BACKED BY ATL - Key Persons
Alex Gonzalez is an innovation, strategy, brand and culture curator, catalyst and storyteller. He has over 20 years of experience at several Fortune 500 and 1000 companies where he held a variety of senior executive roles. He is the chief innovation officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where he leads the work to accelerate the region's innovation ecosystem and serve as an ambassador to metro Atlanta's innovation brand. Alex is founder, executive producer and host of the Disruptor Studio, a digital series that showcases inspirational leaders and innovators. He is also founder of Highwire Group, a collective of executives, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders that advise executives on being innovators and change-leaders. Alex is also an author and speaker on innovation and business culture and contributes to several blogs.
Alex has extensive corporate leadership experience. At Equifax he held the roles of chief innovation officer, president - North America Commercial Solution, and senior vice president of strategic marketing, where he built the growth and innovation strategy for the company. At GE, he held a variety of leadership roles including customer experience leader for GE Insurance Solutions, where he connected the brand promise, culture and results. Alex started his career in customer-centered roles at Chubb Insurance and received his degree in finance from the University of South Florida.
Alex is active in helping grow Atlanta. His current and past nonprofit board roles include the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Junior Achievement of Georgia, Georgia Soccer, the Atlanta Conventions and Visitors Bureau and Zoo Atlanta. He is also a member of the Georgia State University Marketing Roundtable and is on the Advisory Board of the American Marketing Association-Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Government Affairs Coordinator for the Metro Atlanta Chamber
Alexis is the Government Affairs Coordinator for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. In this role, she is responsible for assisting with assisting with day-to-day operations of the Public Policy team and working alongside team members to advance policy important to the region and MAC members. Prior to joining MAC, Alexis worked at GeorgiaLink Public Affairs Group, the University of Georgia Office of Government Relations, Winder City Hall, and on various political campaigns. Born in Atlanta and raised in Savannah, Alexis received her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Georgia.
Job Titles:
- VP / GM, Kabbage Checking & Payments
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- Manager, Investor Relations
Allie originally joined the team in 2019 as an events intern and now serves as Senior Project Coordinator. She manages the logistics for all investor events.
Allie received a BS in Business with a concentration in Hospitality Management from Florida State University. She is a metro Atlanta native, growing up in Woodstock, and now residing in West Midtown. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new restaurants, attending Atlanta sporting events and walking the BeltLine with her dog, Ruby.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Global Sponsorships / Coca - Cola
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- Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Job Titles:
- Chief Revenue Officer
- Executive Vice President
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner
- Member of the Atlanta Sports Council Board of Directors
- President
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- Director, Experiential Marketing
Job Titles:
- General Sales Manager
- Vice President
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- Chief Operating Officer, Restaurants / Legacy Ventures
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- Sports & Crisis Practice Lead
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- Regional Vice President / Norfolk Southern Corp.
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- Senior Director, Smart Cities & Alternative Energy
As Senior Director of Smart Cities & Alternative Energy Ecosystems with Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), Cynthia Curry helps strengthen the smart city ecosystems across the 29-county metro Atlanta area. A city cannot be smart without being socially just, and Cynthia serves as the co-chair of the MAC DEI team and supports the ATL Action for Racial Equity. As a member of the Economic Development team, she fosters local company growth while attracting new jobs and investment to the region. By connecting Atlanta's thought leaders in the smart cities space, she helps drive collaboration between the business, government, civic and educational ecosystems to create inclusive and resilient communities that leverage technology to solve the most pressing issues of our time.
Job Titles:
- President of the Atlanta Football Host Committee
- President, Atlanta Sports Council
Dan Corso joined the Atlanta Sports Council (ASC) in 1999 after serving as Vice Chair of the Festival Division for the 1998 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Corso is President of the Atlanta Football Host Committee Inc., for the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and College Football Hall of Fame and Advisory Board for the Celebration Bowl.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President / State Farm Insurance
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- Member of the 2022 Leadership Atlanta
- Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Dave Williams joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) in January 2011 and serves as Senior Vice President, Public Policy. He works closely with business leaders and state legislators, advancing policies to improve Atlanta's quality of life and business climate. Specific policy areas include transportation/transit, water, environment, sustainability and cybersecurity. He also leads MAC's government affairs activities at the local, state and federal levels, and manages MAC PAC, which supports pro-business candidates for state office.
Williams has an extensive track record of civic leadership. He was elected Mayor of the City of Suwanee (2007-11) and to Suwanee's City Council (1998-2001). He served as president of the Gwinnett Municipal Association (2009) and Treasurer of the Atlanta Regional Commission during his board service there from 2002-07.
Williams is currently a member of the 2022 Leadership Atlanta class, and a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett, Regional Leadership Institute, and the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL). He currently serves on the executive board of ULI-Atlanta's Livable Communities Council and the Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta. He also serves on the advisory boards of Transportation for America and Georgia Tech's Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. Previous board service includes the Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Suwanee Business Alliance and Kate's Club.
