Meet Laura
I am a business executive, small business owner, nonprofit leader, and proud immigrant. I'm running to be your next State Representative for House District 48.
District 48 represents parts of Peachtree Corners, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, and Roswell
Protecting the American Dream
I come from a family of immigrants. My paternal grandfather migrated to Mexico after losing both of his parents in the Armenian Genocide. My parents made the decision to move their family from Mexico to the United States when I was eight years old to seek better opportunities for us.
In St. James, Minnesota (population 4,200), my parents worked hard to build a stable and financially secure life for us. When we first arrived, my parents worked in chicken and meat processing plants and in any other job they could find. They instilled a strong work ethic by example, and I have vivid memories of summers spent bean walking with my mother when I was in middle school, working side-by-side with my father at the corn processing plant on the overnight shift, corn-detasseling with my sister Susan, and working in the chicken processing plant myself—all during my high school years.
I remember my parents’ demeanor during these times; no matter the job they had, they were never embarrassed or ashamed. They just went to work with dignity. I also remember my father having a reputation for never missing work, never being late, and never complaining. My parents worked hard in their pursuit of the American Dream, and they were able to give us a life that exceeded their expectations. I am running for office because that dream my parents achieved through hard work is slipping away for too many families living in Georgia and in this district.
Negotiating a Better Deal for Georgians
After graduating from high school, I became the first in my family to earn a college degree. I received a BA in Political Science with honors from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. I was then awarded the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, which allowed me to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan with a focus on International Economics. I graduated from Michigan with a job offer from the Federal Reserve Bank.
Following my stint at the Federal Reserve, I moved to Atlanta and served as a corporate executive at multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Equifax. During this chapter of my career, I was a senior negotiator working on deals across North America worth up to $50 million in IT infrastructure and data products. I took time out of my corporate career to start my own small business as the Georgia Area Developer for a national wine franchise, opening their Georgia flagship store and helping other small business owners get off the ground.
I know what it takes to build a business from the ground up and what it takes to close a deal through successful negotiations. I am ready to bring my experience in business operations and negotiations to the Gold Dome to negotiate a better deal for the people of Georgia.
Nonprofit Leader
I currently serve as the Founder and Executive Director of Arte GA, a nonprofit that supports Latino professional creatives. Arte GA is the second nonprofit I have started, the first being Fiesta De Libros, a community library located at Plaza Fiesta. I ran Fiesta De Libros for 10 years and during that time we gave away over 60,000 books to Latino children and held literacy events each year.
I have served on a number of Georgia nonprofit boards in various capacities and have supported many nonprofits as a volunteer and donor.
Family
I’m proud of my little family. I have been married for 26 years to Michael Rhim, who is a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP. Together, we have two college-aged children, Claudia and Nicolas. We moved to Johns Creek ten years ago, drawn by the strong public school system. Our children attended Autrey Mill Middle School and graduated from Johns Creek High School.
Why I’m Running
I am proud of the work I have done in our community as a volunteer, a philanthropist, and a nonprofit board member for over 25 years. I am also proud of the work I have done to promote civic and voter engagement. This campaign to represent House District 48 is the next chapter in a life committed to improving the lives of Georgians. This is another stop on my quest to give back to the country that has given me and my family so much. This year, the stakes are too high for me to sit this one out.
I am running because I believe that silence and inaction means acceptance, and I refuse to accept less than what hardworking Georgia families deserve:
I refuse to accept the erosion of women’s reproductive rights.
I refuse to accept the level of gun violence impacting our children.
I refuse to accept an economy where working families struggle to make ends meet.
And I refuse to accept Georgia trailing the rest of the nation when it comes to healthcare access while having some of the highest healthcare premium costs and highest number of uninsured people living in our state.
