About Elise
Elise Whitworth is prepared and ready to serve
on the Duluth City Council starting January 11, 2010
Elise Whitworth is a native Georgian, born in Atlanta and raised in Forest Park. After high school graduation, with $100 and a Greyhound bus ticket, she journeyed to Miami, Florida to attend college. Her first entrepreneur venture was a sole proprietorship business repairing manual typewriters, and progressed into more gainful employment in the banking and insurance industries. In 1976, she returned to Georgia and entered ministry as an adult educator and writer, supporting herself by working in the accounting field with profit and non-profit organizations (i.e., owned and operated a part-time bookkeeping service, served as a CFO, financial advisor, incorporator, and accounting software trainer).
Elise continued to broaden her perspective and education while working her way through college and graduate schools, earning a BA in psychology (MUA), M.Ed. in adult education (UGA), M.Div. from Emory University, and a doctorate from International Seminary. During these educational pursuits, she lived and worked in England for a year, and returned to the USA to help launch adult training centers and a master’s level institute of strategic Christian leadership, contributing to the curriculum design and program structure and serving as an academic dean. She also served as a pastor for four and a half years in the United Methodist Church. Currently, Elise’s home church is Solid Rock Church and Ministries in Snellville.
Believing in contributing to society beyond the classroom, she served in a safe house for victims of domestic violence, a volunteer Police Chaplain, and Chaplain in the US Air Force Auxiliary (CAP). This has given Elise the opportunity to learn and apply leadership, crisis, and emergency management skills. She has recently connected with the PDK Senior Squadron, currently working to resume the Chaplaincy service and continuing her emergency services training.
Elise has lived in Gwinnett County over 20 years, in unincorporated Duluth two and a half years, and moved to the City of Duluth over two years ago. She moved to the City of Duluth because of its great neighborhoods, outstanding public safety record (i.e., a safe place to live, work, and play), patriotic spirit, and family-friendly character. Training and current service record with the City of Duluth and Gwinnett County includes the following:
- City of Duluth L.E.A.D.S. 2008 graduate
- Sponsor for City of Duluth L.E.A.D.S. 2009
- Big MAC (Mayor’s Advisory Council) Alumni
- City of Duluth Ethics Board
- Current Board member on the Village at Albion Farm HOA
- Active participant in Duluth Community Leaders group
- City of Duluth Civitan member
- Member of Families for Duluth
- City of Duluth’s Citizen’s Budget Committee (2009) participant
- Gwinnett Citizens for Responsible Government (formerly Gwinnett Citizens Budget Committee)
- Engage Gwinnett Committee