Albany State University officials announced today that Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal will be the keynote speaker during the Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 7.

He was born in Millen to parents who were career educators, Deal grew up in Sandersville.  He earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree, both with honors, from Mercer University in Macon.  Deal served in the U.S. Army earning the rank of captain.

His career includes 23 years in private law practice along with public service as a criminal prosecutor and a juvenile court judge. Deal served 12 years in the state Senate and 9 terms in the U.S. Congress. His colleagues in the Senate elected him president pro tem, the highest-ranking senator.  In Congress, he served as chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health.  He was known on Capitol Hill as an expert on healthcare issues and led the Republican fight against President Obama’s healthcare initiatives. As a leader on immigration reform, he authored the law that required citizenship verification for health care benefits.

On May 1, 2009, Deal announced his bid for governor.  He captured his party’s nomination in the August 10 runoff. On January 10, 2011, he was sworn-in as Georgia’s 82nd governor. Deal is married to the former Sandra Dunagan of Gainesville. They have been married for 44 years and have four children and six grandchildren.

The ASU Spring Commencement will begin at 9:45 a.m. May 7 at the Albany James H. Gray Sr. Civic Center.