Morris Brown College, a historically Black college founded by formerly enslaved people in 1881 in Atlanta, lost its accreditation in 2002 but regained it in a remarkable turnaround in 2022. The man who brought the reaccreditation over the finish line…
Governor’s Agenda: As usual, the Georgia General Assembly convened in January with a lengthy to-do list. One of the things at the top of Gov. Brian Kemp’s agenda: tort reform. Kemp says that tort reform is needed to keep Georgia…
This year’s Georgian of the Year, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, achieved his lifelong dream of becoming mayor in part because of his confidence and hard work, but also because of his never-give-up mindset. You tend to find similar qualities in…
Jan Lennon was named interim airport general manager at the world’s busiest airport by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in May 2024. She has worked at Hartsfield-Jackson since 2002, most recently as deputy general manager of operations. She also worked in…
2025 Legislative Session: When the Georgia General Assembly convenes on Jan. 13, it will look much like the sessions of the recent past, with only 20 newcomers total in the House and Senate. Republicans maintained majorities in both the House (100 to…
John Yates has been with the law firm Morris, Manning & Martin since 1987, when he launched the firm’s technology practice. He co-founded the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), serves as chair of the Downtown Atlanta Rotary Club, is chair…
Big Payout: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani, who was an attorney for former President Donald Trump, has been ordered to turn over assets including his New York apartment, a vintage Mercedes-Benz and sports memorabilia, to two Georgia election…
2024 Elections: It has been a presidential campaign season unlike any other, with President Joe Biden dropping out and Vice President Kamala Harris replacing him to run against former President Donald Trump. Now the election is finally here. Early voting took place…
As the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) celebrates its 25th anniversary, Larry Williams, TAG’s president and CEO, looks back over the tremendous changes that have occurred in the tech ecosystem and what lies ahead. These are edited highlights from an…
David Cummings founded Atlanta Tech Village (ATV), a coworking-entrepreneur-startup space in Buckhead, in 2013 and is CEO of Atlanta Ventures, which invests in and supports entrepreneurs. His latest venture: Atlanta Tech Village Downtown, a campus that includes ATV Mason’s and…
As the home of Georgia’s flagship university, it can be tempting to think of Athens as just a college town. That does a disservice to the community with its world-class bioscience companies, cutting-edge healthcare and the fun to be had…
Robert Bunch has worked for Anthem for nearly 25 years. He was named president in 2022 at a time when the healthcare industry was still reeling from COVID. These are edited highlights from an interview. Tell us about Anthem. Anthem…
Before he became president of Centennial Yards, the redevelopment of downtown Atlanta’s Gulch – a 50-acre cluster of rail lines and parking lots, located some 40 feet below the surrounding streets – Brian McGowan served as CEO of the Atlanta…
Van Johnson has been mayor since 2020, after serving four terms as alderman for the City Council’s 1st District. He’s leading the city during a time of rapid change, as the region prepares to welcome thousands of new people who…
Kay Ford retired as president and CEO of SunTrust Bank, Savannah, after 41 years. She then served as chief banking officer for BankSouth for seven years and retired from that position in 2021. She has also served the community in…
Each year, the ACCG, a nonprofit that serves county governments, names County Excellence Award winners, honoring government leaders who are implementing out-of-the-box solutions to the problems facing their constituents. In each of these six award-winning instances this year, those leaders…
Georgia is home to its share of Fortune 500 companies – 35 have headquarters here. That’s a testament to the state’s…
Jonathan Watkins leads City of Hope Atlanta, part of a national cancer research and treatment network with centers around the U.S. City of Hope Atlanta opened in Newnan in 2022, when the organization acquired the former Cancer Treatment Centers of…
Ask business owners, industry leaders or economic development officials, “What is your biggest challenge?” and their answer is almost always “developing a strong workforce.” For booming Troup County and its three cities – LaGrange, West Point and Hogansville – that…
Stephanie Fischer was named president and CEO of the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) in September. These are edited highlights from an interview. How big is the restaurant industry in Georgia? We had nearly 22,000 eating and drinking establishments in Georgia…
Around Metro Atlanta, it’s nearly impossible not to notice the colorful banners and beautiful landscaping that mark different communities. These are often the work of community improvement districts (CIDs). A CID is a geographic area where businesses voluntarily self-tax to…
Brooks Keel was appointed president of Augusta University, his alma mater, in 2015. After leading the school during a time of tremendous growth and expansion, Keel will retire in June. These are edited highlights from an interview. What are you…
This year’s Georgian of the Year, Ed Bastian, is the classic example of leadership, strength and resilience. Such attributes no doubt helped him rise to the position where he is today. So it’s probably no surprise these same qualities can…
Parker has served as president and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia (GNG) since 2017. Prior to that, he was general manager and CEO of MARTA. These are edited highlights of an interview. What does Goodwill of North Georgia do?…
