George M. Israel, III (born 1948) is the current president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and is a former mayor of Macon, Georgia (1979–1987), the sixth largest city in the state. He is also on the board of directors of YKK Group. In 2005, Georgia Trend, a prominent state business and political magazine, named Israel as one of its top 20 leaders of the past 20 years. Early life Israel was born to George and Margaret Israel in rural Bibb County, Georgia. His father worked as an engineer at Robins Air Force Base and his mother was a teacher who helped veterans returning from World War II to earn their GEDs. He grew up in a tight-knit family with three brothers and an aunt whom he considered a second mother. He met his wife, Pam, while working to pay his way through college, and they married in 1971. They have two children: Katie Beth and Matthew, four granddaughters, Greta (daughter of Katie Beth and her ex-husband Brian Layson), Kiya, Matilda "Tille”, Eleanor, and one grandson, George Matthew V "Quinn" (daughters and son of Matthew and his wife Kirstin). Education and early career Israel attended Middle Georgia College in Cochran and the University of Georgia in Athens. However he never graduated and holds no degree. He began his career as an underwriter for the life, health and accident insurance industry. Political career In 1975, he made a sudden announcement to his family that he planned to run for a seat on the Macon City Council. Israel went door-to-door in his district to gain support for his run. A Republican in Jimmy Carter's Georgia, Israel's run for city council seemed a long shot, but he won the seat. Israel was elected to the Macon City Council in 1975. He became a frequent critic of then Mayor Buck Melton. However, Israel later credited Melton for laying the foundation for much of the progress achieved during Israel's own tenure as the city's mayor, "I was probably his biggest critic on City Council...I spent my eight years (as mayor) apologizing to him for not understanding." Israel further praised his predecessor saying in 2014, "He had a vision for the city and changed a lot of things." Mayor Buck Melton declined to seek a second term in 1979. Just four years after winning his first election, Israel was elected mayor of Macon in