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
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on April 1, 2016
Back in the 1970s, the Arthritis Foundation was one of the first national nonprofits to move it headquarters from New York City to Atlanta.
Now – four decades later – the Arthritis Foundation wants to become much better known in the Atlanta community. The Foundation recently sold its building on West Peachtree Street and moved a couple of blocks away to 1355 Peachtree St., where it is leasing one floor.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on April 1, 2016
Even before the 2016 Georgia legislative session began, the business community at the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s annual meeting in December let it be known it would fight any religious liberty bill that could possibly cause discrimination.
And as various versions of a religious liberty bill were introduced, amended and ultimately passed both houses, the objections from business leaders, industries, organizations and major conventions grew even louder — with some saying they would boycott Georgia if the bill became law.
The Coca-Cola Co. is naming Helen Smith Price as the new president of the Coca-Cola Foundation as well as the company’s vice president of Global Community Affairs – beginning her new role on April 16.
The Pulte family wanted to send Atlanta a message Tuesday morning.
The company that Bill Pulte Sr. founded in 1950 is not moving its headquarters out of Atlanta. That’s what Bill Pulte III said in a phone interview Tuesday morning.
The younger Pulte even said he will be spending a lot more time in Atlanta seeking to fill the void left by the future departure of Richard Dugas, the CEO of PulteGroup.
Atlanta has a wonderful opportunity to lead the region by showing how to seize the future. It can become the model for the rest of the region. As Atlanta proves that transit is giving it a competitive edge, the rest of the region will find out the hard way that it’s a day late and a dollar short – and forced to play catch up.
Although his tenure as CEO of the PulteGroup is tenuous, Richard Dugas is sure about one thing. He is staying in Atlanta.
On Monday morning, the Atlanta-based PulteGroup announced that Dugas had informed the board of his intention to retire at the company’s annual meeting in May 2017.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on March 25, 2016
John Imlay, the late Atlanta technology giant and philanthropist, passed away suddenly from a heart attack a year ago on March 25. But Imlay, who was larger than life when he was alive, will live on through a much more robust family foundation.
In anticipation of its increased role, the Imlay Foundation is naming its first outside executive director – Rob Smulian, previously vice president of philanthropy for the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
A veteran sports and entertainment branding expert has been named as the new CEO of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Dennis Adamovich, 53, has had more than 20 years of experience leading brand strategy, marketing and digital technologies for entertainment and sports – working across multiple platforms.
As a symbol of how important the Atlanta Committee for Progress has become to the business community, Duriya Farooqui has been named the new executive director of the public-private organization starting on May 2.
Second column in a two-part series on the Chattahoochee River
Cities rise and fall on their ability to dream and implement “big” ideas.
For Atlanta, turning five miles of the Chattahoochee River into an easily accessible waterfront is one such big idea that could change the city’s profile.
But two pending projects could severely limit Atlanta’s ability to turn the Chattahoochee River into a linear park.
Business leaders Monday were quick to applaud Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision to veto of HB 757, even though many expressed concern that the controversy over “religious freedom” legislation would not be going away.
“The Georgia Chamber agrees with Governor Deal’s thoughtful reasoning to veto HB757,” according to a statement from Hank Linginfelter, an executive with AGL Resources who is the 2016 chair of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on March 18, 2016
After deciding to establish its North American headquarters in Atlanta last year, Sage Group is now making a philanthropic imprint in the community.
The accounting software company, located in Atlantic Station, launched the Sage Foundation’s North American giving in Atlanta on March 15.
Georgia Tech has just selected the architectural team of Lord Aeck Sargent and the Miller Hull Partnership to design what is expected to be the most environmentally-friendly building in the Southeast.
Imagine a building that produces more energy and water than it uses.
Updated post:
A veteran Atlanta newsman – Harold S. Gulliver – passed away Thursday morning in a Valdosta Alzheimer’s facility, where he had lived for the past few years.
My mentor George Berry sent me an email telling me of the sad news – bringing me back to an amazing time when I was privileged enough to be a youngster in a gang of newspaper legends, politicians, historians and intellectual greats.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on March 18, 2016
After a decade as CEO of Equifax, Rick Smith has turned the credit reporting company into an information technology powerhouse operating in 27 countries around the world.
It’s a transformation easily overlooked by the general consumer, who still connects Equifax with credit scores and credit information.
But in the business-to-business world, Equifax is becoming recognized as a one-of-a-kind technology firm that can compile, analyze and fuse multiple databases so that other companies can better understand their customers as well as strategically identify prospective customers.
Remember 17 years ago when the Atlanta BeltLine was just a glimmer in Ryan Gravel’s mind?
Now imagine the Chattahoochee River as reinventing the western edge of Atlanta in the same way the BeltLine has transformed our communities.
The two stories are strikingly similar.
Top Georgia business leaders now are looking toward Gov. Nathan Deal to continue his stance against discrimination – as it relates to HB 757 – also known as the religious freedom bill.
Richard Dugas, president and CEO of the Pulte Group who chairs the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Public Policy Advisory Board, spoke out strongly against the the bill, which has now passed both the Georgia House and Senate and will rest on the governor’s desk.
In the early 1960s, the Atlanta Student Movement bubbled up from the historically black colleges on the west side of downtown.
They wanted to be able to eat at restaurants, shop at department stores and not live as second-class citizens.
By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on March 11, 2016
One of Atlanta’s senior women executives – Shan Cooper – stepped down as vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin in Marietta on Feb. 5 so she could stay in town. Fortunately, she was able to stay in Atlanta by joining the executive team of WestRock, a Fortune 500 company that is co-headquartered in Richmond, Va. and Norcross.
The architectural team of Lord Aeck Sargent and the Miller Hull Partnership has been selected by Georgia Tech to design the Living Building Challenge 3.0 project – expected to be the most sustainable building in the Southeast.