Prior to joining MAC, Williams was the CEO of Southtrac for ten years, a branded merchandise and marketing company he founded. Williams started his career with the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Organizing Committee, the bid committee which won the 1996 Olympic Games. A metro Atlanta resident since 1973, Williams graduated from Georgia Tech in 1989 with a degree in Management.
He resides in Suwanee, Georgia with wife Debbie, an interior designer and UGA alumna. They have two children- daughter Ramsey graduated from Augusta University and is an emergency department nurse in Charleston, SC and son Max is a senior at UGA's Terry College of Business. Their enthusiastic Cava-poo, Tallulah Whiskey, barks and whines entirely too much.
Job Titles:
- President / Dickey Broadcasting Company
Job Titles:
- Chief Economic Development Officer
- Chief Economic Development Officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber
As chief economic development officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, David Hartnett leads a team focused on the recruitment, retention and expansion of existing companies, from startups to headquarters. His team focuses on key clusters including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech, creative industries (film, music, esports, AR/VR), supply chain, advanced manufacturing, and bioscience (biotech, healthtech, medtech, pharmaceutical).
Before joining the Chamber, Hartnett served as the president and CEO of Maco Pharma® (formerly United Pharma), a privately held U.S. medical device/pharmaceutical company based in Duluth, Georgia, and headquartered in Lille, France. Before Maco Pharma, Hartnett was president and CEO of SteriFx® Corporation, a specialty chemical startup, contracted by U.S. Department of Defense (DARPA). Prior to SteriFx, he served as the executive vice president of the North American headquarters of Given Imaging, Inc., an Israeli startup with corporate headquarters in Yokneam, Israel. Under his leadership, the company commercialized the "PillCam" video capsule, a disposable capsule that captures video after it is ingested by the patient. Hartnett helped to raise close to $30 million in a private placement for corporate infrastructure development and product commercialization before the company went public in 2001 (GIVN-NASDAQ). Hartnett served as vice president of marketing at ERBE Electro-surgery, the largest manufacturer of electrosurgical systems in the world, where he was responsible for commercial marketing throughout North America.
Hartnett has also served in a variety of other senior sales and marketing roles for the following companies: Karl Storz Lithotripsy, Genzyme (formerly Deknatel), STERIS (formerly AMSCO) and the XEROX Corporation.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from San Diego State University with a master's equivalent in marketing through post-graduate studies.
He currently serves on the following boards:
Job Titles:
- Market President and Publisher
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- Area Vice President
- General Manager
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- Director - Olympic Marketing ( Retired ) the Coca - Cola Company
- Retired
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- Certified Public Accountant
- Chief Financial Officer
- Invest Atlanta As Chief Financial Officer
Doug Ray is a certified public accountant with over 35 years experience and has been in charge of overseeing all financial and accounting aspects for several industry leading real estate companies.
In September 2014, Mr. Ray joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber. In his current capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the Finance, Information Technology and Building Operations groups for the Chamber, which for over 150 years has been the key organization for attracting new companies to the Atlanta Region and stimulating business growth for the area.
In October 2011, Mr. Ray joined Invest Atlanta as Chief Financial Officer where he was responsible for managing all financial and administrative matters for the City of Atlanta's economic development agency.
Prior to joining Invest Atlanta, Mr. Ray was Chief Financial Officer for Elias Brothers Group for 5 years, a well respected Southwest Florida developer, homebuilder and painting/restoration contractor where he was responsible for all financial and accounting functions including bank relations, financial reporting, economic analyses, cash flow management and loan negotiations.
In September 2014, Mr. Ray joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber. In his current capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the Finance, Information Technology and Building Operations groups for the Chamber, which for over 150 years has been the key organization for attracting new companies to the Atlanta Region and stimulating business growth for the area.
In October 2011, Mr. Ray joined Invest Atlanta as Chief Financial Officer where he was responsible for managing all financial and administrative matters for the City of Atlanta's economic development agency.
Prior to joining Invest Atlanta, Mr. Ray was Chief Financial Officer for Elias Brothers Group for 5 years, a well respected Southwest Florida developer, homebuilder and painting/restoration contractor where he was responsible for all financial and accounting functions including bank relations, financial reporting, economic analyses, cash flow management and loan negotiations.
For the 9 years prior to joining Elias Brothers Group, Mr. Ray was Chief Financial Officer of John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods in Atlanta, GA, one of the largest privately owned homebuilders in the United States and winner of numerous awards including National Builder of the Year and America's Best Builder, both presented by the National Association of Homebuilders. He was responsible for providing financial and accounting oversight to the entire organization. Some of his initiatives included implementing a formal economic analysis process for potential land acquisitions, establishing a detailed system of accounting and financial policies and procedures, an annual budget process, an internal audit function and a property tax administration department.
