Category: Guest Column

This summer, The Wall Street Journal headline sent shivers down spines in city halls, chambers of commerce and real estate firms across our metro region: “Atlanta’s Growth Streak Has Come to an End.” More domestic migrants left than came to metro Atlanta between 2023 and 2024, for the first time since such data were recorded. […]

In a city full of movers and shakers, Darlene Schultz operates with the quiet efficiency of someone who doesn’t need a spotlight to change lives — she just needs a mission. As CEO of Georgia Works, she’s not chasing recognition or corner office glory. She’s too busy being a one-woman force of nature, transforming Atlanta’s […]

Atlanta Public Schools recently raised teacher salaries by 11 percent, boosted support staff salaries by 10 percent, and set a goal to have the average salary reach $100,000 by 2030. As it relates to teacher retention, these steps are very welcome — and also insufficient if we want to keep our most impactful teachers in […]

In public health, we have a saying that underscores the invisible impact of the work: “When prevention works, absolutely nothing happens.” Everyday, you experience the quiet magic of public health. You may drive in your car with confidence in the safety features in case of an accident. You may drink from your tap and never […]

Georgia’s math scores ticked up this year.  English Language Arts didn’t. In fact, Georgia has the steepest decline of all the states that have posted third-grade data this summer, and the share of students in the lowest level, “Beginning,” is up eight points since 2019.  We can fix this, but only if state and district […]

A Gainesville developer wants to build a 116-room hotel, with a bar and restaurant, behind the 169-year-old Prince Avenue antebellum mansion that has housed University of Georgia presidents since 1949. Plans are to preserve the house with some interior modifications. Having divested itself of the houses for the University System of Georgia chancellor, and the […]

I have been described as a speaker, teacher, organizer, consultant, leader, facilitator, mediator, entrepreneur, innovator and executive. I strive to use these skills toward a singular focus: increasing intercultural understanding. At my core, I am a community-builder and peace-maker. Knowing this about myself was often a challenge in a corporate environment. I was born in […]

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, public trust in fundamental American institutions — elections, the law and the courts, the press, and our system of government itself — seems to be at an all-time low. Not a day goes by without a new allegation of election corruption, media bias, […]

A few weeks ago, my teenage daughter approached me with quiet seriousness and asked: “Mommy, are we safe here?” Her words struck me like lightning, revealing the heartbreaking reality faced by every parent who has had to teach their child what to do in the event of a school shooting or an encounter with a […]

On June 16, Atlanta City Council Members passed a new Tree Protection Ordinance (TPO) which, despite its title, still fails to protect any trees on developing properties in our City. Over 70 percent of Atlanta’s trees stand on private properties in residential areas. In every Atlanta neighborhood, older homes are torn down, larger properties are […]

Atlanta has long been recognized as a hub of entrepreneurial energy, yet it continues to struggle with a persistent challenge: not enough investors to fund its early-stage companies. The Southeast is full of promising startups, but without a steady pipeline of investors, many struggle to secure the funding they need to grow. This problem isn’t […]

It often starts with a simple question: “What exactly does a CASA do?” The answer is powerful. We change lives one child, one story, one voice at a time. At Atlanta CASA, our trained community volunteers serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) for children in foster care across Fulton County. These advocates are appointed […]

Trees, magnificent plants beyond human capacity to duplicate, suppliers of the very breath we require, a primary solution to our ever-deepening climate crisis, yet we destroy them as if there is no connection.  Mimosa Hall and Gardens survived the Civil War, but last week the city of Roswell decided history needed a parking lot. Their […]

I recently shared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution why residents in English Avenue and Vine City are alarmed about Georgia Power’s plan to build a new substation in our community. But one guest column isn’t enough. The larger issue is that Atlanta lacks a just and transparent process for deciding where critical infrastructure like this should […]

The environmental benefits of renewable energy are well-established. Reducing hazardous pollutants gives us healthier water, land, and air. But the advantages of solar, wind, and geothermal resources also strengthen our energy security. The global geopolitical landscape dictates prices and availability of nonrenewable fuels, exposing the U.S.  economy to price shocks and uncertainties. Even when sourced […]

This year’s elections for the Public Service Commission (PSC), a little-known board of five people who regulate our utilities and railroads, are must-win races for the future of Georgia.  In a January AJC poll, voters ranked “Cost of Living” as our state’s most critical issue. Combined with “Jobs/Economy,” nearly half of all voters who make […]

Roughly one in eight Georgians rely on SNAP food assistance benefits to put food on the table. More than half of the roughly 1.3 million Georgia households who rely on SNAP to put food on the table have children. When a family is looking at providing healthy meals for their family on approximately $6 per […]

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Georgia, and the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 66,200 new cases diagnosed and 19,000 deaths in our state due to cancer this year. In 2001, Georgia was among 46 states that began receiving millions of dollars per year from the tobacco […]

There is a growing talent shortage in accounting, and the state of Georgia has recently taken steps to expand access to a career in this field. The legislature passed a bill that creates additional pathways for people to earn a certified public accountant (CPA) license beyond the 150-hour rule, which will benefit individuals and businesses […]

You want to end HIV? Start with the front door. Because no pill, no clinic, no doctor’s order can stick if someone doesn’t have an address. At Status: Home, we’ve stopped pretending treatment begins in the pharmacy. It begins with a place to live. Because without housing, there is no healthcare. That truth is what […]