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Accounting & Consulting | Law | Marketing & Public Relations | Media | Legends
ACCOUNTING & CONSULTING
Chloe Barzey
Office Managing Director
Accenture Atlanta
Global Client Account Lead
Accenture
As office managing director for Accenture Atlanta, Chloe Barzey leads Accenture’s vision and operations across Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. The first woman and African American in this position, Barzey works with clients to identify and target superior business value and to achieve and sustain that business value while increasing customer satisfaction and business agility. Leveraging digital capabilities, she leads programs focused on transformation and rapid earnings expansion and has worked with her clients through all phases of transformation, from strategy through implementation.
EDUCATION Cornell University, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (MBA)
Hometown Harlem, New York
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Trailblazer Award (2025), Atlanta Business League Lottie H. Watkins Female First Award Honoree (2024), Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEOs (2022), Technology Association of Georgia DE &I Impact Tech Leader of the Year (2021), Atlanta Business Chronicle Women Who Mean Business (2020)
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE As a breast cancer survivor, my toughest challenge was navigating the uncertainty and fear that comes with such a diagnosis. It taught me resilience, the power of faith, and the importance of leaning on the support of loved ones.
Jeff Call
Managing Partner
Bennett Thrasher LLP
Jeff Call, a veteran of more than 20 years at Bennett Thrasher LLP, serves as the managing partner and CEO, overseeing the firm’s strategic plan, growth, and the advancement of its culture. With a specialization in wealth transfer/estate planning, investment, tax and financial planning, Call provides expert counsel to high-net-worth individuals, family business owners, and executives. His extensive experience encompasses a wide range of financial matters, including income tax, estate and gift tax, investment, insurance, charitable and retirement planning. Call is well-versed in individual, partnership, S corporation, and fiduciary taxation. In 2023, Call was named an Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO, helping Bennett Thrasher earn $100 million in revenue. In 2024, Call was recognized by Forbes as a part of its inaugural America’s Top 200 CPAs list.
EDUCATION Auburn University (MAcc)
HOMETOWN Springfield, Illinois
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE Went through the collapse of Arthur Andersen, which at the time seemed very stressful to have one of the world’s largest accounting firms go out of business nearly overnight at the time my first child, Jackson, was only one month old. It worked out as I landed on my feet briefly at Deloitte then came to Bennett Thrasher to launch the PFS practice.
Will Herman
Atlanta and Birmingham Managing Partner
Deloitte LLP
Will Herman is the managing partner of Deloitte’s Atlanta and Birmingham practices, which employ more than 4,200 local professionals. He drives the market’s strategy for growth, business development, social impact, and other strategic initiatives. With 30 years of public accounting experience, Herman provides services to large, complex organizations in the real estate, hospitality, and technology industries. For seven years, he served as the partner-in-charge of Deloitte’s Atlanta and Birmingham audit & assurance practices. A Leadership Atlanta class of 2019 member, Herman is involved in many community organizations, including serving on the boards of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and leading various aspects of Deloitte’s relationship with the University of Georgia.
EDUCATION University of Georgia
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Under Herman’s leadership, Deloitte made a significant community impact this past year, contributing nearly 28,000 local volunteer hours, donating more than $2 million to local organizations, and supporting over 155 Georgia nonprofits.
NONPROFITS My wife and I are cochairs of the Parents Leadership Council at the University of Georgia and raised over $1.5 million during the 2024-2025 academic year to support student-led programs.
Richard Kopelman
CEO and Managing Partner
Aprio
Richard Kopelman is the CEO of Aprio, a nationally recognized business advisory, tax, and accounting firm. He leads a team of over 2,100 professionals who serve clients in all 50 states and more than 50 countries, speaking over 60 languages. Since Kopelman assumed the CEO role in 2013, Aprio has experienced significant growth, including securing at least 26 strategic mergers and acquisitions, and expanding its footprint to 26 U.S. offices and two international locations. In 2025, Aprio and Radix Law, a law firm based in Arizona, announced they will join together as Aprio Legal, LLC, an Alternative Business Service (ABS) law firm. Aprio is the first national accounting and advisory firm to open an ABS law firm. In 2024, the Atlanta Business Chronicle recognized Kopelman as a Most Admired CEO.