From 1992 until he joined John Wieland Homes, Mr. Ray served as Vice President, Director of Accounting, Administration, Property Management and Construction for Codina Group's Deering Bay community in Coral Gables, FL during the development of this luxury community which features 286 luxury homes, an 18 home Arnold Palmer golf course, 600 member country club and 2 marinas.
Starting in early 1981, Mr. Ray served as Vice President, Retail Property Accounting for Carter & Associates in Atlanta. At Carter & Associates, he managed the economic analysis, financial development, construction and operational accounting for up to 20 regional malls, power strip and strip shopping centers with an aggregate value ranging from $500 million to $1 billion. Mr. Ray worked closely with major lenders on loan packaging and administration of the projects as well as representing Carter & Associates in the negotiation and completion of property closings.
Mr. Ray is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama. After graduation, he began his professional career with PWC, where he completed the requirements for his CPA certificate and gained valuable experience auditing a variety of clients.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Associate Project Manager for the Metro Atlanta Chamber 's ( MAC ) Project Management
Dylan Horne is an Associate Project Manager for the Metro Atlanta Chamber's (MAC) Project Management and Regional Partnerships team. In this role Dylan focuses on recruiting new companies and supporting existing companies expand their operations within the 29-county metro Atlanta region. Dylan and the Project Management team work to cultivate jobs across MAC's industry clusters of Bioscience, Mobility and IoT, Supply Chain and Technology industries to bring growth to the region as well as relationships with local and regional partners and the real estate community.
Previously, Dylan served as a Project Coordinator on the Economic Development team where he executed partner development and engagement initiatives including many cross-Chamber's events and managed the metrics process around recruitment, retention, and expansion of companies in metro Atlanta.
Dylan is a graduate of the University of Georgia where he earned his degree in International Affairs and a minor in Music. He currently resides in Marietta, GA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager of Life Science & Digital Health Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Senior Manager, Life Science and Digital Health Ecosystems
Edward "Eddie" Lai is the Senior Manager of Life Science & Digital Health Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). He directs MAC's recruitment and growth strategies for the Life Science (Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices/Instruments, animal/agriculture bioscience), Digital Health (Health IT, mobile health, wearable devices, telehealth and telemedicine, and personalized medicine), and Age Tech ecosystem. Prior to joining the Chamber, he came to Atlanta from Boston for a role at metro Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare as an Operations & Strategy Administrative Fellow working on hospital and system-wide initiatives including COVID-19 Supply Chain procurement and outpatient COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Operation. He subsequently joined the Emory Healthcare Innovation Hub as its first Administrator, engaging with companies external to Emory as well as with internal stakeholders to operationalize projects within the health system.
Eddie earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a minor in Health Services Administration from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. After graduation, he served in AmeriCorps in a high school in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. He then earned his Master of Public Health with a concentration in Healthcare Management and a certificate in Pharmaceutical Development, Delivery, and Access. He is also the co-founder of the Association of Asian Healthcare Leaders (AAHL).
In his free time, Eddie enjoys exploring metro Atlanta sights and scenes, including trying out the area's great food scene. He can also be found being active outdoors hiking, playing disc golf, or tennis. He currently resides in Dunwoody, GA.
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As Director of Operations of the Economic Development team and Executive Assistant to the Chief Economic Development Officer at the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC), Emma is passionate about supporting the overall success of Atlanta's different ecosystems. She works closely with the Ecosystem Expansion Directors and Project Managers at MAC, focusing on the retention, recruitment, and expansion of existing and start-up companies within key clusters including IoT, Cybersecurity, Fin Tech, Digital Media, Supply Chain, Bioscience, and Health IT. She manages the department's budget, provides leadership and onsite execution for MAC activations at national and international conferences, and supports project management for new ecosystem initiatives.
Outside of MAC, she also works as a freelance Equity Stage Manager at theaters in metro Atlanta. Prior to the joining MAC in 2017, Emma worked in Operations Management at MATRIX Resources, an IT Staffing company. Emma graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in Musical Theatre. An Atlanta native, she lives on the Westside with her husband, Connor, and two cats, Sampson and Ann Perkins.
Job Titles:
- Director, Business Development & Communications
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- Member of the Atlanta Sports Council Board of Directors
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- Senior Vice President of People
Georgia Yanis is an accomplished human resources professional with over 20 years of diversified leadership experience in advertising, publishing, marketing, service industries, technology startups and nonprofits. She is a passionate leader with a proven talent for developing human resources plans to integrate operational business strategy and promote top performance.
Georgia currently leads human resources efforts for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where her focus is on advancing the strategic goals of MAC by leading the design and execution of talent management, talent development, performance management and culture.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Georgia made her way to Atlanta in spring 1998 after a weekend trip to the city caused her to fall in love with southern hospitality and warmer climates. She attended Western Michigan University where she earned her bachelor's degree in communications and art history. Georgia, her husband, Jason, and their dog, Frida, live in Kirkwood.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Vice President, Ecosystem Expansion
Grant Wainscott is the Vice President of Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. In this role, Grant works to retain, expand and attract technology jobs and investment to the metro Atlanta region. He works specifically with the clusters of FinTech, Cyber Security, B2B Software and Film/Digital Media/Entertainment Tech, to support and grow the ecosystem.
