Maria Saporta, executive editor, is a longtime Atlanta business, civic and urban affairs journalist with a deep knowledge of our city, our region and state. From 2008 to 2020, she wrote weekly columns and news stories for the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Prior to that, she spent 27 years with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, becoming its business columnist in 1991. Maria received her Master’s degree in urban studies from Georgia State and her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University. Maria was born in Atlanta to European parents and has two young adult children. She launched SaportaReport in February 2009.
By Maria Saporta
The founding headmaster of the Atlanta International School lived just long enough to see his beloved school break ground on a building that will be named in his honor.
Miles “Alex” Horsley died Dec. 1 at his home after a “spirited” battle with cancer, according to an email that the school sent out on Friday. A memorial service in Horsley’s honor is planned for Jan. 14, 2012.
By Maria Saporta
The Atlanta History Center has selected the architectural team for its “Re-Shape History” redesign — Pfeiffer Partners of New York City.
The history center’s Properties & Capital Projects Committee made the selection, according to Jackson McQuigg, vice president of properties for the center.
“We’re all very excited by the decision,” McQuigg said about the Dec. 1 announcement of the architectural team.
By Maria Saporta
The City of Atlanta has a new sustainability director — Denise Quarles — formerly vice president of environmental affairs and director of business development in the energy division of Southwire, a Carrollton-based manufacturer of electric wiring.
In a release, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said:
“Denise comes to the city from the private sector with an outstanding track record of leading successful sustainability initiatives. I am pleased that
By Maria Saporta
A new organization — Better Georgia — is launching a statewide campaign beginning today, Dec. 1, to organize voters across the state who are disappointed with the current direction at the capitol.
Better Georgia specifically is focusing on Gov. Nathan Deal and leaders of the General Assembly and urging them to work on schools and jobs instead of political wedge issues, like immigration, which divide the state and make it unattractive to business investment and
By Maria Saporta
Efforts to get rid of Atlanta Housing Authority executive director Renee Glover are at a complete standstill.
That appears to be a total change of direction for the Atlanta Housing Authority board, which last month seemed intent on moving as quickly as possible to negotiate a separation agreement with Glover.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 25, 2011
The perception of downtown is rising, according to a new survey commissioned by Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.
The perception of public safety has shown strong improvement with 69 percent of the respondents saying that downtown was either “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” In 2002, only 61 percent felt that way; and in 1996, that number was only 55 percent.
Thanks to a $3.1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has established an “Innovation Delivery Team” to work on improving customer service for city residents as well as to help reduce chronic homelessness.
Kristin Canavan Wilson has been tapped to serve as the new director of Atlanta’s Innovation Delivery Team. When Reed has spoken about establishing this initiative, he said he wanted to hire a “super star.”
By Maria Saporta
The current stalemate in Washington, D.C. between Democrats and Republicans is perhaps the worst situation for the economy, according to John Rice, vice chairman of General Electric and president and CEO of GE Global Growth and Operations.
Rice, who is currently based in Hong Kong, had been living in Atlanta as president and CEO of GE Technology Infrastructure. While in Atlanta, Rice became deeply involved in the
By Maria Saporta
Living Room Inc., the leading provider of supportive housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Georgia, is expanding its service area to include the cities of Rome and Dalton.
Living Room, which has been serving metro Atlanta for 16 years, wanted to fill a need for a part of the state that was underserved. That 20-county area in northwest Georgia will now have access to services and programs that include
Sometimes it takes courage to do the right thing.
That describes MARTA and its general manager, Beverly Scott, and their brave venture to expose the good, the bad and the ugly inside its organization.
The most comprehensive external audit of MARTA’s operations and its entire system currently is underway.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 25, 2011
It’s a tale of the two Woodruffs — a relationship that spans the past five decades.
The latest chapter of the tale culminated with a $15 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to the Woodruff Arts Center as a “vote of confidence” in the cultural organization’s transformation in governance and financial management.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 18, 2011
Southwest Airlines is sending a signal about its role as a civic player in Atlanta by accelerating and expanding AirTran Airways’ pledge to the Grady Health Foundation and Grady Memorial Hospital.
