Sarah-Elizabeth Langford

Sarah-Elizabeth Langford Reed (born September 28, 1979) is a real estate developer. She is the wife of the 59th and current Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, and the First Lady of the City of Atlanta. As an Atlanta native, she is a graduate of Pace Academy where she attended kindergarten through 12th grade.[1] She then graduated from the University of Michigan in 2000 with a degree in French and received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 2003. The daughter of two strong public servants, her late father Senator Arthur Langford Jr. was a minister and a Georgia State Senator and her mother an attorney and prominent community leader.[2]

Sarah-Elizabeth currently consults with real estate developers on affordable and supportive housing projects.[2] While in law school, she worked for United States Congressman John Lewis and later traveled to Paris, France to work at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie.[3] After law school, she worked for the D.C. Office of General Counsel for five years and later as an affordable housing developer for National Church Residences for eight years.[4]

As First Lady, she champions early childhood education initiatives and family and youth mentoring programs. As a result of her work in affordable housing, she is also knowledgeable about and interested in addressing the challenges and need for housing and essential services for the homeless.

Sarah-Elizabeth knew her husband for over 15 years before marrying and campaigned with him as early as 1998 when he was elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives. Shortly thereafter, he was elected to the Senate where he held the same seat (35th district) previously held by her late father.

As a fluent French speaker, Sarah-Elizabeth has spent time traveling Europe, Asia and Africa and lived and worked in France. In 2001 she served as the District of Columbia Cherry Blossom Princess and then later competed in both the Miss America and Miss USA pageants. Sarah-Elizabeth also won $50,000 on the NBC hit show Fear Factor and donated half of the prize to UYAC, a youth mentoring organization.[5] She is an advocate for the arts and serves on boards including the Atlanta Children's Museum and the nonprofit BIH.

She and her husband have one daughter, Maria Kristan Reed.[6] As the wife of a mayor and daughter of a preacher and politician, she has become a role model for women, and an advocate for children, family and poverty awareness.

Notes

  1. ↑ "NewsBank for AJC".
  2. 1 2 http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/atlantas-future-first-lady-perfect-for-this-friend/nfSBn/
  3. ↑ "Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia, 5th) - Staff salaries from LegiStorm".
  4. ↑ http://www.dcop.dc.gov/dcop/cwp/view,a,1221,q,616605,dcopNav_GID,1518.asp New Cohort of Capital City Fellows Begins
  5. ↑ "Sarah-Elizabeth Langford - National Church Residences - ZoomInfo.com".
  6. ↑ "AJC Homepage".

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External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Marshawn Evans		 Miss District of Columbia
2003 		Succeeded by
Lisa Ferris
Preceded by
Tiara Dews		 Miss District of Columbia USA
2005 		Succeeded by
Candace Allen
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