Kelly Loeffler with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp as she accepts her appointment to the U.S. Senate/Photo courtesy of WJBC.com

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp appointed McLean County native Kelly Loeffler to the U.S. Senate Wednesday to succeed retiring Sen. Johnny Isakson.

Loeffler, 49, who was raised in rural Stanford, is the CEO of Bakkt, a financial service company, and co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

She attended Olympia High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s from DePaul University.

“I’ve lived the American dream, but it’s far from where I came from,” Loeffler said during a news conference Wednesday. “I grew up on a family farm, we lived simply, and life revolved around farming, church, school, and 4-H.”

Loeffler noted she is not a career politician, but credited her business background.

“Here’s what people will learn about me. I’m a lifelong conservative. Pro-Second Amendment. Pro-military. Pro-wall. And pro-Trump,” she said.

Loeffler is just the second woman to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate. She confirmed that she will be running to retain her seat in November.