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Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Column: Trust for Public Land taps Ray Christman; moves regional division to Atlanta

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, October 21, 2011

Atlanta business leader Ray Christman has been tapped to become the senior vice president of the Mid South Division for the Trust for Public Land. Also, the division is being relocated from Miami to Atlanta at the same time.

Christman, who currently is executive director of the Livable Communities Coalition, also worked for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the Peachtree Corridor Task Force.

Previously, Christman spent 13 years with the Federal Home Loan Bank system, including serving as president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.]

Christman, who has a master’s degree in urban planning, said that he has always been drawn to TPL’s “unique mission” of promoting land conservation and park land in urban areas.

Posted inGuest Column

Metro Atlanta is putting a winning team of transportation projects on the field

by Teresa Johnston

By Guest Columnist TERRY LAWLER, executive director of the Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta

In Colleen Kiernan’s recent article in the SaportaReport: “Turning Winning Transit Season into Loosing One,” she likened the development of metro Atlanta’s Transportation Investment Act (TIA) project investment list to the unfortunate ending of the 2011 Braves season.

Her supposition is that without the inclusion and/or removal of certain transportation projects in the metro Atlanta project investment list, metro Atlanta residents will be like the Braves and have to “wait until next year.”

To continue with Ms. Kiernan’s baseball analogy, let’s consider the region’s project list as our “team.”

Posted inDavid Pendered

Occupy Atlanta may be losing steam after Mayor Reed forbids hip hop concert

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

Some of the wind seemed to have gone out of the sails of Occupy Atlanta by Sunday afternoon.

The crowd was smaller than that of Sunday a week ago. Those who were at Troy Davis Park, nee Woodruff Park, seemed a bit like the crowd who’d arrived at a hot party after it had peaked.

Mayor Kasim Reed may have contributed to the lackluster feeling. Reed has provided the group wide privilege at the city’s iconic park in the heart of the central business district. On Sunday, the mayor forbade an unpermitted concert and it was summarily cancelled.

Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

‘Margin Call’ — small-budget, deep impact movie on economic meltdown

Avatar photo by Eleanor Ringel Cater

By Eleanor Ringel Cater

Oh, for the good ol’ days of a strong economy. The days when a Hollywood disaster movie was about a meteor or a volcano.

No such luck in “Margin Call,” a small-budget film with an unexpected deep impact.

The year is 2008. The place: a brokerage firm, somewhere on the top floors of one of Manhattan’s shiniest towers of finance, that’s about to be hit by today’s equivalent of a volcano or meteor: an economic meltdown.

We begin with a staff-slashing bloodbath. “Better not to watch,” veteran Paul Bettany tells newbie, Zachary Quinto, as two automatons in expensive heels wander through the office, dispensing their nothing-personal kiss of death.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta on track to open airport proposals; city seeks more clarification on recent story

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

Atlanta remains on schedule to open proposals from companies seeking contracts for airport concessions next week.

Meanwhile, the city on Friday requested additional clarification on a saportareport.com story that appeared Oct. 18 about the concessions bid process.

Atlanta is conducting what it says is the largest airport concessions procurement process in North American history. The city is seeking private companies to manage all of the 125 food and beverage sites at the airport, plus 27 retail shops.

Posted inLatest News

Grady Hospital’s expanded trauma center demonstrates Bernie Marcus’ generosity

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

Thanks to a multi-million dollar gift from philanthropist Bernie Marcus, Grady Memorial Hospital opened its new and expanded Level 1 trauma center Friday — transforming the formerly dingy emergency facilities into a brightly-lit, modern and state-of-the-art center.

That is the latest project that’s part of a $325 million campaign to upgrade and improve the largest public hospital in the State of Georgia. The fundraising effort so far totals nearly $319 million, meaning about another $6 million needs to be raised.

