Born in Fayetteville, NC, Michael Murphy grew up in Washington, DC and is a graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School in northeast Washington. Michael went on to graduate from St. Louis University with a BS in Marketing. He has spent over 25 years in corporate America with Ford Marketing Corporation and Dunkin Donuts, Inc. where he was Purchasing Manager, Director of Quality Control and Director of Consumer Affairs before leaving the company to run for U.S. Congress in 1994 (MA-9).
Michael began his political career in 1985 where he decided to run for the Board of Health against a “townie” that was born and raised in the Commonwealth of Mass. He won the race by 76 votes and went on to serve three terms in the Town of Canton, MA. In 1990, he ran for the office of Governor’s Council and won every precinct against a well-known family name in politics.
Michael has extensive experience in environmental affairs. He was the Town of Canton’s representative to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Resource Recovery project. He ultimately recommended the town become a charter community in a similar project in Rochester, MA through the Energy Answers Corporation with its signing of a 20-year contract that saved the town over $400,000 per year for the life of the contract. He also was instrumental in getting Dunkin Donuts of America to use recycled content paper goods and environmental food packaging that resulted in raw material cost savings.
Michael came to the Atlanta area with a group of environmentally-dedicated business partners to start a recycling firm in Atlanta’s Empowerment Zone Area. After its closing in 1999, he elected to remain in Atlanta and started
managing political campaigns. Michael was president and general manager of Renewal Inc.
Michael had the pleasure and opportunity to be a part of the Presidential Delegation that went to Benin, Africa for the inauguration of President Sokolof as the country’s first chief executive in the democratic changeover from a prior Marxist regime.
Michael is past chairman of the Austell Community Task Force.
Currently, Michael serves as the Special Assistant to the Chairman for Special Projects for Cobb County, GA. Among the projects that he is addressing are affordable housing, homelessness, eviction diversion, and bank deserts.
Deborah Douglin — Children are her passion. Her motto is, “Geniuses are not born. They are created!”
For many years, she has worked with the children of family members and friends to teach, mentor, encourage, and lead them to become productive members of society.
Deborah has sacrificed many evenings, summers, and even stopped working for a number of years to devote herself to teach and care for children. She has provided a support base for numerous parents and children.
She is a native of Panama City, Panama, migrated to the United States at the tender young age of four. She grew up and attended school in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Samuel J. Tilden High School.
Deborah Douglin earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from American InterContinental University in which she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She is certified to teach the FDIC’s Money Smart © Adult and Youth Education programs. Deborah also has over twenty years experience in management and supervision. She has an extensive career in sales, including but not limited to: Mary Kay Cosmetics Sales Director and real estate sales.
In her spare time, Deborah has worked in the deaf community and has served on several boards and organizations including the Executive Board of the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired. She is also a member of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. Deborah believes that the most satisfying thing you can do in life is serve your community. She is a member of the Powder Springs Task Force, and the Austell Community Task Force. Deborah has partnered with several non-profit organizational community efforts. She serves annually on the Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway drives for Austell and Powder Springs.
Sonya Stegall resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter. Sonya earned an Associate of Applied Technology degree in Accounting at Chattahoochee Technical College. She graduated on the Dean’s List, Top 10% of her class and received an award for Outstanding Graduate in Accounting. Sonya is an Alumni of the National Technical Honor Society.
