Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Guv'ment / Enviro Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield won't seek re-election, will lead eco-legal firm
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 11:25 AM
An outdoors enthusiast and nature lover, Benfield has been a vocal environmental advocate during her 14 years as a member of the Georgia House’s Natural Resource Committee. Her commitment to clean water and clean air issues grew even stronger after her son was diagnosed with asthma. “When I learned that Robert has asthma, it really hit home that pollution can hurt our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said Benfield. “For the past 20 years, GreenLaw has been a leader in protecting Georgians from pollution, and I am excited to be able to focus my attention on cleaning up our air and water for our families.”“Stephanie was picked from an impressive pool of candidates due to her outstanding legal and public service credentials,” said Greg Presmanes, Chairman of GreenLaw’s Board of Directors. She received both an undergraduate and law degree from the University of Georgia. She graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1992. Benfield served as a public defender and then went into private practice before being elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1999. Benfield was given the Outstanding Lawyer in Public Service Award by the Atlanta Bar Association in 2011.
Stuckey Benfield replaces Justine Thompson, the quick-witted and straight-talking attorney who led GreenLaw in a successful 10-year battle against a proposed southwest Georgia coal power plant. She's moving to Florida to be closer to her family but will remain a staff attorney.
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
Did she really have a choice? I think she got screwed in redistricting and would have to run against Howard Mosby.
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Well GreenLaw is a great group, so she moves from being an uber minority party part time representative to a hopefully effective and needed organization attempting to protect against “tragedy of the commons” , which is desperately needed in a State where the government has shirked that responsibility.
Her intelligenge and influence has been stomped down more and more each each year. I hate to lose her from her post. But, honestly, WHO can be effective anymore in GA government? I am a Democract, but I speak as a woman who cares about GA. Stephanie will shine in her new job and make a statement. One thing, Georgia will reap rewards from her now.
@ S.DeKalb Voter
All Democrats are equal, but some are more equal than others. She could be #1 in everything, but not get the votes needed to stay in office. It's all about fairness.
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