Commissioner Gloria Gaines
Dougherty County Commissioner Gloria Gaines’ journey of service began in her hometown of Dougherty County, where she was elected in 2008 to represent District 5 on the Dougherty County Commission.
Today, as chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, she continues to champion projects that strengthen neighborhoods and create lasting opportunities.
Over the years, Gaines has led efforts to expand the Robert Cross Park event center, clear blighted properties, and ensure fair negotiations with the City of Albany on LOST and SPLOST funding. She has represented Dougherty County on the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission and helped guide the county through two redistricting processes alongside the Dougherty County School Board.
Her career path reflects the same commitment to service. Gaines rose to leadership as assistant general manager and vice president at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), later retiring after a decade with Atkins/SNL Engineering. Earlier, she worked with Albany civil rights attorney C. B. King, New Communities, Inc., and Congressman John Lewis, experiences that grounded her in advocacy and justice. She even spent time in Nigeria as a campus planner, broadening her perspective on community development.
Beyond public service, Gaines has always been drawn to the written word. For six years she volunteered as editor of the Historic Albany Southwest Georgian newspaper, and in 2024 she edited and published a memoir by Thandi Luthuli Gcabashe, daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Chief Albert Luthuli, titled THANDI: Liberation, My Struggle for South Africa as an Exile in America.
A proud graduate of Albany State University with a bachelor’s degree and Georgia State University with a master’s degree, Commissioner Gaines is also a devoted member of Historic Second Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Address
PO Box 1827
Albany, GA 31702