ATLANTA — Keisha Sean Waites plans to step down from the Atlanta City Council to run for another position.
Waites confirmed with 11Alive on Monday that she is vacating her council seat on Friday, March 8, at noon to run for the Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts. The current clerk serving in that position is Ché Alexander, who was sworn in last June after Cathelene "Tina" Robinson retired following 50 years of service to Fulton County.
In Waites current position, she has represented all Atlanta neighborhoods as the Post 3 At-Large council member. She was elected as a council member in 2021 and has advocated for different policies like a new ordinance to require apartment complexes in the city to have a comprehensive security plan, proposing a curfew for teens and sponsoring an ordinance that examines teaching Atlanta race history.
During Monday's city council meeting, Waites announced her departure from the role, expressed her appreciation and said the position was a highlight of her career.
"Together, we've achieved remarkable milestones, and I'm immensely proud of our accomplishments. As I embark on this new chapter, I am filled with hope and optimism for the future," she said. "Together, let us continue to work tirelessly to build a brighter and more prosperous future for all."
According to the council's website, before she was a council member, Waites served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives. She represented District 60, which included southeast Atlanta, Hapeville, Forest Park, East Point and College Park.
During this time, she served on the public safety committee and the transportation committee. She was also a member of the Juvenile Justice Committee and has spent time working to eradicate poverty and provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth. She also authored House Bill 54, known as the "Fallen Hero" Bill, to support families by providing tuition assistance to children of law enforcement who were killed in the line of duty.
In general, Waites has 15 years of emergency management and senior leadership experience at the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to her council biography. During her time with FEMA, she managed recovery and response operations for 27 federally declared disasters, which included Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Katrina.
The Atlanta native graduated with a political science degree at Georgia Southern University. She is also an alumna of the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators and Georgia Legislative Leadership at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia and the Legislative Health Police Certification Program at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.
11Alive has reached out to the city to inquire about next steps to fill Waites' position.