Instagram Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) and wife Lisa Collins
Lisa Collins has been married to Republican Congressman Doug Collins of Georgia for more than 30 years and they have three grown children together.
Collins was the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. He’s been described as a “rock star” of the Republican Party by Fox News host Sean Hannity.
But Collins’ current term on Capitol Hill is coming to an end. He lost his bid for a Senate seat in the 2020 election.
Here’s what you need to know about Lisa Collins:
1. Lisa Collins Teaches Fifth Grade & Was Named Teacher Of the Year in 2014
Lisa Collins has been an elementary school teacher for nearly three decades. She is an employee in the Hall County School District in Gainesville, Georgia. She teaches fifth grade at Mount Vernon Exploratory School.
In 2014, Collins was named as one of the district’s Teachers of the Year. The Gainesville Times noted that Collins taught math and social studies.
Collins’ current teaching certificates are valid until June 30, 2022. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission website shows that she has been licensed to teach elementary education since 1992.
Lisa Collins’ teaching certificate
On May 7, 2019, Representative Collins gave his wife a shout-out on Instagram for her lengthy career as an educator. He wrote in part, “Everyday is Teacher Appreciation Day in my House! I am blessed to call this teacher my Wife and she has loved me, put up with me and yes taught me many things over the past 30 years.”
2. Lisa Collins Obtained Her Real Estate License in 2016
Georgia Real Estate CommissionLisa Collins
In addition to teaching, Lisa Collins was a licensed real estate agent. She obtained her license in July 2016, according to the Georgia Real Estate Commission.
Collins was associated with Keller Williams Lanier Partners in Gainesville. On her professional profile, she described her specialty as “Great Customer Service for Buyers and Sellers.” As of this writing, it was unclear whether Collins had stopped working with the company; her profile on the company website had been removed.
Collins also got involved with the Pampered Chef company in November 2018. According to her Facebook page, Collins is an independent consultant.
3. Lisa & Doug Collins Met Through Church & Have Been Married For 30+ Years
Doug and Lisa Collins celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary on June 11, 2019. Rep. Collins posted a sweet photo to Facebook to mark the milestone, of him kissing her forehead as she smiled up at him.
The couple was first introduced at church, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rep. Collins’ congressional bio notes that the family remains actively involved in the Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville.
4. Lisa & Doug Collins’ Daughter Was Born With a Severe Form of Spina Bifida
Facebook/Doug CollinsRep. Doug Collins (R-GA), wife Lisa and their three children
Lisa and Doug Collins have a daughter and two sons named Jordan, Copelan, and Cameron. The birth of their daughter in 1992 was a difficult one.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explained in a 2013 feature that before Jordan was born, the doctors told Lisa and Doug that the baby had myelomeningocele. It’s a severe form of spina bifida, which occurs when the backbone doesn’t form properly and leaves parts of the spinal cord exposed. The condition can lead to nerve damage.
Lisa said that a co-worker told her she “had a choice” about whether to proceed with the pregnancy. Lisa told the newspaper that her response had been, “There is no choice. God gave me this child and what this child becomes. If God didn’t want me to keep this child, God would take care of it, and that was His choice.”
Jordan struggled to breathe after she was born and required dozens of surgeries but ultimately pulled through. Jordan gets around in a wheelchair and competed in races as a high school student. In April of 2019, she celebrated her 27th birthday.
5. Lisa Collins Is a Georgia Native
Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) and wife Lisa Collins
Lisa Collins grew up in northern Georgia, according to her Facebook page. She lists the town of Lula, which is part of the Gainesville metropolitan area, as her hometown.
Collins attended East Hall High School in Gainesville before going on to Georgia Southern University, where she graduated in 1986. She attended North Georgia College & State University for her master’s degree in early childhood education, which she obtained in 1992. (The college has since been renamed the University of North Georgia).
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