40 Under 40
INSPIRED TO SERVE
STATE SENATOR | GEORGIA DISTRICT 50
BY: KRISTIN BAIRD RATTINI
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTNEYCAINPHOTO.CO
Imagine a round of the TV show Jeopardy! (Choose your own host.) The category is “Georgia Politics” and the $500 clue is: “He is the youngest state senator currently serving in the Georgia General Assembly.”
The answer: Who is Thomas “Bo” Hatchett III?
Hatchett (a huge Jeopardy fan) was elected in 2020 to represent District 50, which includes eight counties in the northeast corner of Georgia and is where he grew up. “It’s a job I’ve always been very interested in,” says Hatchett, an attorney in Cornelia, Ga. “When I graduated from Georgia Tech, I got the chance to intern at the Capitol and really enjoyed watching the political process. When the seat came open, I decided to throw my hat in the ring.”
It was not the race he’d imagined. In March 2020, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns put a swift end to traditional in-person campaign events. “We had to rely a lot on phone calls and social media,” he says. After a close runoff in the Republican primary in August, Hatchett emerged triumphant in the general election in November.
Upon taking office in January 2021, Hatchett was appointed to five committees, including his two top picks: agriculture and judiciary. “Agriculture is such an important part of my district,” he says. “And I wanted to serve on the judiciary committee because of my experience as a lawyer.”
As a civil trial attorney with Cathey & Strain LLC, Hatchett specializes in product liability lawsuits and has worked on a number of catastrophic injury cases. “It can be a very rewarding experience when you’re able to help somebody get back on their feet or help a loved one of someone who passed away,” he says.
Hatchett’s rising political star is burning even brighter after being appointed Gov. Brian Kemp’s floor leader. He’s particularly proud of his work on Kemp’s foster care reform initiative. “It will make a big impact for the youth in our state,” he says.
Hatchett credits the discipline and “the ability to run on very little sleep” that he developed at Tech in both his academic and athletic endeavors—he was captain of the swim team—for being able to juggle not only his law practice and political career but his growing family. He and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their third daughter, Heidi, in July. “I couldn’t do this alone,” he says. “I’m very blessed to have a great support system both at work and at home.”
He also took away from Tech a lifelong inspiration: the Institute’s motto of “Progress and Service.”
“One of the greatest rewards is serving others,” Hatchett says. “The more I can progress professionally and politically, the bigger and better opportunities I get to serve people."
What’s That You’re Holding? You may notice some of our 40 Under 40 honorees holding a personal or symbolic object.
Here’s the scoop behind those items.