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Georgia State Senator Ed Harbison to Speak at Turner College and TSYS School Commencement on Friday

Georgia State Senator Ed Harbison will deliver his insights on civic leadership and service to spring graduates of the Turner College and TSYS School at 9:00 am on Friday, May 15. Currently the longest-serving member of the state senate, Harbison will address all three of Columbus State’s spring graduation ceremonies, which are part of CSU's 131st commencement exercises. Since 1992, Harbison has represented Columbus and parts of the Chattahoochee Valley that encompass Georgia’s 15th Senate district. His prominence and reputation in the Senate have led to leadership roles, such as chair of the State Institutions and Property Committee and ranking member of the Banking and Financial Institutions, Insurance and Labor, Interstate Cooperation, Reapportionment and Redistricting, and Ethics committees. He is also vice chair of the Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee and holds ex officio membership on the Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. As a veteran, former U.S. Marine, and Purple Heart recipient, he has a strong record of advocating for military service members and their families. Harbison works as a public relations and advertising consultant and has experience as a broadcast journalist. He previously shared his professional expertise as an advisory board member in CSU’s Department of Communication. Before being elected to the Senate, he served as the second vice president of the Muscogee County School Board and was a member of the Columbus Charter Review Commission. Additionally, he graduated from Leadership Columbus in 1990 and has served as an officer with the Georgia Association of Newscasters. Born in Prattville, Alabama, and raised in Montgomery, Harbison graduated from the Career Academy School of Broadcasting and attended Troy State University at Fort Benning. He has received numerous awards for news broadcasting and community service, including the National Infantry Association’s Order of Saint Maurice for his distinguished support of the Infantry, as well as induction into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame for his support of Georgia’s veterans. He is often called the “dean” of the state senate in recognition of his 34 years of elected service. Harbison announced in March 2026 that he will retire from his elected position at the end of this term.
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