GSU President Brian Blake at Atlanta Rotary
Brian Blake has been president of Georgia State University for the past five years.
At the Rotary Club of Atlanta on Dec. 8, Blake had a conversation with Atlanta Business Chronicle Publisher David Rubinger, who asked the college president about his tenure.
“My biggest accomplishment is that I’m still here five years later,” joked Blake, who is GSU’s eighth president.
Blake did share his vision for Georgia State to be a vibrant part of downtown Atlanta, only blocks away from the State Capitol and City Hall.
“We do our best to be great neighbors,” Blake said. “We are all going in the same direction. We work very hard to play well with the city and the state.”
Last year, Georgia State received $80 million from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to help fund the university’s “Building Pathways for Success” campaign to transform the campus. The project called for the demolition of Sparks Hall and turning it into green space.
“Sparks Hall should be down by February of next year,” said Blake, who did not discuss the status of 148 Edgewood, a historic building that GSU has planned to demolish.
Katie Kirkpatrick, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, asked about Blake’s vision for downtown.
Blake said he would love to see more students attending GSU and living downtown. Before 1996, GSU had only been a commuter school. Now several dorms have been built near the center of the university.
“We want to have 50 percent of the students living on campus,” Blake said.
— Maria Saporta
Mayor announces appointment of new Atlanta city attorney
Mayor Andre Dickens has announced that City Attorney Patrise Perkins-Hooker will depart her role ahead of the start of his next term, concluding a period of service with the City of Atlanta. Dickens has appointed Marquetta Bryan to serve as the city’s new city attorney.
Bryan brings more than 20 years of legal experience spanning public and private practice. She most recently served as a litigation partner at Pierson Ferdinand LLP and also works as a mediator and arbitrator with Henning Mediation & Arbitration Services. Over the course of her career, Bryan has represented municipalities, public agencies, school districts, and nonprofit organizations.
An Atlanta native, Bryan is a graduate of Emory University and is admitted to practice law in Georgia and New York, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States. Her professional recognition includes the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta’s Lawyer of the Year Award and the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service.
Dickens cited Bryan’s legal judgment, strategic approach, and commitment to public service as key factors in the appointment. Bryan said she is focused on advancing integrity, accountability, and transparency within the city’s legal operations while supporting professional development within the City Attorney’s Office.
Dickens also acknowledged Perkins-Hooker’s tenure, highlighting her leadership, willingness to engage in complex issues, and contributions to the administration’s legal work.
— Derek Prall
Herbalife Family Foundation Awards $45,000 Grant to Local Nonprofit Atlanta Children’s Shelter
The Herbalife Family Foundation (HFF), a global nonprofit fueled by Herbalife independent distributors and employees, has awarded a grant of $45,000 to Atlanta Children’s Shelter, a local nonprofit committed to supporting and empowering families and helping them overcome the challenges of homelessness through comprehensive and compassionate programs.
As a Casa Herbalife Program partner, Atlanta Children’s Shelter works with HFF to expand access to nutritious meals, educational resources, and safe, supportive environments for underserved children and families. “We believe every person deserves the opportunity to thrive and build a better future,” said Rob Levy, Herbalife Family Foundation board member and Herbalife president. “We are inspired by our distributor community and employees who come together year after year to act upon that belief and create lasting impact in communities around the world.”
Click here for more information on HFF, its initiatives, and how to get involved.
— Megan Anderson
Ronald McDonald House Atlanta opens new 110-room facility near Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Ronald McDonald House Atlanta has opened a new 126,000-square-foot House in North Druid Hills, expanding its ability to support families of children receiving medical care in the region. The 110-room facility is located adjacent to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital and is the first Ronald McDonald House in the Southeast to be situated directly on a hospital campus.
The new location increases Ronald McDonald House Atlanta’s overall capacity by approximately 75 percent, responding to sustained growth in demand for its services. Since 2022, the organization has seen a 69 percent increase in family stays. In 2024 alone, more than 3,600 families were served, receiving nearly 27,000 nights of lodging and saving an estimated $10 million in combined housing, food, and transportation costs.
The expanded House is designed to support families traveling to Atlanta for specialized pediatric care by providing close proximity to the hospital and a range of on-site resources. Amenities include 18 transplant suites, multiple communal and private dining spaces, a five-story indoor play area, a community gathering floor, and an interactive discovery garden.
Ronald McDonald House Atlanta officials said the new facility strengthens the organization’s ability to provide consistent, accessible lodging and support services for families during extended medical stays.
— Derek Prall
CIM Group signs lease for The Irish Exit pub at Centennial Yards
CIM Group has signed a lease to bring The Irish Exit, a modern Irish pub concept from New York, to Centennial Yards in Downtown Atlanta. The 4,735-square-foot venue will mark the brand’s first location outside New York City and its second overall. The restaurant will be located in the Entertainment District at Centennial Yards, a 50-acre mixed-use redevelopment currently underway near Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.
The Irish Exit was developed by The Dead Rabbit Group, the hospitality team behind The Dead Rabbit in Manhattan, a bar that has received multiple international industry awards. The concept focuses on contemporary Irish hospitality, offering cocktails, traditional pints, and all-day dining in a casual social setting. The Atlanta location is planned with a flexible indoor-outdoor design, including garage-style doors intended to activate the street level.