Previous to his current post, Grant was the Director of Economic Development & Film for Clayton County, Georgia. In that role as the county's lead economic officer, Grant oversaw more than $200 million in development and redevelopment projects around the world's busiest airport, and helped attract more than 2,500 new jobs. In his role as the director of the state's first county film office, he recruited 55 major television and film productions to the region, as well as commercials, music videos and industrials.
Grant has also served the metro Atlanta area as Vice President for Community and Economic Development for the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce, and as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Morrow. As Chairman of the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce's International Promotions Council, he led foreign trade missions for the region and has participated in more than 30 business and cultural missions throughout the world.
Prior to moving to Georgia in 2002, Grant led economic development efforts and a tech incubator for the tourist destinations of Boone & Blowing Rock, in the mountains of North Carolina. He and his wife also owned a used and rare bookstore and cigar shop. Previous to his time in North Carolina, he lived in Washington, DC for several years, lobbying and working with foreign embassies in commercial real estate, and in Florida where he headed up an international tech brokerage firm.
Grant holds a B.A. in International Business from Florida Southern College, and has attended university in Quebec, Canada and Augsburg, Germany, focusing on Franco-Canadian trade relations and European markets. He has studied and lived abroad in five countries, and speaks French and German. He is married with two children and lives in Avondale Estates, Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Project and Partner Development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Senior Vice President, Economic Development Global Commerce
Gregg D. Simon is Senior Vice President of Project and Partner Development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). In his role, Simon works to build and manage relationships with our economic development partners across the 29-county metro Atlanta region and cultivate job growth across MAC's industry clusters: bioscience, technology, mobility, supply chain & logistics and global commerce. He also assists businesses and their consultants in their evaluation of metro Atlanta for new or expanded operations.
Previously, he served as vice president of project management at MAC, and worked with partners and MAC's project management team to support businesses interested in expanding or relocating to the region. Before that he was director of technology industry development at MAC, focusing on building Atlanta's technology cluster and growing jobs in the areas of Internet security, wireless mobility, software development and digital media.
Simon brings more than 25 years of economic development experience to MAC. Prior to joining MAC, Simon was manager of business engagement for the Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) where he helped existing businesses and attract new ones to the city of Atlanta. Before coming to Atlanta, he was the director of business services for the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development, a private non-profit economic development organization dedicated to business growth in Massachusetts. He also worked for Empire State Development, New York State's economic development agency with a focus on business retention and expansion in the Buffalo regional office.
Simon's work in Atlanta, Massachusetts and New York has included administration of tax and financial incentive programs, business retention and attraction marketing initiatives, economic development policy creation and implementation, and special event planning. He has worked with businesses such as BlackRock, Norfolk Southern, Papa John's, Microsoft, Deluxe, Honeywell, Mercedes-Benz USA, Panasonic Automotive Systems of America, Pulte, Ernst & Young, Novelis, Kemira, Invesco, Wipro, Bristol Myers Squibb, Straumann, Target, General Motors, 3M, Ford, Delphi and many others to support business expansions resulting in job retention and creation.
Simon is a graduate of the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY and lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.
Job Titles:
- Manager - Sports Marketing
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- Senior Director, Sponsorship and Corporate Partnerships
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- Senior Economist
- Vice President, Principal Economist at the Metro Atlanta Chamber
Ian Wyatt is a Senior Economist with extensive experience and expertise in commercial portfolio strategy, industry analytics, macroeconomic forecasting, competitive intelligence, and risk management.
Ian currently serves as the Vice President, Principal Economist at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. In his previous role, Ian served as the Vice President/Economist, Analytics and Information Strategy, Wholesale Credit for the Bank of America.
Ian also served as Vice President/Economist, Pricing Strategy and Business Analytics, Wholesale Credit with Bank of America where he led a team that produced detailed analysis of loan yields at competitors to improve margins on $400B commercial loan portfolio. He also held the positions of Vice President/Economist, Industry Risk Group and Vice President/Economist, Industry and Country Risk Group.
Prior to joining the Bank of America, Ian served as a Senior Economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where he was responsible for developing and evaluating forecasts of major macroeconomic variables, including GDP, inflation, employment, balance of trade, and monetary policy. These forecasts formed the basis of official U.S. government economic forecasts.
Ian began his career as an Economist, Occupational Outlook and Occupational Employment Statistics Division with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where he co-developed new statistical metrics and methods in response to customer requests for information on the employment outlook for college graduates.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Senior Account Executive
Jack Murphy joined the Investor Relations team of the Metro Atlanta Chamber in 2003. His current role is helping new investors determine the best membership fit for their companies. He has over 30 years of experience, working in higher education, operations, sales, human resources, organizational development, and change management roles, for McGraw-Hill and SunTrust Bank. He also spent time as an entrepreneur, consulting with Delta Air Lines, Charter Communications, and others.
