Category: Contributors

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Stunned by the sudden loss of interim President Bill Taggart, leaders of Morehouse College pledged to do everything they can to keep the institution strong.

A service for Taggart, who died suddenly on June 7 of an apparent brain aneurism, was held on Friday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel on the Morehouse campus.

“Things happen for a reason,” said Willie Woods, who was elected chairman of the Morehouse Board of Trustee at the same tumultuous time Taggart was named interim president. “The sad part is that we are going to miss Bill’s leadership.”

By Maria Saporta The Piedmont Park Conservancy, through the generosity of the Vasser Woolley Foundation, has replaced the park’s popular “Climbing Magnolia” tree. The original Magnolia tree was one of most popular attractions in Piedmont Park – a perfect size with outstretched limbs that embraced children, and even adults, inviting them to climb. It also […]

General Electric Co. has named Russell Stokes, its highest-ranking executive in Georgia, as the new CEO of GE Power, the company’s New York-based unit responsible for power generation and water technologies. But Stokes — who will lead the Metro Atlanta Chamber in 2018 — will continue to be based in Atlanta.

Stokes, currently president and CEO of GE Energy Connections, will take over GE Power on July 3.

Memorial services for William “Bill” Taggart, an Atlanta business and civic leader who died suddenly on June 7, will be held on Friday, June 16 at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College at 830 Westview Drive S.W.

Since April, Taggart was serving as the interim president of Morehouse College. He also held several important roles in the community, such as chairman of the Atlanta Business League and on the board of the Westside Future Fund.

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.