The pub will join other tenants at Centennial Yards such as Live Nation, Cosm, Shake Shack, and Khao Thai Isan. Residential components at the site include The Lofts at Centennial Yards South and The Mitchell tower, along with the recently opened Hotel Phoenix.
Centennial Yards is being developed by CIM Group through Centennial Yards Company and is expected to include approximately 8 million square feet of commercial and residential space. The project is positioned as a long-term effort to revitalize Atlanta’s downtown core.
— Derek Prall
Elf the Musical tour to run at Fox Theatre
Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta will present a new touring production of Elf the Musical at the Fox Theatre for a limited engagement from Dec. 16-21. The week-long run brings a reimagined version of the stage adaptation inspired by the popular holiday film to Atlanta audiences.
Elf the Musical follows Buddy, a human raised at the North Pole after accidentally being taken in Santa’s sack as a child. When Buddy learns his true identity, he travels to New York City to find his biological father and navigate life outside the North Pole. Along the way, his optimism and sincerity influence those around him and highlight themes of belonging, family and the spirit of the holiday season.
The touring production is based on the 2024 Broadway staging of Elf the Musical, which received positive critical attention for its appeal to both children and adults. The updated tour features new staging and production elements designed for large venues while maintaining the story’s comedic and emotional core.
The Fox Theatre engagement is part of Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta’s seasonal programming lineup. Performances will take place throughout the week, with tickets available through official Fox Theatre and Broadway in Atlanta sales channels. The production is recommended for audiences seeking a family-friendly holiday experience.
— Megan Anderson
South Fulton partners with Dad’s Garage Theatre for holiday improv show
The City of South Fulton’s Department of Cultural Affairs is partnering with Dad’s Garage Theatre to present A BlackGround Christmas at the Southwest Arts Center on Dec. 19 and 20 with performances at 8 p.m. each night.
The improvised holiday comedy will be performed by BlackGround, an all-Black ensemble within the Atlanta-based nonprofit theater company. The show marks the first major production at the Southwest Arts Center since the completion of a $3.5 million renovation.
Renovations to the facility include a redesigned auditorium with new seating, upgraded stage lighting, renovated restrooms and new flooring. City officials said the improvements are intended to create a modern and welcoming space for residents and visitors while expanding access to cultural programming.
A BlackGround Christmas reimagines familiar holiday stories by shifting the focus to Black characters typically positioned in the background of classic narratives. Using fully improvised scenes, the cast explores those perspectives through comedy and cultural context.
The BlackGround ensemble includes Markis Gallashaw, Leslie Johnson, Maged Roushdi, Avery Sharpe, Joshua Quinn, Jon Carr and Swift Rice. All performers have been members of Dad’s Garage for more than a decade and have experience across theater, film and television.
City and theater representatives said the collaboration highlights local talent while reintroducing the renovated arts center to the community and supporting the development of performers of color in South Fulton.
— Derek Prall
St. Vincent de Paul Georgia receives $5 million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund grant
St. Vincent de Paul Georgia announced it has received a $5 million grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to expand services for families experiencing homelessness across the state. The award is the largest single gift in the nonprofit’s history.
The organization is one of 32 groups nationwide selected this year to receive funding from the Day 1 Families Fund, which distributed a total of $102.5 million in grants. The annual initiative supports organizations working to help families secure stable housing and avoid homelessness.
St. Vincent de Paul Georgia plans to use the one-time grant over the next five years to expand individualized support for unhoused families. Services will focus on identifying barriers to housing stability while providing housing assistance, life skills support, income advancement counseling and wraparound case management tailored to each family’s needs.
The nonprofit was selected by a group of national advisors with expertise in homelessness, housing policy and family support strategies. Since its launch in 2018, the Day 1 Families Fund has awarded more than $850 million to 280 organizations serving families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Fund recipients are given flexibility to direct the money where it is most effective locally. St. Vincent de Paul Georgia said the grant will help strengthen efforts to ensure families with children have access to safe and stable housing.
— Derek Prall
Norfolk Southern awards $6.1 million in community grants across 22 states
Norfolk Southern awarded more than $6.1 million in grants in 2025 to support community organizations across its rail network, funding efforts focused on safety, workforce development, sustainability and community stability.
The funding was distributed through the company’s Thriving Communities and Safety First grant programs, which together supported 402 organizations in 219 cities across 22 states. Norfolk Southern said the grants are intended to strengthen the towns and cities where the railroad operates by investing in local partners addressing critical community needs.
Of the total funding, more than $4.5 million was awarded through the Thriving Communities program to support initiatives related to housing stability, environmental sustainability and community well-being. An additional $1.6 million was distributed through the Safety First program to enhance emergency preparedness and public safety.
Grant recipients include City of Refuge in Atlanta, which is using funding to provide shelter, meals and support services for people experiencing housing insecurity, and Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, where funds are expanding critical care capacity and training. Other recipients include the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Chicago Police Foundation and Front Steps in Cleveland.
Since launching the programs in 2023, Norfolk Southern has awarded more than $17 million in community grants. Company officials said the investments are designed to advance safety and opportunity while building long-term resilience across the rail network.
— Derek Prall
