Served 17 years as a State Senator and was elected by his colleagues to the top leadership positions: caucus chairman, majority leader and, ultimately to the position of president pro tempore. He was a member of the General Assembly’s Criminal justice Improvement Council; the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority Overview Committee; Budgetary Responsibility Oversight Committee; Senate Task Force on Violence in the Media, Joint Senate-House Study Committee on School Construction; Stop Drugs at the Source Committee; and many others.

Married to Carol. Three children: Darren; Sharon; and Shannon.