He serves on both the National and Georgia Boards of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, responsible for Diversity, Advocacy, & Systemic Change. He chairs the North Fulton Poverty Task Force.
Jack received a BA in psychology from Belmont Abbey College and a MEd. from the UNC-Greensboro. Jack and his wife Nancy, a retired elementary school principal, have two grown daughters, two grandchildren. They live in Alpharetta, GA.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Corporate Marketing / Georgia - Pacific
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
Janice Rys serves the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) as chief development officer. In this capacity, she is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all revenue generation for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. This includes growing the investor base; cultivating relationships with investors, Board of Directors, and prospective investors; providing strategic leadership and planning for future development needs. MAC represents the 29-county region with a $15 million annual budget.
She is acknowledged for her leadership capabilities, strategic visioning and negotiating strengths as well as her ability to build partnerships with individuals at all levels in corporate organizations. Her sales skills combined with her intuitiveness, responsiveness and talent for executing on strategies has benefited the organization by providing ever increasing results for Chamber leadership and over 20 plus Chamber Chairs.
She has traveled the world, including Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Georgia, and Romania serving as a Board Member for the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). She has been active in the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association (ACCE) and serves on the Board of Trustees for Leadership Atlanta and the Grady Hospital Ambassador Force.
Prior to coming to MAC, Rys served as Territory Manager for Kellogg's. She attended the University of Florida and has a bachelor's degree in Marketing. Rys served on the Boards of Clayton State University College of Business Advisory Board, and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE).
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President - Sports & Entertainment Group Head / Truist Bank
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- Global Brand & Sponsorship Manager
Job Titles:
- Executive Chairman
- Founder
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- Chief Commercial Officer / Georgia World Congress Center Authority
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- Senior Vice President, Real Estate & Public Affairs
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Global Commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Vice President, Global Commerce
John Woodward is the Vice President of Global Commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, one of the oldest and largest chambers of commerce in the United States. He assists foreign-owned enterprises (FOEs) contemplating entry or expansion in the US market. This includes site selection consulting, customized market research, incentives guidance, real estate search, labor and wage analysis, and connections to relevant corporate, government and academic parties.
In almost 20 years in economic development, Mr. Woodward has assisted hundreds of companies relocate or expand, ranging from US headquarters, operations or manufacturing for Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Adidas, "K" Line, Hamburg Sud, Voestalpine, Sany, Dongwon, Elekta, Dekra, Interroll to small/medium enterprises (SMEs) just entering the US with a sales office.
Prior to his role at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Mr. Woodward was Director of Economic Development for the City of Richmond (Virginia), leading a department that oversaw more than $3 billion in commercial development, recruited major headquarters like MeadWestvaco and Altria, and assisted small and minority-owned businesses.
Before this, Mr. Woodward worked in commercial real estate at the New York headquarters of Cushman & Wakefield. He was also a foreign exchange trader in Washington, DC, with Ruesch International.
A frequent speaker on economic development, Mr. Woodward has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and other US and international media. He has been guest lecturer at major universities, and speaks regularly on foreign investment seminars in Europe and Asia. He has served on numerous non-profit boards, including bi-lateral chambers, schools and community.
Mr. Woodward earned a BSFS from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. He also completed programs at the Université de Strasbourg and Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) near Paris. He lives in Atlanta's Westside with his wife and daughter.
Job Titles:
- Channels & Analytics Coordinator
Jon graduated from Georgia College & State University with a bachelor's degree in graphic design and a minor in marketing in 2020 and has previously helped multiple organizations with their digital brand and voice. In his current role at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, he handles the social media accounts for ChooseATL along with the jobs board, event calendar, website and works with other departments to help spread the word about the amazing opportunities Atlanta has to offer to young professionals in their careers and day-to-day life.
He is a metro Atlanta native, growing up in Suwanee and now residing just north of Atlanta. He is excited to use his digital marketing skills to innovate and improve how ChooseATL presents the great ATL.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church
Kathryn serves in a multi-faceted role: she organizes and executes the monthly Board meetings and events and the daily communications for the 175 Board of Director companies. She also assists with a multitude of special projects including assisting the Economic Development team with companies relocating to Atlanta. Kathryn manages the invoicing process for the entire Metro Atlanta Chamber membership.
An Atlanta native, Kathryn graduated from the Lovett School and from Furman University with a business degree.
Kathryn is a member of Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Junior League of Atlanta, Capital City Club, and a volunteer for Atlanta Charity Clays. Kathryn and her husband, Jeff, live in Buckhead.
Katie Kirkpatrick is the president and CEO of the 162-year-old Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). Kirkpatrick is known for her public policy prowess, courageous leadership and more than a decade of driven impact through her work at MAC.
