Mary Parham-Copelan

Mary Parham-Copelan is a lifelong resident of Milledgeville and the city's first African American woman mayor, first elected in 2017. She graduated from Baldwin High School in 1985 and pursued further education at institutions including the Overview School of Nursing, Georgia College Continuing Education, Beulah Heights University, and American Bible College. Her diverse career includes roles as a correctional officer, a licensed Realtor, a school bus operator for the Baldwin County School District, and a Site Director for Foothills Charter School. Additionally, she is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Interdenominational Bible Church.