Author Archives: Derek Prall

Atlanta Pride appoints 3 new board members, names 2025 officers Atlanta Pride has appointed three new members to its board of directors, adding expertise in communications, higher education, community engagement and LGBTQ+ advocacy as the organization expands year-round programming across Atlanta and Georgia. In December 2025, the Atlanta Pride Committee voted to revise its bylaws, […]

Steamhouse Lounge to host 38th annual Oysterfest in Midtown Steamhouse Lounge will bring back its annual Oysterfest to Midtown on Saturday, Feb. 21, and Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, marking the event’s 38th year. The two-day street festival near 11th Street and West Peachtree is produced by Rival Entertainment and will feature seafood vendors, drinks, and […]

Thanks to Jeff Sprecher, Atlanta is the global home of exchanges Jeff Sprecher, the mastermind of market exchanges around the world, traced how he ended up in Atlanta in a talk to the Rotary Club of Atlanta on Jan. 12. “I heard about a company in Atlanta that was going bankrupt,” said Sprecher, founder and […]

Georgia Rivers announces 2026 paddling and fishing trip schedule Georgia Rivers has released its 2026 schedule of guided canoe, kayak, paddleboard, and fishing adventures, featuring more than two dozen trips across the state. Registration for spring 2026 weekend adventures and 2026 day trips is now open and will remain open until individual trips sell out. […]

Atlanta veteran and cancer survivor to ride on City Of Hope Rose Parade float Atlanta resident and U.S. Army veteran Tyler Blue, 63, will ride on City of Hope’s 2026 Rose Parade float as a cancer survivor representing City of Hope Atlanta. Blue was a successful corporate salesperson when hoarseness in his throat led to […]

GSU President Brian Blake at Atlanta Rotary Brian Blake has been president of Georgia State University for the past five years. At the Rotary Club of Atlanta on Dec. 8, Blake had a conversation with Atlanta Business Chronicle Publisher David Rubinger, who asked the college president about his tenure. “My biggest accomplishment is that I’m […]

South Arts names Doug Shipman as next president and CEO South Arts has selected Doug Shipman to serve as its next president and CEO, effective Jan. 20. He will lead the regional arts organization as it enters its 50th anniversary year. Shipman, a former Atlanta City Council president and past CEO of the Woodruff Arts […]

Spelman College to launch film academy collaboration in 2026 Spelman College is the latest school in Georgia to get a slate of film and television courses, with two introductory classes set to begin in Spring 2026.  Georgia Film Academy partnered with Spelman to enroll students in the 18-hour film and television certification program. The “Film […]

Rivian CEO: Georgia is key to company’s success R.J. Scaringe, founder and CEO of Rivian Automotive, knew what he wanted to do from an early age. “When I was about the age of 10, I decided I wanted to start a car company,” Scaringe told members of the Rotary Club of Atlanta on Nov. 17. […]

A proposal for a new Atlanta museum — FutureVerse Leaders behind the effort to develop a museum of the future in Atlanta gathered for a VIP-filled room on Nov. 12 at the Buckhead Club.  “We are talking about taking a trip to the future,” said David Wynett, CEO of FutureVerse. “Tonight is really exciting because […]

Southface gives top award to former Mayor Andrew Young At the Southface Visionary Awards luncheon on Oct. 30 at the Georgia Aquarium, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young received the nonprofit’s Argon Award for his leadership in improving the global environment. Young was introduced by Rawson Haverty, a business leader who has traveled with Young internationally […]

Blank Foundation donates $2.5 million after Hurricane Melissa In response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa earlier this week, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is providing $2.5 million in aid. The foundation is providing an initial grant of $1.5 million to support the work of World Central Kitchen, which offers nourishing meals and […]

Builder Tommy Holder honored with Four Pillar Award The Council for Quality Growth bestowed its highest honor on Tommy Holder on Oct. 16 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The 36th annual Four Pillar Award (Quality, Responsibility, Vision and Integrity) showcased Holder, not only as a builder of buildings but also as a community builder. Arthur […]

Hope Atlanta turns 125 years old with a bang One of Atlanta’s oldest nonprofits, Hope Atlanta, raised $1 million at its gala on Oct. 9 at Flourish — celebrating 125 years of helping people in need. Hope Atlanta, formerly known as Travelers Aid of Metropolitan Atlanta, was founded in 1900. Its history was on full […]

SCAD Savannah Film Festival announces 2025 lineup The Savannah College of Art and Design will host the 28th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, featuring 167 films and a slate of industry panels, screenings and special events. The nation’s largest university-run film festival will showcase 56 narrative features, 15 documentary […]

United Way of Greater Atlanta turns 120 years old In 1905, a group of Atlanta business leaders formed Associated Charities to respond to the community’s needs after a devastating ice storm. Associated Charities, which later became known as the Community Chest, eventually became known as United Way.  The idea was to have one central entity […]

Heroes Saints & Legends and the Wesley Woods Foundation The Wesley Woods Foundation’s annual Heroes, Saints & Legends event at Flourish on Sept. 18 honored three longtime leaders in the Atlanta region. Doug Hooker, the former executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, was celebrated along with his wife, Patrise Perkins-Hooker, currently Atlanta’s city attorney. […]

Delta celebrates a ‘Century of Flight‘ Delta Air Lines packed the Fox Theatre Sept. 15 with the premiere of “A Century of Flight,” a documentary about the airline’s first 100 years. The premiere was followed by a conversation between the film’s director – Joshua Seftel, and Ed Bastian, Delta’s CEO. The surprisingly emotional documentary exposed […]

For Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera, it’s personal During his Institute Address on Sept. 4, Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera bemoaned the fact that there has been a 27 percent drop in international students at the university. “These declines are not unique to Georgia. It’s part of a national trend,” Cabrera said, adding that “international […]

High Museum of Art adds four new board members The High Museum of Art appointed four new members to its 44-person board of directors, and each will serve a three-year term overseeing the Southeast’s largest museum for visual art.  Robin Delmer, Katie Johnson, Kelly Layton and Hassan K. Smith will serve as the new board […]