AirTran had made a five-year, $250,000 pledge to Grady in 2009, and it had already fulfilled $100,000 of that pledge when it was acquired by Southwest Airlines in May.
Southwest now is not only honoring AirTran’s pledge, but it is adding another $50,000 to the pot. It also is providing the entire gift at one time.
“AirTran did have this commitment to Grady, and we knew how important Grady is to Atlanta,” said Debra Benton,
By Maria Saporta
The Rotary Club of Atlanta could not have found a more fitting speaker for its Thanksgiving message than Bill Bolling, founder of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
What the folks at Rotary did not know is that Bolling will be receiving the top honor from Georgia Trend’s 100 Most Influential Georgians in January, 2012. Bolling probably is the first nonprofit leader to receive the magazine’s “Georgian of the Year” award.
Bolling began his talk by giving thanks for our freedom and our ability to agree to disagree. He thanked Rotary for being “one of those containers that holds the energy” to make Atlanta a stronger
For decades, Atlantans have felt that they have had a secret formula to resolve differences among disparate folks and to create an economy where people can prosper.
A champion of this mindset is none other than former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young — a Civil Rights leader who went to Congress and later became the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter. He then came back to Atlanta and served two terms as mayor.
Young was awarded the 2011 Ethics Advocate Award by the Center for Ethics
By Maria Saporta
Fort McPherson’s officials are seeking Requests for Qualifications for firms interested in become the master developer for a 113-acre site south of downtown Atlanta.
The McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority will select a firm or a team of firms that will be able to guide the project through its development phases and provide professional services within the project’s scope.
Fort McPherson, a 488-acre military facility, was closed earlier this year. Planning for the redevelopment of the property has been underway for years.
By Maria Saporta
The Consulate General of France in Atlanta has reason to celebrate.
The second-annual France-Atlanta two-week gathering brought together a wide variety of people — elected officials, professional experts, scientists, diplomats, humanitarian leaders and performing artists to forge a closer relationship between the French and Georgians.
The theme of the 2011 conference was: “France-Atlanta: Together Towards Innovation,” a partnership between the French government, Georgia Tech and numerous other French and American organizations.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 18, 2011
A major transformation is under way at the Atlanta History Center.
First, the center has initiated an international design competition to create a whole new look for its building on West Paces Ferry Road while improving several of its physical offerings. It has picked five design finalists, and the Atlanta History Center plans to select the winning architect and design by Dec. 1.
The center also is in the midst of a $27.4 million capital campaign to implement the new design. The campaign also will refresh and modernize the center’s Atlanta History Museum. The campaign includes $5 million to go toward the center’s endowment.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 11, 2011
One of metro Atlanta’s greatest economic engines is none other than Emory University.
The university recently commissioned New York-based Appleseed Inc. to conduct an independent, third-party review of its economic impact.
Emory President Jim Wagner said Nov. 8 that the university is the fourth-largest employer in metro Atlanta, with more than 23,300 jobs. Emory directly and indirectly supports nearly 50,000 jobs statewide.
By Maria Saporta
The Woodruff Arts Center today sent an email to its governing board that it has received a $15 million grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to cover long deferred capital needs of the cultural institution.
The grant will be paid over the next two years.
In its letter to the center, the foundation stated: “This grant commitment is made in recognition of the substantial progress made in strengthening financial oversight and governance within the Woodruff Arts Center. Grant expenditures are to be
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 11, 2011
A small architecture firm in downtown Atlanta has become an international leader in the green building world.
The Epsten Group Inc., founded by Dagmar Epsten in 1991, also has developed two out of the 10 LEED Platinum projects in Georgia. Both of them have been for the firm’s own offices along Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward community — just feet away from the Martin Luther King Jr. historic sites.
Platinum is the highest possible designation provided by the U.S. Green Building Council, which oversees the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications.
