Jason Shepherd will work hard as our State Representative, but then, Jason Shepherd is no stranger to hard work.

Jason and his younger brother were raised by their single mother. There were many times when they had to get by with less, and Jason hasn't lost the lessons he learned about how difficult it is for single parent families to get by. Jason's mother worked hard and instilled in her children that same work ethic, along with the encouragement to dream big. She taught her children that in this nation we are only limited by how hard we are willing to work and what sacrifices we are willing to make. Jason worked hard, both in class and at his after school job earning both the HOPE Scholarship and an academic scholarship to the University of Georgia. At UGA, he continued to work hard, earning the money to pay his way through college and in the classroom, finishing his four year degree in only three years. As our Representative, Jason will work every day to protect the HOPE Scholarship for generations to come, so every child in Georgia has the same opportunity to attend college. After college, Jason was offered a job with House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign staff. Jason worked for the Speaker during his last year in office. After Gingrich's resignation from Congress, Jason became Marketing Director for a Marietta law firm. Jason spent seven years working for the people of the State of Georgia in both the Department of Insurance and the Department of Community Affairs. At the Department of Insurance, Jason's duties took him across Georgia teaching Georgia school children about the importance of fire safety, talking with pastors after church arsons, and helping families pick themselves back up and start to rebuild their lives just hours after a natural disaster. In 2007, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) recognized Jason's efforts as part of its statewide disaster management team as severe weather and tornadoes ravaged our state. At the Department of Community Affairs, Jason worked with community and civic leaders on economic development, helping our small towns create market based approaches to revitalize downtown areas. During much of that time, Jason was also working to put his wife, Manuela, through Kennesaw State to earn her teaching degree while he also went to law school at night. Currently, Jason is an independent business owner advising clients on public relations and using technology to reach new business. He has won two national awards for his website designs and one national award for newsletter writing. Jason firmly believes in giving back to this community. He has used his legal training, volunteering hundreds of pro-bono hours to the Cobb County Solicitor General's Office, prosecuting criminal offenses. He has also spoken to Cobb County high school students as part of the John Collins Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution's program to educate the next generation of Georgia citizens on our founding principles. Jason is active in the Atlanta Press Club, The University of Georgia Alumni Association, the Marietta Kiwanis Club, the Atlanta Federalist Society, and is a President’s Club member of the Heritage Foundation. Jason and Manuela are members of Riverstone Church in Marietta. They live in Westbrooke subdivision. Click here to download high resolution head shot.