Category: Sections

By Maria Saporta

Back in 2006, Habitat for Humanity International moved its administrative headquarters from Americus to downtown Atlanta.

So how has the relocation of its headquarters worked out for Habitat?

“It’s been a home run,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat International. “It has helped in our recruitment and retention of the people we can get here. We’ve got some terrific people.”

By Maria Saporta

Genuine Parts Co. today announced that Jerry Nix, the company’s chief financial officer, will retire on March 1, 2013.

And the company also announced that it is promoting Carol B. Yancey to the position of executive vice president of finance and as corporate secretary.

She will assume the role of CFO when Nix retires, making her the highest-ranking woman with the Fortune 500 company. Yancey has been with the company for nearly 22 years, and she previously served as senior vice president of finance and corporate secretary.

By Maria Saporta

Atlanta-based Mother Nature Network and Discovery Communications have agreed to merge their environmental websites — www.mnn.com and www.treehugger.com to form a new entity that will be jointly owned by both.

Joel Babbit, co-founder and CEO of Mother Nature Network, sent out an email late Wednesday night saying: “Several months ago, Discovery Communications and MNN began discussing a plan which would dramatically change the landscape of our industry and provide a tremendous increased in the scope and potential of our business. It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the agreement to move forward with that plan was finalized earlier this week.”

“The new entity will be based in Atlanta and will stay under the MNN banner with Joel in charge,” according to MNN spokesman Dan Beeson.

By Maria Saporta

It’s the beginning of flu season — and Georgia researchers are on the cutting edge of advances on how to protect people from influenza.

The researchers are the stars of a half-hour pilot episode of a new partnership between the Georgia Research Alliance and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

“The Future Files” — with a tagline: “Inventing Tomorrow in Georgia Today” — will debut at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13 on GPB. The hope is that this will be the first of a 13-part series that will highlight Georgia’s scientists and researchers and how they are changing our world.

By Maria Saporta

As CNN top political analysts shared their views of the 2012 presidential election and the decisive re-election of President Barack Obama, they also were looking ahead to 2016.

The consensus? That Hillary Clinton, currently the Secretary of State, will be running for the Democratic nomination.

CNN political team participated in the Rotary Club of Atlanta’s Monday luncheon — by being beamed in on a video screen to answer questions from Rotarians as well as CNN executive Rick Davis.

By Maria Saporta

The Atlanta business and government community have embraced the Better Buildings Challenge — an effort that was launched a year ago at the Downtown Development Day.

In that year, the city went from 2 million square feet being part of the effort to become more environmentally sustainable to now 42 million square feet. In a video presented at the 2012 Downtown Development Day on Nov. 7, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said: “Our competitors is paying attention.”

The goal is to reduce energy and water consumption by 20 percent by 2020.

By Maria Saporta

The prospect of the fiscal cliff could actually lead to action in Congress and Washington, D.C.

At least, that’s what U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) believes.

Isakson was the breakfast speaker Thursday morning at the Commerce Club where he talked about the dangers and opportunities that face the nation.

By Maria Saporta

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has no intention to join the second administration of President Barack Obama.

At the Carter breakfast Thursday morning at the Atlanta History Center, Reed was asked directly whether he could guarantee that he would be mayor in 2017 if he were to be re-elected next year.

The mayor’s answer was an unconditional yes.

By Maria Saporta

The Atlanta Falcons had a special guest for its Sunday night victory against the Dallas Cowboys — Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League.

Actually Goodell spent the better part of 24 hours in Atlanta — meeting with the fans, attending the game, visiting with retired NFL players, a special visit with Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, and then as the keynote guest at the Rotary Club of Atlanta.

Asked about the merits of building a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons, Goodell said: “It’s important, not just for the Falcons, but for the NFL.”

By Maria Saporta

One of the biggest challenges that the National Football League faces today is to make the experience of going to a game better than staying at home and watching it on a high-definition television.

That’s what NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told about 550 of the Atlanta Falcons’ most loyal fans at a Fans Forum at the Georgia World Congress Center before the team went on to win its eighth straight game in an undefeated season.

By Maria Saporta

When the Atlanta Falcons play the Dallas Cowboys Sunday evening, there will be more on the line that just the team’s 7-0 record.

Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, will be in the house — where he is expected to visit with some of the Atlanta Falcons top sponsors as well as owner Arthur Blank.

Before the game, Goodell will be attending a “Fan Forum” at the Georgia World Congress Center in the Building C Ballroom beginning at 5:30 p.m. when Falcons fans can ask the commissioner any question on their mind.

By Maria Saporta

The Georgia Wildlife Federation has a new president and CEO.

The Federation’s board has selected Todd Holbrook, former deputy commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, to head the organization beginning on Jan. 1, 2013.

Holbrook, who lives in Conyers, is joining the Federation after spending 27 years with the Georgia DNR in several roles — assistant director of the Wildlife Resources Division and chief of Game Management.