Senator Shelly Echols, a Republican, was elected to the Georgia Senate in 2022. She represents the 49th Senate District, which encompasses most of Hall County.
In the Senate, Sen. Echols serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting. She also serves as an Ex-Officio member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and a voting member of the Senate Committees on Education and Youth, Finance, Health and Human Services, and Administrative Affairs.
A Gainesville native, Sen. Echols attended Gainesville College and North Georgia College & State University (currently UNG), where she obtained her Bachelor of Science. She began her career as a high school social studies teacher before joining her father’s business, Daniel’s Charters, where she served as the Director of Human Services. In 2007, she started her own business, Daniel’s Educational Tours, which plans education-based field trips for schools across the state. In 2018, Sen. Echols was elected as the Hall County Commissioner for District 3, where she worked to increase worker pay and benefits and upgrade parks in the community.
Sen. Echols is active in her community, serving on the board of Choices Pregnancy Care Center in Gainesville as well as the Avita Community Partners Board of Directors.
She is married to Drew Echols, a farmer. They have two children: Chloe and Cohen.
