Mills officially launches campaign for Georgia Secretary of State
P articipates in series of “Georgia job creation” events

Atlanta, GA (November 18, 2009) – Michael Mills officially launched his campaign for Georgia Secretary of State with a series of events demonstrating his commitment to “a new way forward” on jobs. Mills has deep experience in politics, elections and public policy, which he is leveraging to bring a new attitude of action over administration to the office.

“I’m excited to officially launch our campaign today after spending several months listening to Georgians in every corner of the state,” said Mills. “They helped to solidify our vision for ‘a new way forward,’ which isn’t just a campaign slogan, it’s a vision for inspiring and empowering people to participate in our government and creating a government that works for people,” he said. 

Mills decided to enter the race because Georgia has been a place of tremendous prosperity and opportunity – the engine of the “new south.” But the bills of this growth and success have now come due. And new leadership is needed to tackle these tough issues, delivered in a manner based on inspiration and vision to usher in a brighter future for all Georgians.

Georgians need a state government that helps them dream about a brighter future, while providing the basic resources to make those aspirations possible. That’s why as secretary of state Mills will focus on:
· Building a Georgia that allows citizens to have a voice, become prosperous and is a place we can all be proud to call home
· Ensuring the security of Georgia’s election system while limiting unnecessary barriers to voting for all eligible citizens
· Creating a “small business administration” within the Corporations Division to grow jobs and revenue by supporting small businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurs
· Protecting citizens against financial ruin and fraud through the professional Licensing and Securities Divisions

Mills’ professional and civic experience fall into three areas of service that uniquely position him to lead the office in a new, people-focused direction:
· Political: legislative aide to Secretary of State Lewis Massey and press secretary for Mark Taylor
· Elections: launched a non-profit to improve educated civic participation, especially voting. The community organizing work activated citizens but also identified the problems with our election systems – he wrote a book about it called “Battling Democracy’s Decline”
· Business and public policy: worked for small businesses and one of the world’s largest companies, tackling tough public policy issues – the environment, health care and job creation

All of Mills’ experiences share the common elements of bringing people together to tackle tough issues, while empowering and inspiring them to action. And it’s these core elements that are required to create his vision of “a new way to govern.”

“We must develop common sense solutions to address the needs of all Georgians, which is why I will campaign across every corner of the state through the July Democratic Primary, asking ‘what’s your Georgia,’ to earn voter support, ideas for improving government and citizen commitment to our movement of ‘a new way forward,’” said Mills.

Mills kickoff agenda includes the following activities (contact Andy for specific details):
8:00 a.m., Atlanta Small business roundtable: discussion of small business needs, challenges interacting with the secretary of state’s office and solutions for growing jobs across Georgia

10:00 a.m., Atlanta Non-Profit Roundtable: conversation about the hurdles non-profit and community groups face in tough economic times, challenges interacting with the state and solutions for supporting these organizations

2:00 p.m., Ringgold Corporate sustainability announcement: press conference by OSA, Inc. to announce its Collaborative Integrated Resource Planning Study, examining the regions energy needs and solutions, and the likely jobs created in the process

6:30 p.m., Atlanta Kickoff Celebration Fundraiser: a reception celebrating the campaign launch, with Michael outlining his vision for Georgia