Category: Maria Saporta

In his first public appearance since becoming CEO of the Coca-Cola Co., James Quincey reaffirmed the company’s commitment to Atlanta, water conservation, women empowerment and community well-being at the 2017 Rotary International convention.

“We take great satisfaction that Atlanta is also a special place for Rotary, and that you’ve chosen to celebrate your Foundation’s Centennial here,” Quincey told the more than 23,000 people assembled in Hall B of the Georgia World Congress Center.

Rotary International raised the spotlight on human trafficking Monday at its 108th convention underway in Atlanta.

After a morning devoted to the initiative to eradicate polio, the nearly 37,000 Rotarians attending the conference from all over the world listened to ways it can help fight modern day slavery.
“Atlanta Georgia is one of the hot beds for sex trafficking in the entire country,” said actor Ashton Kutcher, who has become an active voice to protect women and children from becoming modern day slaves. Kutcher said one can actually “buy somebody” – a fact he said is hard to believe.

“End Polio Now” was the rallying cry at the !08th convention of Rotary International – bringing nearly 37,500 Rotarians to Atlanta from Sunday through Wednesday.

Led by Rotary International and Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the global health partners meeting in Atlanta reaffirmed their commitment to ending the disease by pledging an additional $1.2 billion to the cause.

Rotary announced alone pledge to raise $50 million a year for three years. And Bill Gates announced he would match that contribution two-to-one – meaning that partnership would provide another $450 million to fight the last vestiges of the debilitating disease.

The most fragile time for a community surfaces when investors and developers begin swarming around looking for inexpensive property they can flip and make some money.

Southwest Atlanta is case-in-point.

For decades, the Westside witnessed populations losses and declines in property values. But in recent years, the neighborhoods have been enjoying attention from philanthropists, civic groups, developers and investors.

During her talk to the Rotary Club of Atlanta on Monday, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields did not shy away from the tough issues she faces in leading the police department.

Shields has been in her position for about six months, but she was part of the leadership team of former Police Chief George Turner, who she credited for making solid improvements to the department.

Politics was on the shopping list at the opening of the new Publix on Moores Mill and Bolton roads Wednesday morning.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony provided a stage for people running for office and for those seeking to settle political scores and slights.

But the real stars of the day were the dozens, if not hundreds, of community residents who showed up at the store before 7 a.m. to celebrate the long-awaited amenity in their neighborhood.

The Atlanta Comfort Women have found a home – Brookhaven.

A statue of a young girl sitting in a chair originally was supposed to have been anchored at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. The memorial was an artistic depiction to shine the light on human sex trafficking.

But earlier this year, the Center reversed its decision to host the statue after getting pressure from business and international leaders.

CALLAWAY GARDENS – More than a dozen shareholders participated in a question-and-answer session with Southern Co. CEO Tom Fanning during the annual meeting that lasted two hours.

And most of the questions centered around the company’s efforts to adopt more renewable energy, vocally support the Paris Climate Accord and to become a more vocal industry leader addressing global warming and climate change.

By Maria Saporta Atlanta is in the middle of the pack when it comes to parks among the 100 largest cities in the United States. The Trust for Public Land released its 2017 ParkScore Index on Wednesday morning – and Atlanta was tied with Dallas for the 50th spot. That ranking was a slight improvement […]

By Maria Saporta House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, in a talk before the Rotary Club of Atlanta Monday, previewed political themes she will use in a possible run for governor. Earlier this month, Abrams filed the necessary paperwork to launch an exploratory effort to run for governor in 2018. Abrams immediately disarmed the crowd when […]

Agnes Scott College President Elizabeth Kiss sent an email to the institution’s alumnae announcing her intention to resign on June 30, 2018 – completing a dozen years at the helm of the liberal arts women’s college.

“Agnes Scott is a magical place, and I feel so blessed to have had the privilege of serving as your president for the past 11 years,” Kiss wrote in her email.

The Gathering Spot at Northyards was jam-packed Friday morning to hear a conversation between Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy as part of the regular Transform Westside Summit meetings.

Both successful businessmen have made a personal and professional commitment to improve the lives of people living in the neighborhoods west of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in some of the most historically-significant communities in Atlanta.