Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184236
O C TO B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9 | M ACO N M AG A Z I N E.CO M 8 3 online? Maybe we ought to take a picture of you in your bra and panties and put that on the Internet!" Cox didn't flinch. e government's sale of the Secretary of State's office building in downtown Atlanta forced Cox to seek an alternate location. She saw the practicality of relocating professional licensing, the largest division in her department, to Macon. "Before I became Secretary of State, the world of state government in Georgia revolved around Atlanta. However, thousands of Georgians take licensing tests every year, and I thought, 'Why not move the testing someplace easier to access and park?' e move also spread jobs around the state and provided a cost savings to taxpayers." * * * LEAVING LAW FOR ACADEMIA IN 2016, after 13 years in state government, Cox was handed a demoralizing loss in the Democratic gubernatorial race by then Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, dashing her hopes of becoming Georgia's first female governor. Undaunted, the day after the election, Cox's supportive husband, attorney Mark Dehler, told her if she wanted to run again, he was ready to go. Her response, "Not no, but hell no." Cox said she has never regretted leaving politics, adding, "although I enjoyed holding public office, my identity wasn't caught up in being an elected official. I had options and assumed I'd return to practicing law and sent out feelers." In the meantime, Young Harris College was searching for a new president At top: Cathy was the grand marshal for Thomasville's Rose Parade; accompanied by her niece and nephew. Middle: Cathy jokes around with State Rep. David Lucas of Macon, who served with Cathy and Cathy's father in the Ga. House of Representatives. Bottom: Cathy and her husband, Mark Dehler, with legendary musician Stevie Wonder at a dinner honoring the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Submitted photos.