Previously MAC's chief policy officer, Kirkpatrick served as the link between the metro Atlanta business community and local and national government. She galvanized the Public Policy team's priorities in business climate, educated workforce, transportation and sustainability - including water, energy and the environment. The Public Policy team continues to fight to protect Georgia's top-rated business climate against legislation discriminatory in nature or harmful to the region's ability to create, recruit and retain jobs.
Kirkpatrick joined the Chamber in 2007 as vice president of environmental affairs, previously serving in numerous roles directly related to environmental policy and water-related issues. Kirkpatrick later served as the Chamber's senior vice president for business higher education, leading the execution of key initiatives strengthening the region's higher education ecosystem and workforce development. Before joining MAC, she served as director of environmental engineering for Gold Kist, Inc., with responsibilities in regulatory compliance, designing treatment systems, strategic planning and more.
Kirkpatrick currently serves on the GRACE Commission, comprised of public officials, law enforcement, businesses and nonprofit organizations, committed to ending human trafficking in the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta. She is a vice-chair for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District and a past board chair for the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Atlanta Track Club and Chair of the Atlanta Track Club Foundation.
Kirkpatrick is a current member of Rotary Club of Atlanta and the International Women's Forum. She is a member of the board for Central Atlanta Progress and executive committee member of Learn4Life - an initiative working to advance educational outcomes for students in metro Atlanta. In 2022, Kirkpatrick was named one of Georgia Trend magazine's 100 Most Influential Georgians; one of Atlanta Magazine's Atlanta 500, ranking top leaders in the region, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "22 to watch in 2022."
As a graduate from Auburn University, Kirkpatrick is a registered professional engineer in several states and a member of the school's 100+ Women Strong group of successful female engineering alumnae and the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council - a group of alumni who work together to support the vision and goals of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Kirkpatrick is an alumna of Leadership Atlanta, a program designed to propel established leaders to further serve their communities. She is a volunteer with youth sports leagues in metro Atlanta and a member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.
Kirkpatrick lives in Atlanta with her husband, Dow, and their two sons, who currently attend The Lovett School, where she can be found with her camera or working the concession stand.
Job Titles:
- National Sports & Entertainment Partnerships, Marketing
LaTonia B. Long joined MAC as Public Policy Manager in December 2021. In this role, LaTonia provides managerial support to the team including serving as a strategic thought-partner to the team's senior vice presidents. Additionally, LaTonia handles high level day-to-day oversight on projects, event planning and execution, research and communication with stakeholders which includes maintaining cross-departmental relationships.
An Atlanta native and graduate of Georgia State University, LaTonia lives in Mableton, GA with her husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Business
- Vice President, Business Climate and Talent Development
Leanna is the vice president of business climate and talent development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. She joined the MAC Public Policy team in 2018 and helps lead MAC's efforts on tax and economic development policy to help ensure metro Atlanta maintains its top-rated business climate. Leanna also helps lead MAC's education and workforce efforts and helps coordinate cross-chamber initiatives on talent recruitment and retention, which includes collaborating with ChooseATL. Prior to joining MAC, Leanna was a Government Relations Associate in the University of Georgia Office of Government Relations.
Leanna holds a Master of International Policy and a Bachelor of International Affairs from the University of Georgia. She is a graduate of LEAD Athens, the Regional Leadership Institute, and the Zell Miller Leadership Institute. She serves on the UGA School of Public and International Affairs Alumni Board and multiple Georgia 4-H boards.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Project Coordinator
Margaret Beckley is the Project Coordinator for Economic Development, where she supports the team's efforts to promote economic growth, community well-being, and create a prosperous and vibrant metro region. In this position, Margaret works with Ecosystem Expansion Directors and Project Managers on strategic growth initiatives and partnership engagement, focusing on MAC's key ecosystems of Bioscience, Supply Chain, Smart Cities, Technology, and Creative Industries. She also works with the Global Commerce team to plan and execute international growth efforts, including delegation visits and the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge, the largest export grant program in the region. Since December 2019, Margaret has served as the coordinator for the Atlanta Esports Alliance, a 501(c)6 division of the Atlanta Sports Council, working with ecosystem partners to position Atlanta as the global leader for esports.
Margaret holds a master's degree in Public Administration, with a Specialization in Sports Administration from Georgia State University. She is also a graduate of the University of Georgia, where she earned a dual bachelor's degree in International Affairs and Political Science from the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), minored in Entomology, and earned a Certificate in Personal and Organizational Leadership from the Terry College of Business, Institute for Leadership Advancement (ILA). Margaret is an Atlanta native passionate about how economic development, sports, and esports can drive socio-economic outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing / Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Marshall Guest joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) in December 2014 and co-leads the public policy team as Senior Vice President, Public Policy. When he first joined MAC, he held the role of Vice President of Business Climate, overseeing tax policy, education, and workforce development and engaging on policy issues that support and protect the region's welcoming reputation. In his expanded role co-leading the public policy team alongside Dave Williams, Guest now works with business leaders, elected officials, and other partners to ensure Metro Atlanta continues to foster a strong business climate.
