Personal Information

• Married with one child
• Baptist
• Educator
• B.A. Lemoyne-Owen College 1971
• President Emeritus of National Black Caucus of State Legislators
• Delta Sigma Theta sorority

Community Involvement

• State Legislative Leaders Foundation
• NAACP
• P.U.S.H.
• N.O.B.L.E.
• Memphis Chapter of LINKS
• First African-American woman elected to House of Representatives from city of Memphis
• First woman chairperson of the Shelby County Delegation
• First African-American woman elected speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives
• Founder and chairperson of Annual Legislative Retreat of Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators

Current Session

• Bills Sponsored and Co-sponsored

Staff Contacts

• Denise Sims

Service in Public Office

• House member of the 88th through 108th General Assemblies
• House Speaker Pro Tempore 95th through 106th General Assemblies
• Member, House Education Committee
• Member, House Finance, Ways and Means Committee
• Member, House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee
• Chairman Special Committee to Study Integration of Ex-Offenders into Mainstream of Society
• Governor's Juvenile Justice Reform Commission member
• House Committee to Study School Safety Issues
• Governor's Minority Business Development Advisory Committee