First Congressional District

Linda Zechmann describes herself as a full-time parent and professional parent volunteer. She believes that every child has the right to a quality education and that all of us – teachers, parents, and students – must work to achieve that goal. Her dedication has inspired her to virtually redefine parents’ roles in public education and given her a deep respect for education.

As a member of the Georgia State Board of Education, she chairs the Charter School Committee, and is a member of the Operations Committee. She also serves on the Joint Education Boards Education Committee.

While working as a paraprofessional in a middle school media center, she gained valuable perspective working directly with teachers and other school staff. She has organized volunteer parent groups and student academic clubs that challenge children to strive for academic excellence and encourage teachers to expect the same. She represented the RESA district in the Georgia Association for Gifted Children and served on the boards of the Waycross Middle School PTA and band boosters. She participates in the Buddies in Schools Mentoring Program, a partnership with Big Brother/Big Sisters, works with the youth at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, and is a member of Okefenokee Toastmasters.

Mrs. Zechmann and her husband, Dr. John Zechmann, have ongoing business partnerships with several school systems in rural Georgia through his optometry practice. Since 1981, they have lived in Waycross with their children, Michael and Stephanie.

A strong advocate for parental involvement, business partnerships, and mentoring programs, she is honored to serve on the Georgia State Board of Education.