The GRO Fund emerged from the Old Fourth Ward Economic Security Task Force and now works across Georgia to develop solutions to address poverty and narrow the racial wealth gap. These are edited highlights from an interview with Executive Director…
Angie Ulibarri brought the Georgia Festival of Trees, a wonderland of decorated trees, wreaths and nativities, back to the Georgia World Congress Center in 2021. For decades, the festival was an annual event at the GWCC to benefit Children’s Healthcare…
Burns, a Savannah native, has spent 40 years at Gulfstream, known globally for its business jet aircraft. An engineer by training, he has led the state’s largest manufacturer (based on number of employees in Georgia) since 2015, as the company…
Bryant founded Operation Hope, a nonprofit focused on increasing the financial literacy and economic clout of underserved people, in 1992. Since then, the organization has served more than 4 million people and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity…
Augusta native Michelle Naval Pippin has been part of the city’s Sports Council for 12 years, starting as an intern. She’s served as CEO since November 2021. These are edited highlights from an interview. What is the Augusta Sports Council?…
What is the Georgia Agribusiness Council? We’re a trade association founded in 1966 by a group of ag leaders to advance the business of agriculture, from the legislative process to economic development through environmental stewardship and ag education. We’ve really…
Tell us about the mission and work of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity is an inclusive Christian housing organization. We work in 71 countries around the world right now and in almost 1,100 communities across the United States.…
Novelis, the world’s largest recycler of aluminum and producer of flat-rolled aluminum sheets, is headquartered in Atlanta and has 33 facilities around the world employing more than 14,500 people. Fisher has been with Novelis since 2006 and served as president…
Q Tell us about Kia’s impact on the region. A When we arrived [Kia began production in 2009], we immediately had an available workforce. Unemployment was in the 13% range. Today, like every other place in the state, we’re looking…
Q: How did you become interested in helping small businesses succeed? A: I was a business owner myself. I opened my own restaurant, and I did not know anything about running a small business. I just had a passion and…
Q: PBS and its member stations have been named the most trusted media source for 19 years in a row. How does that inform programming here in Georgia? A: [Georgians are] very lucky that they have access to news by a…
Q: Tell us about your background. A: I’m professionally trained as a nuclear engineer and mechanical engineering is my undergraduate degree. I spent 10 years in the Air Force and close to two years working for NASA in the Jet…
Q: What is the mission of MSM? A: Morehouse School of Medicine was founded [about 48 years ago] to diversify the healthcare workforce. We also are focused on how do we eliminate health disparities? And overall, how do we improve…
Q: What is the Latin American Association? A: The LAA is a social-service organization, primarily focused on helping the Latino community to stabilize and access opportunities here in Georgia. We do family well-being. We have social workers that can help…
Q: What does a convener do in retirement? A: The reason I felt it was a good time to transition is I had a bank full of social capital. My role now is teaching, mentoring, coaching, convening, because I’m trusted with…
Nia Project is a behavioral health program primarily for Black women who have experienced interpersonal violence and are thinking about suicide. It’s based at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. These are edited highlights of an interview. Q: Tell us about Nia Project.…
When you hear “downtown revitalization” you might picture restaurants, brew pubs, boutiques and offices in character-filled, brick-clad buildings. Plants and trees line the well-lit streets and benches offer spots to watch small-town life go by. But without people – specifically,…
Since 2017, Nunn has served as commissioner of the department that provides funding and technical assistance to communities around the state in support of workforce housing, infrastructure and downtown development. These are edited highlights from an interview. Q: Tell us…
Q: What does the Georgia Council on Economic Education do? A: We help teachers teach economics and personal finance in the public and independent schools in Georgia by providing engaging professional development and effective classroom resources that we show teachers…
Feeding Georgia, formerly the Georgia Food Bank Association, is a consortium of seven regional food banks working to end hunger across the state. These are edited highlights of an interview with Craft. Q: Tell us about hunger in Georgia. Who’s…
Since becoming lottery leader in 2018, Corbin has overseen the delivery of record amounts of money for education, including $376.5 million for the HOPE scholarship and Pre-K programs in the second quarter of FY22. These are edited highlights from an…
While this year’s Georgian of the Year Griff Lynch may come closest to literally steering ships, the job of keeping the state afloat does not fall to him alone. There are thousands of people who help ensure the state remains…
The staff at Georgia Trend wish all of our readers very happy and safe holidays. Latest Trends blog will return after the new year. Cheers! Do you follow us? Find us on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Last year – and this year as well – was marked by the challenges and tragedies of a pandemic and recession, though many Georgia businesses have displayed remarkable resilience and continue to thrive. The state remains atop lists of the…
This year Georgia Trend is celebrating 25 years of honoring the state’s best and brightest with our 40 Under 40. And this year, like the others, the winners leave us awed and inspired. As we continue to battle COVID-19 in…
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