One of the major donors to the campaign was Marcus, who contributed $20 million to Grady for two major projects. Just 18 months ago, Grady held a ribbon-cutting ceremony opening the Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center. That was followed by Friday’s ribbon-cutting of the $7 million Marcus Trauma Center.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Dov Wilker to lead metro American Jewish Committee

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, October 14, 2011

The Atlanta Regional Office of the American Jewish Committee has named Dov Wilker to be its new director beginning on Nov. 14.

He will succeed Sheri Labovitz, who has been serving as the interim director of the office and who served on the search committee and was a former president of the organization.

“Dov is really a magical choice for us,” Labovitz said. “He was our assistant director during my term as president, so I have been the direct beneficiary of his dedication, energy and intellect.”

Posted inLatest News

PATH Foundation founders and friends celebrate 20 years, 170 miles of trails in Georgia

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

Hundreds of people turned out Wednesday night at the Mason Murer Gallery to celebrate the PATH Foundation’s 20th year anniversary.

The “cocktail buffet” was hosted by Cindy and Bill Fowler, who is chairman of the PATH Foundation; and Sarah and Jim Kennedy, who have been the most generous donors to the organization.

“It’s amazing that a small group of cyclists got together and said: ‘Let’s build a few trails before the 1996 Olympics,’” Jim Kennedy said at the event. “Today we have 170 miles of multiuse trails around the City of Atlanta and Georgia.”

Posted inLatest News

Jeffrey Tapia to assume leadership role of the Latin American Association

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

The Latin American Association has eliminated its CEO position and has streamlined its organizational structure, according to an announcement Oct. 19.

The restructuring includes making Jeffrey Tapia, the association’s chief operating officer, will become responsible for leading the organization. Tapia has been working for LAA for several years and has worked with other Latino organizations for more than 30 years.

“We are appreciative of the leadership that former CEO Millie Irizarry has provided the LAA during these last three years,” said Carmelo Alvarez, chair of the nonprofit organization and an agency field executive for State Farm. “With the economic challenges facing nonprofits,

Posted inDavid Pendered

AHA board hastens Renee Glover’s exit; elects Mayor Reed’s appointee as chair

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

This story has been updated.

Renee Glover will be gone from the Atlanta Housing Authority as fast as the lawyers can reach a deal, following a vote Wednesday by the AHA board of commissioners.

The AHA board elected Dan Halpern as chairman. Halpern, appointed to the board by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, has been a persistent critic of Glover’s management of the city’s housing authority.

The board adopted new procedures that require the board to vote on all firings; new contracts valued at $10,000 or more; and contract extensions of $10,000 or more.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Atlanta’s East Lake success exported to Indianapolis

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, October 14, 2011

Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit group founded four years ago by Atlanta businessman Tom Cousins and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, and now led by former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, held its second annual Network Member Conference in Indianapolis in September where supporters could see firsthand one of its neighborhoods under construction.

Atlanta Business Chronicle contributing writer Maria Saporta was there. Here is her second of two stories reporting on the group’s work.

Back in the 1960s, the Avondale Meadows community in Indianapolis was one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city — a place where young professionals could raise their families on tree-lined streets.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Gov. Deal’s Transit Task Force shows it intends to create a regional governance entity

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

Gov. Deal’s task force to reform transit governance seems to be serious about getting something done.

The panel met in public for the first time Tuesday. One bi-partisan message that emerged clearly is that the committee intends to comply with Deal’s order that legislation establishing an entity to oversee regional transit in metro Atlanta be presented to the state Legislation in January.

Another clear message also emerged, this one delivered to transit operators – tell us what you want now; don’t wait until after we’ve written a bill and then tell us how to tweak it to suit.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta’s CFO out; COO Peter Aman says he can’t comment on city personnel matters

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

Atlanta’s chief finance officer is out, just 16 months after Mayor Kasim Reed nominated her with glowing remarks.

The departure of CFO Joya C. De Foor was announced to members of the Atlanta City Council in an email Monday evening. The email was signed by Reed’s chief of staff, Candace Byrd.

