Let’s travel back in time to 1996 when an influential group of business and civic leaders developed a strategy to feed Atlanta’s economic momentum following the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. An initiative to develop a strategy to solidify the city’s economic base was led by Roberto Goizueta, then the CEO of Coca-Cola Co., working with […]
Category: Maria’s Metro
Posted inMaria's Metro
MARTA’s new CEO will set the tone of the transit agency’s future
Three finalists for the top MARTA job were announced Aug. 10, including Jonathan Hunt, who has been serving as the interim CEO for more than a year. The other two finalists are Cleveland Ferguson III of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Leroy Jones of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Whoever is named CEO on […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
Atlanta’s tree canopy hits new low
The City of Atlanta set a goal in 2023 to have a tree canopy of 50 percent. At the time, the Atlanta City Council said the city’s tree canopy “is a well-recognized integral part of the City’s identity, as the city is frequently described as the ‘City in the Forest.’” It went on to cite a 2018 […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
Developer Jim Irwin is creating a city within a city
One could call Jim Irwin an accidental developer. Today, at the young age of 47, Irwin is one of the most respected developers in Atlanta because of his commitment to creating spaces and places where people want to visit, live and work. A motto for Irwin: “Let’s build a city I’d want to live in.” […]
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A personal reflection: My parents to me: ‘We are citizens of the world’
As the city was celebrating the FIFA World Cup finale at the Showcase Atlanta celebration at Piedmont Park on July 19, Mayor Andre Dickens paid tribute to when Atlanta held the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games exactly 30 years earlier — to the day and almost the actual minute. “Today’s a special […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
World Cup spotlights downtown and Atlanta’s global flavor
So far, so great! After speaking with more than a dozen civic leaders, the consensus has been unanimous. Atlanta has shined brightly during the past month of hosting the FIFA World Cup. That includes MARTA, Centennial Olympic Park and Fan Fest, the streets and sidewalks, the attractions and the people. “It’s been a fun atmosphere,” […]
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Charlotte’s Sherri Chisholm: ‘We were a victim of our own success’
Once again Atlanta can look to Charlotte, N.C. for insights into improving the region’s economic mobility ranking. But the recent decision to sunset Leading on Opportunity, the organization that spearheaded Charlotte’s economic mobility efforts, may come as a surprise. Sherri Chisholm, executive director of Leading on Opportunity since 2020, shared her thoughts in a candid […]
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At 250, American democracy is in turmoil
As we’re about to turn 250 years old, let’s ask ourselves: Can a divided nation celebrate a united birthday? The United States will turn 250 years old on Saturday, reinforcing its place as the world’s longest-living republic with a constitution. It’s a time to pause and reflect on where we’ve been, where we are and […]
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Atlanta gains ground as a city for bicycles
PeopleForBikes gave the City of Atlanta a score of 33 in its 2026 ratings, released on June 17. This is up from just 23 in 2020. The Boulder, Co.-based organization also declared Atlanta as one of the eight cities to watch. An adage applies to the latest ranking: “What gets measured gets improved.” Time and time again, we’ve seen how […]
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Mayor Andre Dickens: ‘This is a special moment for us’
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is turning 52 on June 17, and he is taking stock of everything he’s experiencing leading up to his birthday. After the quarterly meeting of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP) at the headquarters building of Invesco on Friday, June 12, Mayor Dickens sat down for an exclusive interview with SaportaReport, […]
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Another blow to local news — nonprofit Atlanta Civic Circle shuts down
The closing of the Atlanta Civic Circle feels like a death in the family. SaportaReport helped launch the Atlanta Civic Circle in 2018, providing a place where journalists could do “deep dive” reporting on issue of critical importance in the Atlanta region. (We announced the concept at a Commerce Club event in December 2017). ACC received […]
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Justin Cutler to mayor: Atlanta should strive to reach ParkScore’s Top 10
Justin Cutler’s last day as Atlanta’s commissioner for parks and recreation was May 29, completing nearly four years in that position. In an exit interview with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Cutler offered advice on selecting his successor. The mayor should share his love for parks and recreation. Then Dickens should set a challenge: try to […]
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Georgia eliminates key economic development incentives and tax credits
For the past 12 years, Area Development Magazine has ranked Georgia the No. 1 state for business. Now economic developers in the state are concerned that Georgia’s business-friendly reputation could be at stake after the General Assembly eliminated about a dozen tax incentives and tax credits used to attract investment to the state. Among the […]
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Coca-Cola’s new CEO Henrique Braun: ‘Atlanta is my hometown’
Henrique Braun, who has been CEO of Coca-Cola Co. for less than two months, already is making his presence felt in Atlanta. Braun welcomed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to Coca-Cola’s headquarters on May 14 to be part of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour and to highlight Atlanta as one […]
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Atlanta, please give Ted Turner his due
For years, Ted Turner called me Marcia. Finally, one evening I got the courage to tell him my name was Maria. It was the night Ted told the world, while sitting next to then-Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell at an event in Buckhead, that he was not going to let his Atlanta Hawks leave downtown Atlanta, […]
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Seeking equity in Atlanta’s economic development strategies
When Eloisa Klementich started writing a book about equitable economic development five years ago, “equity” was not yet a dirty word. Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, , the city’s economic development agency, wrote a book based on her observations of how government and civic entities can ensure their programs and policies foster greater […]
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Let’s protect Piedmont Park’s green space while hosting special events
As a Midtown resident who has lived within two blocks of Piedmont Park for more than 50 years, I’ve seen it all. That includes the beloved legacy Atlanta Arts Festival (now defunct), Music Midtown (now Shaky Knees), the Peachtree Road Race, the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival and countless other events large and […]
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Mayor Andre Dickens on ACP Chair Andrew Schlossberg: ‘He’s all in’
The influential Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP) held its April 10 meeting at Invesco’s headquarters in the Midtown Union development. The location was not a coincidence. It was the first ACP meeting to be chaired by Andrew Schlossberg, CEO of Atlanta-based Invesco, and it was the public-private group’s first quarterly meeting of 2026. ACP consists […]
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The Carters live on through Habitat International’s Carter Work Project in Atlanta
Habitat for Humanity International is 50 years old this year, the same year of the 40th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. “How appropriate for our 50th year to come back to Atlanta, as we were born in Georgia,” said Jonathan Reckford, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Obviously there’s no replacing President and Mrs. […]
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Let people design public spaces
Some truths are self-evident. Spaces work best when they are designed for the people, by the people. I was reminded of this simple (but not often followed) truth when I attended the March 23 Parks & Greenspace Conference, organized by Park Pride each year. Please read the article my colleague – Delaney Tarr – wrote […]
