An inside look into Arthur Blank, his family and his foundation 

Talk about intrigue and insights into one of Atlanta’s most influential families. 

Arthur Blank, a premier business and philanthropic leader, was the invited guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Atlanta’s Father-Son Day along with his three sons – Kenny Blank, Joshua Blank and Max Blank. 

Stephanie Blank, his second ex-wife, moderated the program. It was the next-to-last meeting in her term as president of Atlanta Rotary. 

With a combination of emotions, values and humor, the program also revealed how his diverse business and philanthropic interests are transitioning to the next generation. 

Arthur, 80, is co-founder of the Home Depot, owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. On top of that, one can throw in the management of Mercedes-Benz Stadium as well as the ownership of the PGA Tour SuperStore, AMBSE Ventures, the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and the West Creek Ranch – both in Montana – and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. It is obvious he has a full plate.

And steps are being put in place to solidify his legacy.

On Wednesday, the Blank Foundation unveiled its new logo and strategy for the future as its giving is accelerating. Inherent in those announcements was how Arthur is envisioning how his six children are critical to the foundation’s future – now under the leadership of President Fay Twersky.

After a multiyear strategic planning process, the foundation’s board has identified five primary areas of giving for the next decade: Atlanta’s Westside, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health and Well-Being, and Youth Development. The foundation also is introducing a redesigned brand identity that reflects its vision for the future impact.

To view a brief video on the foundation’s direction, click here.

“As you get older, you have an opportunity to reflect on life’s experiences – what would you do differently; what would you do the same,” Blank said at Rotary. “How do I feel about my own life? The most important thing is I have six incredible children who want to spend time with their father.”

Blank has two sets of children. The oldest set – Kenny, Dena and Danielle with his first ex-wife Diana. The second set – Joshua and a set of twins Max and Kylie with Stephanie.

At the start of the discussion, Stephanie admitted to being a little nervous in her role as moderator.

She asked Arthur how it was different raising the “first batch of kids compared to the second batch.”

Arthur quickly said he had been blessed with six amazing kids and two incredible mothers of his children.

“The challenge with the second batch was a little greater than batch one,” Blank said. “With the first group of children, we didn’t have a lot of things we have now.”

So, the challenge for him was to make sure all his children grew up as “value-based kids” with a strong work ethic and compassion for the world around them. “They stand up to do the right thing for the right reasons,” Arthur said with pride.

“There are no more batches, are there?” Kenny asked his dad about possible future brothers or sisters.

“There are no plans,” Arthur quickly responded.

It was not always easy for the sons.

Max, the youngest, remembered growing up and having other kids tease him about the Falcons, especially when they lost. As someone who loves football, Max said he often would cry when the team lost a game.

That never happened to Kenny. “Everyone knows I don’t know anything about sports,” he said.

“I was kind of the oddball,” Kenny said later in the program. “My interests were so different. I’m a total news nut.” He gravitated more to the arts and to movies. After being a news producer at Channel 11, Kenny became executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, a position he still holds. Kenny credited his late grandmother – Molly Blank – for exposing him to the arts, and he appreciated his parents for letting him follow his passion.

“Our parents gave us free range,” Kenny said.

They also made them work. Kenny had to do landscaping – pulling up weeds – to get his allowance. Max remembered having to “scoop the poop” at the Montana ranches.

“Both parents have done a great job raising us and not letting us take things for granted,” Max said.

Josh spoke of having two “incredible parents and role models” who showed how they could have a “true impact” helping others.

“Part of my responsibility is to be an ambassador for our values,” Arthur said. 

The children also influenced their father. Joshua’s interest in soccer in high school led Arthur to explore bringing Major League Soccer to Atlanta. Joshua then became a soccer player in college.

“Once my playing career was over, I wanted to transition to the business side,” said Joshua, who for the past three years has been working for the National Football League in New York, helping teams grow their brands and optimize their business.

“When I do come back to Atlanta, I can apply what I’ve learned from the 31 other teams,” Joshua said.

Meanwhile, Max, who is a rising senior at the University of Tennessee, said he’s most interested in football – especially scouting for new players, and he is in his seventh summer working for the Atlanta Falcons.

“I’m incredibly proud of both my brothers,” Kenny said. “They are both brilliant. They know a lot about the sports business. They model work ethic and core values.”

Stephanie remarked that the kids “have all known at an early age what they wanted to do.”

Arthur then spoke of the strengths of his children.

“My three older children are heavily engaged in our foundation,” he said, adding that he envisions the younger three children “grow up and take over our existing businesses.”

But most importantly, he sees all of his children being involved on the philanthropic side. 

“We are doing a lot of work on the future of the foundation,” Arthur said. “My six children will be around the table” giving direction for funding and investment. 

“It’s a great point in my life. I wish I were 60 years younger or 40 years younger,” Arthur said about wanting to see them evolve. “But I couldn’t be happier at this point in my life.”

In a separate interview, Twersky spoke of how giving would be focused in metro Atlanta and Montana. She also spoke of the role of the children.

“We are in the process of bringing on the next generation,” she said of Josh, Kylie and Max, who she described as young, busy people with a range of experiences. “They are all interested in serving on the foundation’s board.”

During the program, Stephanie asked the three sons to say how their father drove them crazy and what they loved most about him.

“When he’s got a point, he will drive that nail, hammer it over and over. ‘We heard you,’” Kenny said. On the plus side: “Nobody understands his sense of humor. He has an uproarious laugh.”

“The part that drives me crazy. He’s very stubborn. We are all that way,” said Max, who loves how his father always wants to give back.

For Josh, it’s his father’s “selective memory” that drives him crazy. What he loves? “He shows tremendous amount of love to his family and everyone around him.”

Filled with a mother’s pride and overcome with emotion, Stephanie said: “I love everybody on this stage.”

Summing up the uniqueness of the Rotary program with the Blank family members, Kenny said: “It’s the first time we’ve gotten together like this.” The multi-generational aspect of the Blank family, with its two batches of children, reminded him of his family’s favorite TV show – Modern Family. “We are living that all the time,” he said.

Then Kenny observed how his father has evolved over time.

“He is more reflective and more patient with life,” Kenny said before addressing his father directly. ‘You are at the age now when you can celebrate, enjoy and keep your sense of humor. It’s been an amazing journey.’

To view the entire Atlanta Rotary program, click here.