ATLANTA — The Georgia Rural Health Association recently presented its Legislator of the Year Award to Sen. Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-Pooler, during its annual conference Sept. 19-21 at Callaway Gardens.

Carter was born and raised in Port Wentworth. He and his family have been residents of Pooler since 1980. He attended public schools in Chatham County and attended Young Harris College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from the University of Georgia.

Carter has been a rural pharmacist his entire career and has supported rural initiatives throughout his legislative career.

The senator worked as a staff pharmacist and pharmacy manager at Rupert Heller’s Prescriptions in Garden City from 1980-88. In 1988, he opened his first retail pharmacy, Carter’s Pharmacy Inc., in Pooler. In 1992, he opened another business, Carter’s Institutional Pharmacy Inc., which serves nursing homes, personal-care homes and hospices.

In 2005, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served until September 2009. In November 2009, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate representing District 1.

He currently is the vice chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee and serves on the Appropriations, Ethics and Regulated Industries committees. Additionally, he is the chairman of the State Institutions and Properties Committee.

“Sen. Carter has been a longtime friend to the rural health community,” said Matt Caseman, executive director of the Georgia Rural Health Association. “This past legislative session, he successfully carried the Prescription Monitoring Act and it was signed into law in May. We thank him for everything he has done for rural health care in Georgia and are honored to name him our Legislator of the Year.”