After 12 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, Jan Tankersley announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election to her District 160 seat.

She said she would serve the remainder of her current term in office, which will expire when the Georgia General Assembly convenes for the 2023 legislative session.

“I have been blessed to serve and I treasure every moment I’ve been able to serve my constituents and work with my colleagues in Atlanta,” Tankersley said in a phone interview Wednesday morning. “My almost 12 years in the Legislature have gone by in the blink of an eye. After much thought and prayer, I decided after 12 years here, 10 years as a Bulloch County commissioner and five years on the Brooklet City Council, it’s time to, God-willing, enjoy retirement with my husband Hughie in Brooklet.”

Tankersley was first elected as a Republican from Brooklet in 2010 in District 160, which serves portions of Bulloch and Bryan counties, and was re-elected five times. Among her assignments, she currently is chair of the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee.

“I am humbled and thankful for the confidence Bryan and Bulloch County residents have placed in me to represent their interests at the Capitol over the last decade as it has truly been an honor,” Tankersley said in a release from the House of Representatives. “One of the greatest honors I’ve had while working under the Gold Dome is serving the people I represent in my district and connecting constituents to the appropriate agencies or services to resolve their issues.

“Serving as the chair of the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee has also been a tremendous responsibility that I have always taken seriously, especially as we’ve seen a massive increase in the volume of bills moving through this committee. I am grateful to spend this final legislative session overseeing critical local legislation brought forth on behalf of our local governments.”

As the chair of the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee, Rep. Tankersley is tasked with shepherding all local legislation or bills that primarily affect only one political subdivision, such as a city or a county.

“Rep. Tankersley has been a great leader in our state,” said House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge). “In the House, she has built a reputation for fairness, honesty and hard work. The House is losing one of its best, and I am losing a valued chairman and a dear friend. I wish her and Hughie all the very best as they enjoy retirement together.”

In 2000, Tankersley was the first female elected to the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners, where she served for 10 years and served as the president of Association County Commissioners of Georgia.

She was elected to the Brooklet City Council in 1995 and 1999, and among her accolades is having been named as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” according to Georgia Trend Magazine