By Maria Saporta
Friday, April 9, 2010
Given the world’s focus on this year’s Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, 25 economic development prospects picked a good year to accept the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s invite to go on its annual Red Carpet Tour.
The Red Carpet Tour, a 51-year-old tradition, invites prospects to visit Georgia by offering them the carrot of being able to spend two days (Thursday and Saturday) watching the Masters tournament in Augusta.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, April 9, 2010
Two key Atlanta executives will be inducted into Georgia State University’s 26th Business Hall of Fame on May 13 at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta hotel.
GSU’s Robinson College of Business is awarding the Hall of Fame honor to Dennis Lockhart, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; and Rick Smith, chairman and CEO of Equifax Inc.
They will join a group of 70 influential business leaders, primarily from metro Atlanta, in the Hall of Fame.
By Maria Saporta
Story has been updated
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed briefed the executive committee of the Metro Atlanta Chamber this morning on the state transportation funding bills, the city’s pension crisis and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
“Those are the core issues that they care about,” Reed said after spending about 45 minutes meeting with the business organization.
Reed said there still is an opportunity to “get a meaningful transportation bill this session,” and he urged the business leaders to “redouble our efforts” in the
By Maria Saporta
The grand opening of a one-mile trail in Northwest Atlanta on Saturday marked the continued progress of the Atlanta BeltLine.
Idyllic weather, warm thoughts and celebratory statements set the mood as a host of leaders spoke of the wonderful asset the trail will be for Atlantans and those who live around Tanyard Creek Park, located near the intersection of Northside Drive and Collier Road.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, Atlanta BeltLine’s Brian Leary, the city’s acting Parks and Recreation Commissioner Paul Taylor, the BeltLine Partnership’s John
By Maria Saporta
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the largest foundation in Georgia, has a new trustee — E. Jenner Wood III — a longtime executive of SunTrust Banks Inc.
Wood currently is chairman, president and CEO of SunTrust’s Central Group with responsibility for Georgia
By Maria Saporta
Friday, April 2, 2010
The economy has taken its toll on the youngest among us. A new survey conducted by Quality Care for Children, an Atlanta-based organization dedicated to nurturing and educating infants and young children, has documented a sharp decline in the number of child-care centers, a net loss of about 600, in the state during 2009.
But the results are even more dire
By Maria Saporta
Wayne Clough, the 10th president of Georgia Tech, will always have a special place in the heart of the technology institute.
For starters, he is the first and only Georgia Tech president who also was an alumnus of the university. He was president for 14 years — from 1994 to 2008.
Then, on Monday, Erroll Davis, chancellor of the Board of Regents, declared Clough as Georgia Tech’s president emeritus.
And lastly, Clough’s legacy will be immortalized in bricks and mortar in the heart of Georgia Tech’s campus.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Woodruff Arts Center is experiencing another tough year raising money to make its campaign goal of $8.6 million.
Last year, the goal was $9 million, and the Woodruff Arts Center campaign fell $400,000 short.
As far as the Woodruff’s Beauchamp Carr knows, that
By Maria Saporta and Urvaksh Karkaria
Friday, March 26, 2010
If you go by the number of businesses relocating to the area, things are looking up for metro Atlanta.
For 2010, the Metro Atlanta Chamber set a goal of recruiting 50 new companies that would employ at least 5,000 well-paid employees.
If the current pace of activity continues, the chamber is on track to reach that goal.
By Maria Saporta
Two Japanese television stations were on hand today to cover the Sam Nunn Bank of America Policy Forum taking place at Georgia Tech over the past two days.
The topic? “Path Toward a World Free of Nuclear Weapons: the Euro-Atlantic Challenge.”
Once again, Atlanta and Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts has become a focal point to discuss policies related to the international threat of nuclear weapons.
