06/12/2026
Get to know Adrienne for Georgia! She’s running as the democratic nominee in the SD7 Special Election Runoff against republican Azaiz Shaikh.
Check here to see if you live in senate district 7 : mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ and cast your vote today on this last day of early voting or Election Day 6/16.
You can Make Your Plan with our resource: tiny.cc/voteGwinnett
I didn't plan a career in public service. I planned a career in accounting & finance, and somewhere along the way, every opportunity I pursued brought me closer to the people and communities I care most about. Looking back, I think that was always the point.
1️⃣I started at Ernst & Young, right in the middle of one of the most consequential moments in modern accounting. Sarbanes-Oxley had just passed, and suddenly the integrity of financial systems, not just the numbers themselves. was under a microscope. I worked 80-hour weeks during busy season, managed teams under real pressure, earned my CPA, and came out the other side with a discipline and work ethic I carry to this day.
2️⃣Then came eight years at The Coca-Cola Company. and I loved every minute of it. I started in internal audit, traveling the world to examine how one of the most complex organizations on earth actually operated. Later I supported some of the best marketing teams anywhere, and got a front-row seat to what genuine leadership looks like. I watched women like Kathy Waller, Ingrid Saunders Jones, Wendy Clark, and Lisa Borders navigate enormous rooms with grace, authority, and purpose. I took notes.
3️⃣Board service opened my next door. Doug Shipman noticed my work as a board treasurer and recruited me to lead finance and operations at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in 2015. I came to bring financial discipline, and I did, but what I didn't expect was how much that chapter would shape me as a person. I helped coordinate some of the largest peaceful marches Atlanta had seen in years. I was immersed in civil and human rights culture at a moment when it felt urgent and alive. That experience lives in me.
4️⃣From there, another board role led me to Citizens Trust Bank, where I learned banking from the ground up at one of the country's most storied Black owned financial institutions. I helped process hundreds of PPP loans when families and small businesses needed help the most. I also learned something important about leadership, sometimes by watching what I didn't want to be, which taught me just as much as the examples I admired.
5️⃣And then, a bold and brilliant woman Ashley Carson, sat across from me and said: "Adrienne, I can transform you into a banker. You know numbers and people - you just need guidance on how to talk about banking solutions and how to structure loans."
She was right. And I haven't looked back.
Today I'm a Senior Vice President at SouthState Bank, focused on nonprofit relationship management . I help mission-driven organizations find the right financial tools to grow. I love my clients. I love my team. And I love that the work I do every day is connected to the communities I care about.
Running for Georgia State Senate District 7 feels like the natural next step in a career that has always been moving toward service.
I'm a 20-year Gwinnett County resident. I know this community. And I believe everything I've learned, every skill, every relationship, every hard season has been preparing me for this moment.
I'm not just running to hold a seat. I'm running to serve the people in it.
