Sandra Deal


Sandra Deal is an American education activist and former public school language arts teacher. As the wife of Georgia state's governor, Nathan Deal, she had served as the First Lady of the U.S. state of Georgia from 2011 to 2019.

Education

The daughter of educators, Emilie Sandra Dunagan grew up in Gainesville, Georgia. She is a two time graduate from Georgia College & State University. She received her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1963. She received her master's degree in elementary education in 1968.

Career

Before becoming the first lady of Georgia, Dunagan taught language arts at public schools for over 15 years, and retired as a sixth-grade middle-school teacher in Hall County, Georgia. As Georgia's first lady, she is known for advocating for literacy and education throughout the state, for which the Georgia Association of Broadcasters awarded her their 2016 "Georgian of the Year" award.
In 2015, her book Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion was published. Copies of the book were donated to every public library in the state of Georgia.
In 2016, she served as the keynote speaker at Georgia Gwinnett College's summer commencement.
In 2017, Georgia College & State University unveiled the . A state-funded educational institute, the center aims to provide professional development, or training, to early elementary teachers to improve the early language and literacy skills of Georgia's children by providing research-based professional development for organizations working with children from birth through age 8.

Personal life

Dunagan married Nathan Deal in 1966. She and Deal have four children: Jason, Mary Emily, Carrie, and Katie.
Sandra Deal was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2018. She completed radiation treatments in May 2018.