Sandra Deal has centered her life around matters involving family and children in her roles as mother, grandmother, teacher, and volunteer in her church. Mrs. Deal, like her husband, was born to parents who both chose teaching as a profession. Graduating from what is now Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Mrs. Deal followed in the footsteps of her parents and became a teacher.
Mrs. Deal often says, “As a teacher, I didn’t just teach to one child. I taught every student in the class” and that is Sandra Deal’s approach to her platform as First Lady, “With a Servant’s Heart”. Volunteerism, community involvement and outreach are the foundation of “With a Servant’s Heart”. “When we reach out to become involved in helping mold a new beginning for another person, we bring hope for that individual and we in turn receive joy. My goal is that every Georgian, no matter the background or circumstance, commit to creating awareness for the importance of volunteerism by allowing one’s actions to speak louder than words, give with a servant’s heart.”
Mrs. Deal was born in Gainesville, Ga. As a student at what was then called Georgia State College for Women, a friend set her up on a blind date with a college student from nearby Mercer University, the future Governor Nathan Deal. The Deals have been married since 1966 and have four grown children and six grandchildren. They are members of First Baptist Church in Gainesville.