Gambill honored with Superintendent’s Impact Award

The Daily Tribune News | Rep. Matthew Gambill hasn’t been a legislator for two full weeks yet, and he’s already won a state award.

The newly inaugurated state representative from District 15 had barely begun finding his way around the Capitol when he was summoned to the Georgia Department of Education down the street last Thursday for what he thought was a meeting with State School Superintendent Richard Woods. 

Instead, he was going there to accept the fourth Superintendent’s Impact Award.

“I was totally surprised by the award and had no idea that Superintendent Woods was planning to recognize me,” Gambill said. “I originally thought I was going to the department to discuss education legislation. When I arrived, my wife [Danae] was there, along with several other friends and colleagues. It was such a humbling moment.”

Gambill, who was inaugurated last week as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, had previously led the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Association, where he advocated for career, technical and agricultural education programs in Georgia.

Woods called the freshman legislator “a great friend” to CTAE programs in the state.

“He understands the impact of these programs on our students’ futures and the health of our state’s workforce and can communicate their value as well as anyone I know,” Woods said in a press release. “Georgia’s CTAE program has seen great success in recent years – including an all-time high graduation rate of 96 percent for career pathway completers – and Matthew has been an integral part of that work. We will miss him as a CTAE leader but look forward to working with him as a member of the General Assembly.”
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Gambill, 37, said being honored with the award as a freshman representative “really means a lot, and I will never forget the generosity of Superintendent Woods.”

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