“This path toward a world free of nuclear weapons is going to be much harder than just nuclear weapons,” said former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Georgia), who is now
Winner of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Lifetime Achievement Award
By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 26, 2010
Although he did not know it at the time, John Sibley became an environmentalist when he was a young boy. His family then owned a working farm on a dirt road in Cobb County where they would go on weekends.
“I wanted Saturday to come so I could be out in the
By Maria Saporta
Two bridges were crossed Wednesday evening when the Council for Quality Growth held a reception for all the region’s mayors and county commission chairs at the Georgian Club.
The reception of about 300 people also included dozens of business executives, state elected officials, civic leaders and heads of metro organizations, such as the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The reception helped bridge the divide between leaders from the urban core and those from the suburbs and exurbs. It also helped bridge the divide between the region’s mayors and county
By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 19, 2010
Atlanta’s United Way has a new million-dollar donor — Thomas K. Glenn II and the Hilda and Wilbur Glenn Family Foundation.
Glenn’s $1 million gift will be spread over two years and will go toward supporting the Regional Commission on Homelessness’ programs to place people in homes. The programs are Street to Home; Shelter to Home; and Hospital to Home.
“Roughly 10 years ago — a new trend started
By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 19, 2010
Atlanta-based SecurAmerica LLC has acquired a Boston-based security firm in its quest to become one of the major national players in the fast-growing industry.
The acquisition comes only three months after it was announced that Tom Bell, former CEO of Cousins Properties Inc., joined the company as executive chairman.
The acquisition of Celadon Security Services Inc. and
Bad, bad news.
As a prisoner on death row, C-TRAN, the bus service in Clayton County, has lost another appeal to stay alive beyond March 31.
The Federal Transit Administration, in a letter to U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta) is denying to review of its earlier decision to permit C-TRAN to use a pot of federal funds to turn over some of the bus operation to the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.
Scott had written a letter on March 15 urging the FTA to allow the use of Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Funds to allow GRTA to initiate its Xpress buses on at least some of C-Tran’s routes.
By Maria Saporta
It was an all-star cast that showed at today’s Atlanta Rotary Club meeting.
First, Ted Turner received the Atlanta Rotary’s Legends Award, and he was accompanied by friends and family members.
Second, Donna Hyland, president and CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, was the keynote speaker attracting her own cadre of friends and associates, including philanthropist Bernie Marcus and her board chair Doug Hertz.
Turner was introduced by his colleague and friend Taylor Glover, president of Turner Enterprises.
By Maria Saporta and Dave Williams
Friday, March 19, 2010
Republican gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel is making inroads in Atlanta’s business community.
Longtime Atlanta business leader Dick Anderson has agreed to join the former Georgia secretary of state’s campaign as vice chairman, beginning April 1. Anderson was previously an executive with BellSouth Corp. and 2007 chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
More recently, Anderson has been serving as executive
By Dave Williams and Maria Saporta
Friday, March 19, 2010
Metro Atlanta’s hopes for a way to fund gridlock-easing transportation improvements may be about to die in the General Assembly for a third straight year.
With the 2010 legislative session approaching a make-or-break deadline, a transportation funding bill proposed by Gov. Sonny Perdue could fall victim to the same political tensions that blew up the last two years
By Maria Saporta
The Atlanta Development Authority — economic development arm of the city of Atlanta — has named an interim president beginning April 1.
Ernestine Garey, who has been ADA’s managing director for housing finance, will fill the position that has been held by Peggy McCormick since March 31. McCormick submitted her resignation today saying her last day on the job will be on March 31. McCormick has worked with the city since 2002 when she serve as co-chair of Mayor Shirley Franklin’s transition team.
Mayor Kasim Reed, who chairs ADA’s
By Maria Saporta
Friday, March 12, 2010
When Gov. Sonny Perdue released his budget proposal earlier this year, it included $10 million in bond money to help build a College Football Hall of Fame but no money for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
That omission has raised some eyebrows among longtime Atlanta business and civil rights leaders.
