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By Maria Saporta

It’s become a mantra — educate women and girls, and you can change the world.

That is the theme of a relatively new documentary —Girl Rising — directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins about nine girls from nine countries in their quest to transform their lives by getting an education.

A special showing of the film was held Monday evening at the Landmark Midtown Cinema with one of its key partners — Atlanta-based CARE USA.

A shorter film by Rhett Turner, son of Ted Turner, also was presented that recounted the story of three girls who have been helped by CARE’s efforts around the world.

Among international human services organizations, it’s become evident that the way to have the greatest impact on global poverty is to focus on women and girls.

By Maria Saporta

Julie Ralston, a mainstay at the Atlanta Regional Commission for 28 years, is taking on an enhanced role as director of the organization’s new Center for Strategic Relations.

The new center will focus on building stronger networks for regional action and progress through community engagement, communications and marketing, governmental affairs and strategic initiatives.

Ralston is well positioned to be the founding director of the new center because she has served as ARC’s communications director for 28 years. She also has coordinated the ARC’s annual State of Region breakfast, organized a quarterly public affairs television show and developed the Model Atlanta Regional Commission youth leadership program, which has graduated some 750 10th and 11th graders during the last 15 years.

By Maria Saporta

The board of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. (ABI) met Wednesday morning, going into executive session, to discuss who will be its next CEO among the five already disclosed finalists.

But once they called the public back in the room, it became quickly obvious that little new information would be shared.

The Atlanta BeltLine board, however, did take action on four resolutions that could determine the future streetcar projects for the city.

As for the search, ABI Chairman John Somerhalder, who is CEO of AGL Resources, said the process is continuing.

“We have five good candidates,” Somerhalder said after the meeting. “We agreed on a process to finalize the information we need to make a final decision, and we will have to do that in an open session We don’t have a defined time (to make that decision).”

By Maria Saporta

The Coca-Cola Co. Wednesday morning pledged $3.8 million in grants to help fight the obesity epidemic in Georgia.

In a press conference at the World of Coca-Cola with Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent said: “We are inspiring our hometown of Atlanta and home state of Georgia to be active.”

The effort is part of Kent’s belief in the “golden triangle” of government, business and civil society working together to work on community issues.

“Golden triangle efforts like these and others in Colorado, Chicago and San Antonio amplify the active role we must all take in helping to tackle the complex issue of obesity,” Kent said. “We can only succeed with the collaboration of local governments, community leaders and other willing partners.”

By Maria Saporta

Prominent Atlanta attorney Karol Mason keeps moving up in the world.

She has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Justice Programs.

Mason, a lifelong Democrat, joined the Alston & Bird law firm in 1983 becoming its first black woman partner in 1990. She concentrated on public and project finance, and she chaired the firm’s public finance group, and she also served on the firm’s management committee.

This is not the first time Mason has been part of President Barack Obama’s administration. Mason worked on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign as a member of its national finance committee, raising funds in Georgia.