The first half of April should have been a nirvana of sports and entertainment in Georgia.
Author Archives: Maria Saporta
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.
Posted inLatest News
2020 Beloved Benefit canceled; gala event to resume in 2021
A signature event, the Beloved Benefit – planned for June 4, is being postponed until 2021.
Posted inColumns
Now is the time to pass the Georgia Hate Crimes Act
We must make sure Ahmaud Arbery did not die in vain.
We have an opportunity to turn the horrendous shooting of Arbery into something good – having Georgia pass the Georgia Hate Crimes Act when the legislature reconvenes in June.
Posted inLatest News
WarnerMedia, AT&T create $250,000 COVID-19 fund for Atlanta arts groups
Responding to a critical need of Atlanta-based arts and cultural institutions, WarnerMedia and AT&T are establishing a COVID-19 relief fund of $250,000.
Posted inLatest News
Recovery Fund announces another $5.3 million in grants to 245 metro Atlanta nonprofits
In its sixth round of grants to nonprofits in the Atlanta region announced Friday morning, the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund is distributing a total of $5.3 million in grants to a record number of 245 organizations.
Posted inLatest News
ARC cancels 2020 LINK trip to Chicago
The Atlanta Regional Commission has canceled its 2020 LINK trip to Chicago because of coronavirus-related health concerns.
Posted inLatest News
BoxLock provides a ‘contactless’ way to stop packages from being stolen
Timing is everything. An Atlanta-based startup – BoxLock – was launched in 2017 as a way to prevent porch pirates from walking off with packages delivered to people’s homes.
Posted inColumns
APC and GPB successfully put on 10 virtual primary debates
The Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Broadcasting pulled off the most challenging series of political debates in the history of their 27-year partnership.
Posted inLatest News
Free COVID-19 testing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium thanks to Blank Foundation, CORE
Testing, testing, testing.
One of the keys to fighting the coronavirus pandemic is to expand testing so people can know whether they need to be quarantined and so public health officials can keep track of the spread of the disease.
Posted inLatest News
Race barrier broken at two of Georgia’s Fortune 500 companies
Two of Georgia’s Fortune 500 companies – one of the oldest and one of the youngest – elected their first-ever African-American directors. The shareholders of Genuine Parts elected Richard Cox, chief information officer for Cox Enterprises, on Monday. And Veritiv elected Shan Cooper, executive director of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, at its virtual annual meeting Wednesday morning.
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Six people attend Rollins annual meeting in person
Without a doubt, Atlanta-based Rollins Inc. on Tuesday convened its most unusual annual meeting in its 51-year history.
Posted inColumns
Gov. Kemp misses opportunity to leverage Georgia’s global health assets
Gov. Brian Kemp’s announcement last week that Georgia would start easing restrictions due to the Coronavirus pandemic by opening tattoo parlors, bowling alleys, gyms, hair and nail salons on April 24 and then restaurants and movie theaters on April 27 has put the national spotlight on the state.
Posted inLatest News
Sandeep Gill named executive director of Literacy Action
The board of Literacy Action, an Atlanta-based nonprofit founded in 1968 of provide adult literacy education, has selected Sandeep Gill to be its new executive director.
Posted inATL Business Chronicle
New Atlanta Housing Authority CEO wants to be aggressive on affordable housing
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Nov. 15, 2019
After a month in town as the new CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority, Eugene Jones Jr. is stirring new life into an organization fraught with leadership turmoil, lawsuits and limited building activity of new affordable housing units for nearly a decade.
Posted inATL Business Chronicle
Column: After 25 years, Metro Atlanta Arts Fund founding director stepping down
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Nov. 15, 2019
Back in the early 1990s, small- and mid-sized arts organizations in metro Atlanta had no lifeline to help them through the tough times and nurture them into vibrant entities in our region.
Posted inLatest News
Local arts groups worried about financial fallout from COVID-19
Arts and cultural organizations in metro Atlanta and the state are seeking to shine the spotlight on how the coronavirus is negatively impacting the creative sector.
Posted inLatest News
Community Foundation, United Way announce fifth round of grants
Another13 nonprofits were given a total of $1.46 million from the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund on Tuesday.
Posted inLatest News
Gaurav Kumar named president of the Andrew Young Foundation
The Andrew J. Young Foundation has named Gaurav Kumar as its new president.
Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, 88, will remain as chairman of the foundation, and he is working from home during the coronavirus pandemic
Posted inLatest News
YWCA’s Salute to Women on Tuesday evening will be virtual – and free
The YWCA of Greater Atlanta decided to hold its Salute to Women of Achievement on April 21 at 7 p.m. – virus or no virus. But this year’s Salute will be virtual, and it will be free to whoever wants to join in. Folks just have to register online to be able to participate.
Posted inColumns
As corporate annual meetings go virtual due to COVID-19, something is lost
In days of normalcy, most meetings take place in person – giving shareowners the rare opportunity to be in the presence of company executives and directors. But these days, nothing is normal.