Peter Aman, Atlanta’s COO, said late Tuesday that he could not speak on the situation because it is a personnel matter.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Airport concessions: Proposals due soon after two firms botched paperwork

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

Atlanta’s clarification: See below

Botched paperwork by two corporations fueled the decision by Atlanta to rebid the entire concessions package at the airport, said to be the largest airport concessions procurement in North American history.

The new bids are due next week – on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. Atlanta cancelled its airport procurement program Sept. 2 and required every company to submit new bids, regardless of whether their proposals were flawed.

One of the two companies is trying to break into Atlanta’s airport: Delaware North, one of the nation’s larger vendors. The other company is Great Atlanta Concessions, a new joint venture involving one of the country’s biggest Hispanic franchisees, and a company controlled by an Atlanta businessman with diverse interests including service on a board with former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.

Posted inLatest News

Woodruff Park protest should point to the elite businessman who gave back to community

by Michelle Hiskey

By Michelle Hiskey

The “Occupy Atlanta” protesters have set up in a downtown green space they call “Troy Davis Park.” For them, the recently executed Georgia man symbolizes how the strong oppress the weak.

But for a more creative, stronger message, they should play up their site’s name. Woodruff Park was named for a rich, powerful Georgia man who used his wealth to empower the weak – and the rich and powerful today could use a role model like Robert Winship Woodruff.

Robert Winship Woodruff’s name is on our main arts center, all over Emory University (including the main library and the Health Sciences Center) and his money seeded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Posted inLatest News

Atlantan Doug Hooker top choice to head the Atlanta Regional Commission

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

The Atlanta Regional Commission’s search committee has selected long-time Atlantan Doug Hooker to be the new executive director of the regional planning agency.

The ARC board will vote on Hooker’s nomination in the next couple of weeks, possibly at a rescheduled board meeting to permit a 14-day advance notice.

Hooker currently is employed as vice president and director of Southern States for Atkins engineering and services firm that was formerly-known as PBS&J.

The search committee, chaired by Cherokee County Chair Buzz Ahrens, conducted a national search before unanimously picking Hooker as its lead candidate.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Retired band director guided regional roundtable to finale

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

No one thought they could do it.

Reaching concensus on a plan to build roads and transit across 10 counties in metro Atlanta was just too tough a task.

In the end, a retired Georgia Tech band director got 21 elected officials to play the same song. The region now has a 10-year plan to spend $6.14 billion to improve mobility. Voters next year will decide its fate.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Women pass major milestone – now on 56 percent of Ga.’s public company boards

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, Oct. 14, 2011

A majority of Georgia’s public companies now have at least one woman on their boards, the first time that the percentage has topped 49 percent.

The latest study by the Board of Directors Network, which will be officially released at the organization’s annual meeting on Oct. 20, shows that 56 percent of Georgia’s 136 public companies now have a least one woman director.

Last year, 49 percent of Georgia’s public companies had one or more women on boards (at the time Georgia had 150 public companies), the highest percentage that had ever been reached in the 19 years that BDN has been keeping track. In 1993, the first year that BDN did a study, only 27 percent of Georgia’s public companies had women directors.

Posted inGuest Column

Sandy Springs/Perimeter area fosters international business

by Teresa Johnston

By Guest Columnist DEBBIE GOLDMAN, past chair of the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce and chair of Global Gateway

As metro Atlanta makes strides towards becoming a major international city, one of the leading centers of that movement is Sandy Springs.

In 2010, the City of Sandy Springs had a record year of international business activity, with companies like TransGaming making its North American headquarters there and AJC International expanding its headquarter operations.

Posted inMaria's Metro

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and AHA’s Renee Glover never built a workable partnership

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

The relationship between Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta Housing Authority CEO Renee Glover may have been doomed from the start.

The two never did get an opportunity to forge a working partnership — unlike Glover’s relationship with her predecessors. The estranged situation further unraveled earlier this month when the authority announced that Glover and the AHA board were negotiating her departure.

Questions now revolve on how and why the relationship between Glover and the mayor got so off track and what impact it might have on the housing of the poor in the City of Atlanta.

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