Michelle Schreiner

Michelle Schreiner earned a high school diploma from Wheeler HIgh School; bachelor's and graduate degrees and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 2000, 2002, and 2005, respectively. Schreiner's career experience includes working as a psychologist.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m an East Cobb mom, research psychologist, and former professor running to represent the community that helped shape me. Born in Puerto Rico, I grew up as the daughter of an Army Ranger. After moving often as a child, East Cobb became home. Georgia’s public schools, the HOPE Scholarship, and a Pell Grant opened doors that eventually led me to earn three degrees from the University of Georgia.

My career has taken me from the classroom to public service at the Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services, where I evaluated healthcare programs and worked to protect taxpayers from fraud, waste, and abuse. Today, I lead private sector research teams, helping organizations understand people’s needs and make better decisions.

I’ve served my community through zoning boards and nonprofit leadership. My husband, Mike, and I are now raising our twins in East Cobb. I’m running because I believe public service should be grounded in curiosity, integrity, evidence, empathy, and a commitment to the people you serve.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Strong public schools opened doors for me, and I want every child to have that same opportunity. I grew up in East Cobb and benefited from Georgia public schools, the HOPE Scholarship, and a Pell Grant before earning three degrees from UGA and becoming a professor. Now I’m raising twins in our local schools. My focus is making sure public schools have the resources to serve every student, supporting and retaining educators, expanding counselors and mental health resources, and ensuring accountability for public dollars.Healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and easier for families to navigate. At the Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services, I evaluated healthcare programs and worked to protect taxpayers from fraud, waste, and abuse. I want to use that experience to expand access to care, strengthen mental health services, make healthcare costs more transparent and predictable, and support families caring for children, aging parents, and loved ones with specialized needs.East Cobb families feel the effects of state decisions in everyday life, from household costs and utility bills to traffic, development, and the time it takes to get where we need to go. My local zoning service taught me that growth works best when communities plan ahead. As Georgia sees rapid growth in industries like data centers, we should understand the demands on our power grid, water, and infrastructure and make sure communities and ratepayers aren’t left absorbing the costs. I want Georgia to support good jobs and economic growth while making sure roads, schools, utilities, and other public systems keep pace and protecting the neighborhoods people call home.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m especially passionate about public education, healthcare, support for families and caregivers, responsible growth, and accountable government. These issues are connected. Strong schools expand opportunity. Accessible healthcare and childcare help families stay stable. Thoughtful planning helps roads, schools, and utilities keep pace with growth. Across all of them, I bring the same approach I’ve used as a researcher and in federal oversight: listen to the people affected, examine the evidence, protect taxpayer dollars, measure results, and change course when something isn’t working.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father shaped much of how I think about service and responsibility. He was an Army Ranger, and growing up in a military family taught me resilience, adaptability, and that service is something you do, not something you simply talk about.

I’ve also been deeply influenced by the teachers, counselors, professors, and mentors who saw potential in me and opened doors at important moments in my life. Their example is part of why I believe so strongly in investing in people. We rarely know how far one act of encouragement or one opportunity will travel.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, curiosity, humility, empathy, and accountability. An elected official should listen before assuming they have the answer, seek out evidence, be willing to hear from people who disagree with them, and explain their decisions honestly.

My career as a research psychologist has taught me that good decisions begin with good questions. Public officials also need the humility to evaluate whether a policy is actually working and the courage to change course when the evidence says it is not.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

A state representative should listen to the people they represent, understand how proposed laws will affect their communities, and make informed decisions about the state’s priorities and resources.

The job also requires oversight. Legislators should ask whether programs are delivering the results taxpayers were promised, identify unintended consequences, and make changes when something is not working. Just as importantly, constituents should be able to reach their representative and understand what is happening at the Capitol and why.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope my children can look back and know that I used the opportunities I was given to create opportunities for other people.

My own life was changed by people and public institutions that invested in me: teachers who encouraged me, public schools that educated me, and financial aid that made college possible. I want to help build a Georgia where a child’s circumstances do not determine the limits of what they can become.

I’d also like to leave public service a little more grounded in listening, evidence, accountability, and our shared humanity than I found it.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was waiting tables at Pizza Hut while I was a student at Wheeler High School. I have fond memories of working there and getting to know people in our community. I saved money from that job to buy my first car, a little red Honda Civic hatchback with a stick shift. The Pizza Hut is a car wash now, but I still think about that first job and the independence it gave me.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign has been endorsed by EMILY’s List, Georgia WIN List, States Win, The First Ask, Fair Fight, GALEO Impact Fund, Georgia Working Families Party, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Conservation Voters of Georgia.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

September 11, 2001. I was in graduate school at the time, and I remember how disorienting that day felt. People around me were crying, frightened, and trying to understand what had happened.

One memory that has stayed with me is of an undergraduate student who worked in our lab, Mena. Amid everything else happening that day, she expressed fear about the Islamophobia and backlash that might follow. Sadly, her concern proved well founded.

I remember the tragedy and grief of September 11, but I also remember that conversation. It has stayed with me as a reminder to pay attention to whose fears we hear, especially during moments of fear and uncertainty.

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