Before joining MAC, Guest served as Georgia House Speaker David Ralston's Senior Policy Advisor and Press Secretary. He also served as Communications Director for House Speaker Glenn Richardson and Deputy Press Secretary in the Office of Governor Sonny Perdue. His extensive experience at the Georgia General Assembly includes several staff roles in State Senate leadership offices.
A lifelong metro Atlanta resident, Guest received his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and his MBA from Georgia State University. He is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb and the Regional Leadership Institute (RLI). Guest serves on Leadership DeKalb's Board of Directors, the State Compensation Commission, and the Invest Georgia Board of Directors. He and his wife, Sarah, a teacher in the City Schools of Decatur, live in Decatur with their three young boys: Griffin, Worth, and Archie.
Megan joined MAC as an events intern in 2022 and now serves as Project Coordinator for the Investor Relations team. In this role, Megan is responsible for supporting the Investor Relations team and manages on-going event support for MAC investors.
Megan attended Kennesaw State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. Megan grew up in Gainesville, GA but now resides in the Kennesaw area. Megan has had the opportunity to work with the Atlanta Braves, tutored student-athletes on KSU's campus, and has completed research into inclusion levels of those with intellectual disabilities through sport. Megan enjoys attending Atlanta Braves Games, taking yoga classes, and watching the newest Netflix Original show.
Mia works as an the associate coordinator on the economic development team at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Mia is a recent graduate of Georgia State University, with a B.I.S in Media-Entrepreneurship. Her various internship experiences in her last two years of school gave her exposure to public policy, content development and project management. She is an Atlanta native who loves visiting Oakland Cemetery and has even helped maintain the gardens and grounds there.
Job Titles:
- Metro Atlanta Chamber As Vice President of Diversity
- Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Michael Baptiste will join the Metro Atlanta Chamber as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) beginning Monday, June 14. In this capacity, Baptiste will continue to elevate DEI and racial equity at MAC and across the metro Atlanta business community. He will lead the ATL Action for Racial Equity initiative as well as work to position Atlanta as the location of choice for diverse talent. Baptiste will report directly to MAC President and CEO Katie Kirkpatrick and serve as an important member of the senior leadership team. ... Read More
Prior to joining MAC, Michael Baptiste was the Head of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at Justworks. In his role, he is responsible for developing, implementing and tracking ongoing strategic initiatives/efforts to enrich Justworks' workplace culture and overall employee experience centered around the DEI strategy, mission and vision.
Prior to Justworks, Michael led and managed talent acquisition efforts for the east coast as well as diversity strategy with Warner Music Group (one of the three major global music recording companies). Before going to WMG, he was with KIPP NYC (a non-profit charter national school network for underserved communities) for several years focused on recruitment, HR management and diversity initiatives. He also worked with top financial companies such as American Express and Morgan Stanley focused on diversity recruiting at the campus and professional levels. He sparked his career with his time at INROADS (non-profit organization focused on corporate internship placement for students of color) where he co-led diversity recruitment efforts for the NY/NJ and Southeast Regions, respectively.
Michael is very knowledgeable and competent in multiple disciplines of Human Resources such as diversity placement, recruitment, training/development, compensation/benefits. His three keys for his success have been his flexibility/adaptability, problem-solving/organizational skills, and his willingness to learn. He loves working in the D&I space and the HR field.
Michael has a Diversity & Inclusion Professional Certificate, Master's Degree in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration-Marketing. He has 10+ years of total work experience in the following areas such as Talent Management-Human Resources, Recruitment and D&I, working in various industries; Entertainment, Financial Services, Education and Non-Profit. He is also an Army Veteran and served our country in the Army National Guard. He is also on the Equity & Inclusion Advisory Board for Seed & Spark. He has held memberships in following organizations; SHRM, NAAHR, National Black MBA and NAMIC.
In his spare time, Michael is an avid sports fan, frequent concert goer, travel enthusiast and loves spending time with his fiancée, daughter and extended family.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Brand Communications
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- Director of Athletics / Kennesaw State University
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- Southeast Small Business Strategy Leader / Wells Fargo
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- Department Head of Brand Experience Marketing / Mercedes - Benz
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- Senior Director of Legal Affairs and Research
Natasha DiFiore is Director of Legal Affairs at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, where she researches, analyzes, and advocates for programs and policies that impact the region's business climate. Prior to joining MAC in 2020, Natasha worked on a broad range of civil and criminal legal issues in both the private and public sectors.
Natasha earned her JD, cum laude, from Duke University School of Law and her Bachelor's degree from Emory University. She is a graduate of LEAD Atlanta and the Georgia Women's Policy Institute. Natasha resides in Atlanta with her husband Michael and their spunky bernedoodle Bexley.
