Monthly Archives: July 2009

Mayoral candidates vow to have an inclusive City Hall

By Maria Saporta

Inclusion was the prevailing message at a mayoral forum Thursday evening sponsored by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The forum, held at the Georgia Terrace, included the five top candidates running to become Atlanta’s next mayor.

All five candidates said their administrations would work with the Hispanic community to participate in City Hall’s policies and contracts.
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Atlanta Education Fund’s president moves to New York

By Maria Saporta

The founding president of the Atlanta Education Fund, Hosanna Mahaley Johnson, has accepted a new position in New York.

Johnson has been named executive director of social justice and district innovation for Wireless Generation, which helps develop innovative technology for classrooms from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The Atlanta Education Fund was started Continue reading

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GWCC’s Dan Graveline — a developer for the state — retiring at year end

By Maria Saporta

The only executive director the Georgia World Congress Center has ever known — Dan Graveline — announced today he is retiring at the end of the year.

He will cap off his 33-year career by working until midnight, Dec. 31 at the Georgia Dome’s Chick-fil-A Bowl game.

It will culminate an amazing career by one of Georgia’s unsung public servants.

Graveline, 68 as of July 1, was named Continue reading

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Column: Atlanta’s support of United Way steady

By Maria Saporta
Friday, July 24, 2009

The final numbers are in for Atlanta’s United Way 2008 campaign.

Several amazing developments occurred among local companies despite one of the worst economic climates in metro Atlanta’s history.
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Delta hires supplier diversity executive

By Maria Saporta and J. Scott Trubey
Friday, July 24, 2009

Delta Air Lines Inc., recently criticized by African-American leaders for its diversity record, has taken a key step.
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Newt Gringrich shares his plan for healthcare reform

By Maria Saporta

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is not against health reform.

In fact, he told the Rotary Club of Atlanta today that health reform is necessary.

“What I’m opposed to in any health reform in this economy that will mean a tax increase,” Gingrich said. He then added that the bill that is in the House of Representatives today “will kill jobs.”

Gingrich has been working on healthcare Continue reading

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Georgia’s political power is not what it was

How far we have fallen.

Today Georgia finds itself in the weakest political position it has ever been at the national level, at least for the last six decades.

Currently, there is virtually no direct link to the party in power at the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. And Georgia is at risk of being left out in the political cold when it comes to power and influence.

Take the battle over the $1.75 billion appropriation for new F-22 fighter jets. Both U.S. senators from Georgia — Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson — had placed the continued Continue reading

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The Beltline and Beyond — blueprint for transit project’s next CEO

By Guest Columnist MATTHEW HICKS, associate legislative director for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia on economic development and transportation policy.

In 2003, a goal was set by those working on the BeltLine to have transit started on the corridor within ten years. It was a lofty target considering that every day brought obstacles and looming doubts about the overall project’s viability.

Yet every hurdle was overcome and soon problems
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Turning obstacles into opportunities AT&T Mobility chief shares his success story through new book, JA post

By Maria Saporta
Friday, July 24, 2009

The defining moment in Ralph de la Vega’s life happened when he was 10 years old.
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Mayor Franklin praises Gov. Perdue for leading on water

By Maria Saporta

After a pow wow on water at the Governor’s Mansion earlier today, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin gave a luncheon speech to the Buckhead Business Association, where she praised Gov. Sonny Perdue for taking a lead on this issue.

The water summit followed last week’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson that most of metro Atlanta does not have the legal right to access water from Lake Lanier. The judge gave Continue reading

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