Former Governor Nathan Deal has a long history with Jekyll Island
By Jennifer Bradley Franklin
Much like the gnarled tree roots on Jekyll Island’s iconic Driftwood Beach, former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s history is intertwined with the state’s coastal haven. It all started when he was a child growing up in Sandersville, a small town in Middle Georgia, about three hours away. Local businessman J. H. Boatright planned to build motels on the barrier island, so he sold stock to friends and neighbors. Deal’s mother, an elementary school teacher, bought shares and, as a result, earned free nights each year at the two resulting properties, the Buccaneer Beach Resort and the Wanderer Resort Motel (now the Holiday Inn). “Jekyll was just beginning to be developed,” Deal recalls. “It was a beautiful beach, and I had a good time.”
When Deal became Georgia’s 82nd governor in 2011, his work took him around the state. Soon enough, he was headed back to Jekyll, this time in a professional capacity, with his wife, Sandra, in tow. The former school teacher focused her First Lady efforts on children, education, and literacy, so when someone suggested an opportunity to see the local 4-H Center, she jumped at the chance. What they discovered surprised them. “It was in terrible shape. Sandra was appalled,” Deal recalls. She started an improvement campaign, eventually culminating in an almost complete rebuild. In 2016, when the new “Club Jekyll” reopened, one building was rechristened the Sandra Deal Learning Center. The camp serves approximately 12,000 students each year.
In 2017, Category 5 Hurricane Irma hit Jekyll hard, taking out thousands of trees, destroying beach crossovers, decimating protective dunes, and causing water main breaks. As the state’s chief executive, Deal sprang into action, granting $4 million from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to address critical restoration needs, endearing him further to the island.
Deal suffered a personal tragedy when, in 2022, his beloved wife lost her battle with breast cancer that had metastasized into brain cancer. The former Georgia governor recalled his promise years earlier that he would pen a children’s book at her request. The result is Veto, the Governor’s Cat, released in 2024. It’s based on his real-life pet who once lived at the Governor’s mansion in Atlanta. Since its publication, it’s been translated into Spanish and Braille to reach an even wider audience.
His connection with the island—and his late wife—has now come full circle. This year, he returned to the building that bears Sandra’s name and shared insights from his book with a group of eager children. “I told them about some of the characters,” Deal says. “I put the animals’ and birds’ voices to it because children listen when you do that.” The illustrated chapter book, through its collection of adorable creatures, teaches important life lessons about patience, kindness, courage, and discovery, all of which are traits Deal himself has shown through his multi-decade relationship with Jekyll. Get a copy of the former governor’s book at vetothecat.com.
