Friends, colleagues and family gathered at the Mason Art Gallery Sunday afternoon to remember one of Atlanta’s unapologetic liberals – Tom Teepen.
Teepen, editorial page editor of the Dayton Daily News, became an Atlantan when he joined the Atlanta Constitution’s editorial page in 1982, soon becoming its editor. He later served as a syndicated political columnist for Cox Enterprises until he retired in 2002.
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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.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on June 9, 2017
Retired Genuine Parts Co. executive and philanthropist Wilton Looney has given $1 million to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in honor of his late wife Martha Looney. “Fortunately we talked about it just before she died [in October 2016], and she agreed,” Looney said in a telephone interview June 6. “It’s just something we wanted to do.”
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.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on June 9, 2017
Atlanta-based corporate giants and major companies with an Atlanta presence stopped short of joining the chorus of criticism Democrats and environmentalists heaped on President Donald Trump’s decision June 1 to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.
But The Coca-Cola Co., Delta Air Lines Inc., The Home Depot Inc., and others firmly renewed their commitments to pursuing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, goals set forth by the 2015 Paris accord.
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.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on June 2, 2017
Don’t be surprised if from June 5 to June 14, Atlanta looks more international than usual.
Rotary International will be holding its 108th annual convention in Atlanta — commemorating the 100th anniversary of the launch of the Rotary Foundation — which happened at the Rotary convention held in Atlanta in 1917. That’s when Arch Klumph proposed creating an endowment with a purpose of “doing good in the world.” The foundation began with a war chest of $26.50, but today it has assets of more than $1 billion, and that’s after it has invested more than $3 billion in philanthropic causes in virtually every corner of the world.
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.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on June 2, 2017
Doug Shipman will be the new president and CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, succeeding Virginia Hepner, who has held the post for the past five years.
Shipman, 44, is the CEO of BrightHouse — a global creative consultancy that is part of BCG (Boston Consulting Group). But Shipman is best known for the nine years he spent exploring the feasibility, developing and opening Atlanta’s Center for Civil and Human Rights. He left the center after its first full year in business.
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.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 26, 2017
Oglethorpe University has friends and family to thank for launching a new building effort on the heels of completing the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history.
Among its closest friends are Tom and Ann Cousins, who have given Oglethorpe a $2.5 million lead gift for the university’s new Center for Science and Innovation, the largest single gift the institution has ever received from an individual family.
The new $20 million center will be built on the university’s historic quadrangle, and it will include new science labs as well as an innovation component that will distinguish Oglethorpe among its peers — connecting liberal arts to experiential learning.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 19, 2017
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal will be honored by the Council for Quality Growth with its 28th annual Four Pillar Award on Oct. 5 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
It is the first time the Council has presented the Four Pillar Award to a sitting governor.
The Council said Deal was being honored for his contributions to economic prosperity, education and transportation in Georgia. The Council’s Four Pillars of leadership – quality, responsibility, vision and integrity – exemplify the organization’s mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 19, 2017
Note to readers: The 2017 LINK trip was the 21st annual trip, which began in 1997. Hundreds of regional leaders have been invited to participate on the LINK trips, which have visited Denver (twice), Dallas (twice), Seattle (twice), Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Houston, Toronto, Vancouver, San Diego, Portland, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.
DETROIT — Metro Atlanta’s problems seem miniscule when compared to the challenges Michigan’s largest city has faced in recent years.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 12, 2017
The Loudermilk family turned out May 3 for the naming ceremony of the Loudermilk Family Gymnasium at the Covenant House Georgia.
But Charlie Loudermilk Sr. showed up with a special surprise – one that even caught some members of his family by surprise.
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 12, 2017
The fourth generation of the Cox family soon will be leading Cox Enterprises Inc., the largest privately-owned company in Georgia.
Alex Taylor, 42, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, will become the company’s CEO on Jan. 1, succeeding John Dyer, who has been with the company for 40 years.
Taylor and Dyer sat down with Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 8 at the headquarters of Cox Enterprises to talk about the transition in leadership and the future of the business.
