Charles "Charlie" Harman

Charlie Harman’s governmental affairs career spans more than 30 years, and includes serving as chief of staff to three United States Senators, president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, vice present of external affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, and vice president for government and community affairs for Emory University.

At Emory, Harman provided government and community affairs counsel to both Emory University and Emory Healthcare at the federal, state, and local levels of government. He also directed a staff of professionals who perform advocacy and local outreach with government and community organizations.

Prior to joining Emory, Harman served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss.  He joined Senator Chambliss' staff in January of 2007, and also served as Co-Chair of the Senate Bi-Partisan Chiefs of Staff organization.

Before his return to Washington, he was Vice President of External Affairs for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia. He also served as president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Harman worked on the staff of U.S. Senator Sam Nunn for almost 12 years and served as Nunn’s Chief of Staff from December 1987 through July 1992.

Additionally, when Zell Miller was appointed to the U.S. Senate in July of 2000 following the death of U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell, Harman was asked to establish Senator-Designate Miller’s office in Washington, DC, which included organizing and hiring the senator’s staff.  

Harman was chief of staff during Miller's first three months of tenure before returning to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, where he had taken a leave of absence to accomplish the assignment.

Active in state and community affairs, Harman served, in 2006, as a member of the U.S. Magistrate’s Selection and Review Committee for the Federal Courts of the Northern District of Georgia.  He was a member of the 1984 Leadership Georgia Class and he and his wife, Carol, served as program chairs of that organization’s January 1985 Program.

Currently Harman serves on the Board of Trustees for the Richard B. Russell Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation established to perpetuate the Senator's memory, preserve his records and support activities that exemplify his ideals.

In addition, he also serves on the Executive Committee and Board of the Georgia Independent Colleges Association and is also on the Advisory Council of the Stennis Center at Mississippi State University.

Charlie received a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Georgia in 1971. He and his wife, Carol, have one daughter, Katie.