Job Titles:
- Director, Government Affairs
- Metro Atlanta Chamber As Government Affairs Coordinator
Nick Fernandez joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber as Government Affairs Coordinator in December 2018. In his role, Nick is responsible for assisting with the management of MAC's election funds at the state and local level and working alongside team members to advance a multitude of policy areas and issues pertinent to MAC and its members. Prior to joining MAC, Nick served as the Attorney General Chris Carr's campaign manager for his 2018 re-election. He also worked as a policy advisor under Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and State Senator Jeff Mullis.
Nick received his Bachelor of Political Science from the University of Georgia. He currently resides in Tucker with his wife, Cara, and their playful dog Nala.
Job Titles:
- Research and Analytics Coordinator
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- Director - National Specialty Sales
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- Director of Sales and Marketing / Marriott Hotels
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- President & CEO / Fifth Third Bank
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- Director of Project Management
- Senior Project Manager for the Metro Atlanta Chamber 's ( MAC ) Project Management
Rebecca Jordan is the Senior Project Manager for the Metro Atlanta Chamber's (MAC) Project Management and Regional Partnership team. In this role she concentrates on the growth of the 29 county metro Atlanta region by supporting companies relocating to the metro area and assisting those that are seeking opportunities to expand. Atlanta's job growth is focused on MAC's industry clusters of Bioscience, Mobility and IoT, Supply Chain and Technology industries. Rebecca and her team can offer expertise and assistance with workforce, customize market research, business and tax incentives, relocation assistance and site selection. Rebecca also focuses on cultivating relationships with our local, regional and academic partners along with the real estate community. Rebecca joined the Chamber in February 2013 as an Executive Assistant to the President and CEO. In November 2014, Rebecca was promoted to the Project Management team in the economic development division, where she remains today.
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- Executive Director / Atlanta Track Club
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- Senior Vice President, U.S. Commercial Markets
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- Vice President / Kimley - Horn and Associates, Inc.
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- Director, Supply Chain & Advanced Manufactoring
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- Executive Chairman of the Board
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- Member of the Atlanta Sports Council Board of Directors
- Vice President, Global Sports Alliances
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- Global Business Development Manager for the Global Commerce
- Manager, Global Business Development
Stefan Harrigan is the Global Business Development Manager for the Global Commerce team in Economic Development. Stefan leads the export and international outbound growth initiatives, and also assists with foreign direct investment (FDI) projects. He is an international relations and business professional with experience in both Europe and the U.S. Prior to joining MAC, Stefan served as an International Trade Manager with the Georgia Department of Economic Development where he consulted exporters throughout the state on their international business strategy and developed global relationships with key stakeholders and partners to promote Georgia exports. Stefan obtained his B.A. in world politics from Leiden University College in the Netherlands and a joint Master of Arts in transatlantic affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the Collège d'Europe. He is fluent in German and proficient in Dutch. When not in the office, Stefan is an avid skier and backcountry hiker.
Thomas J. Cunningham served as the Senior Vice President and the Chief Economist for the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). Tom joined the MAC in July 2015 following a 30-year career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is a specialist in open economy macroeconomic policy and regional analysis. At the MAC, he manages an internal team that supports the research and advocacy roles of the economic development and public policy departments.
After starting his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as an economist in the Macropolicy group, Tom served at various times as associate director of research, interim director of research, vice president for the Regional group where he was also responsible for the Latin American group, and acting head of the Finance group. He served on the Bank's Personnel, Information Technology, and Risk Management Committees and as a member of the Federal Reserve System's Information Security Group and Technology Services Council. He also was the acting director of, and helped establish, the Bank's Center for Real Estate Analytics. When Dr. Cunningham retired from the Fed, his title was Vice President, Senior Economist and Regional Executive.
A native of Reedley, California, he received a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in economics from California State University, Fresno. He earned a master's degree, a master of philosophy, and a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University. He previously worked as an economics instructor at Barnard College at Columbia University and as an adjunct instructor at Iona College, Agnes Scott College, and Emory University. He attended the executive development program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and is a member of Leadership Atlanta's class of 2018. He is a board member of Atlanta's Neighborhood Nexus as well as the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance. Dr. Cunningham has published numerous professional articles and is a member of the American Economic Association, the Western Economic Association, and the Southern Economic Association
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- Senior Director, Educated Workforce
Tim currently serves as Senior Director of Educated Workforce for the Metro Atlanta Chamber where he works both regionally and at the state level on K-12 education policy as well as early childhood and Pre-K policies. Tim earned his Bachelor of Science in Health from Liberty University and a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. He is a long-time resident of DeKalb, County and enjoys travel and cooking in addition to volunteering with several local non-profit and civic organizations.
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- Executive Vice President, Arena Programming
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- Executive Assistant, Brand Comms & DEI
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- CEO
- President
- President and CEO / Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau