Senator Ross Tolleson (R-Perry) today announced that he will be retiring from the Georgia State Senate effective November 1st.  Senator Tolleson has represented District 20, which includes all of Bleckley, Laurens and Pulaski counties as well as most of Houston County since 2003.  He also announced that he has been diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s and will devote his attention to confronting that challenge and focusing on his family.
 
“Representing the people of Middle Georgia has been an honor and a privilege for which I will always be grateful,” said Tolleson.  “While I may be retiring from the State Senate, I look forward to continuing to be involved in strengthening our communities and spending quality time with family and friends.  Serving the place your family has called home for generations is an incredible experience and there wasn’t a day I didn’t give thanks for the opportunity to strengthen our state and change lives for the better.  This diagnosis was a disappointment, but I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge and will meet it head on.”
 
Senator Tolleson currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Rules Committee, as Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-Committee on Natural Resources, and as a member of the Transportation Committee.  He is also a leader nationally on water and energy issues, serving on the NCSL Energy and Environment Committee as well as a member of the Southeastern Energy Board.
 
“Ross is not only a respected member of the State Senate, he is an individual I am proud to call a friend,” said Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.  “He is one of the hardest working members of the Senate and is widely known to be the first member to arrive in the morning – often before others even got out of bed.  His passion for service and Middle Georgia came through in everything he did.  And all of us know how deeply he loves Sally, Tripp, Ansley, and Kelly.  While we will miss him here in the Senate, I know he looks forward to spending time with them.”