to honor and commend her, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide her with a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally honors and commends Chief Latosha Clemons for her career in fire service and public administration. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Chief Clemons. - Creates no new legal requirements, funding, or penalties, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a law. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Chief Latosha Clemons, Forest Park's Fire Chief and interim City Manager. It has no legal effect on other Georgians, agencies, or businesses. ### Why it matters This resolution carries no legal force and changes no Georgia law. Its practical effect is limited to the Senate's formal recognition of Chief Clemons and the ceremonial copy provided to her, marking a public acknowledgment of her career. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Chief Clemons' career history, education, professional affiliations, and her August 18, 2025 appointment as Interim City Manager of Forest Park. - The resolving clause states the Senate honors and commends her for her leadership and service. - A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-19) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-19) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Kenya Wicks, Nan Orrock, Gail Davenport - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74170 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr965.md?full=1