EDUCATION University of South Florida
FIRST JOB Selling funeral services (age 12) with my mother
HOBBIES Traveling, skiing, sailing
FAVORITE MOVIE The Imitation Game
F. David Leiter Jr.
Managing Partner, Atlanta Offices and Mid-South Hub
KPMG
David Leiter Jr. is the managing partner of KPMG’s Atlanta offices and leads the accounting firm’s mid-South hub, which includes Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, Knoxville, and Jackson. In addition to leading the more than 2,200 people in these offices, Leiter is a partner in the firm’s business tax services practice and oversees the firm’s Atlanta Ignition Center, a technology-driven space where innovative solutions are crafted to help clients transform their businesses. In 2025, KPMG LLP launched KPMG Law US, a subsidiary of KPMG LLP, marking a milestone as the first law firm owned by a Big Four firm to serve the U.S. market. With over three decades of experience in the field, Leiter was named an Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO in 2023.
EDUCATION University of Georgia (MAcc)
HOMETOWN Marietta
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Leadership Atlanta class of 2009
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK Accounting is the language of business.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED Put people first.
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Paris
Regenia Sanders
EY Atlanta Office
Managing Partner
Ernst & Young LLP
As the EY Atlanta office managing partner, Regenia Sanders is responsible for leading EY Atlanta’s more than 2,500 people in building a better working world. At EY, Sanders has held several pivotal leadership positions. She served as the Business Consulting practice leader for the US-Central Region in North America and spearheaded initiatives that enhanced operational efficiencies and drove business growth. Prior to this, she served as EY’s Supply Chain & Operations leader for the Americas, where she played a critical role in establishing EY’s Supply Chain Planning capability as a leader in analyst rankings. Over her more than 25-year career, she has led business development and delivery efforts totaling over $50 million and has managed large, cross-functional teams dispersed across various geographies. A member of Leadership Atlanta’s class of 2023, Sanders is a guest lecturer and instructor at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.
EDUCATION Auburn University (MS)
BOARD MEMBERSHIPS Served as first Black president of the Auburn University Alumni Board of Directors, EY Foundation, National Minority Supplier Development Council, National Society of Black Engineers, Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education (AWESOME), Emory University Board of Visitors, Motherhood Beyond Bars
LAW
Theodore I. Blum
Managing Shareholder and Chair, Atlanta Corporate Practice
Greenberg Traurig
Ted Blum is the managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta office, as well as chair of the Atlanta corporate practice. With decades of experience in corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and venture capital, Blum works closely with clients to counsel them through complex transactions with clarity and strategy. He is chair of the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and serves on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) – Atlanta Chapter. He is past chair of the Chick-fil-A Foundation advisory board and the Rotary Club of Atlanta’s Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and a past board member of the Woodruff Arts Center.
EDUCATION University of Michigan, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (JD)
FIRST JOB Bussing tables in my parents’ restaurant. It taught me the value of service and attention to detail.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Rotary Club of Atlanta Ivan Allen Club Service Award (2019), Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEOs (2016), The Best Lawyers in America (2007-2025), Georgia Super Lawyers (2006-2025)
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE Writing my book, Calculated Risks, taught me that true growth comes from embracing risk.
Althea Broughton
Partner
Arnall Golden Gregory
Althea Broughton is a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory. The Atlanta native, who is chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, has played a critical role in the creation or preservation of tens of thousands of units of affordable housing. In 2025, she was appointed the general counsel for Atlanta Habitat for Humanity board of directors. Additionally, Broughton serves as chair of the board of trustees at Cascade United Methodist Church and is on the board of National Church Residences. Other board memberships include Drew Charter School, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Broughton has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Georgia Super Lawyers.
EDUCATION Emory University, University of Virginia (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Atlanta Women’s Affordable Housing Network Hyperion Award (2022), GlobeSt. Women of Influence (2021), HOPE Atlanta Heroes for HOPE Honoree (2021), Leadership Atlanta class of 2013
WHAT I’D TELL MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF Don’t let fear hold you back.
Photograph courtesy of individual
Janine Brown
Partner in Charge, Atlanta Office
Alston & Bird
Janine Brown is the partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s Atlanta office, with experience handling multi-billion-dollar domestic and international transactions focusing primarily on M&A, joint ventures, and strategic alliances. Additionally, Brown served eight years as chair of Alston & Bird’s corporate technology practice group. She’s also on the boards of Spelman College, Duke University School of Law, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
EDUCATION University of Michigan, Duke University School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Featured in The Best Lawyers in America continuously since 2001
FIRST JOB Counter clerk during high school at the Fannie May candy shop in Kalamazoo, Michigan
FEW PEOPLE KNOW My husband, daughter, and I have traveled across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. to see all of Shakespeare’s plays.
Amy B. Cheng
Partner
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Amy B. Cheng is an experienced litigator who helps clients from early-stage startups to multinational corporations in healthcare and other industries with employment, commercial, white-collar, and government investigations. She regularly advises clients on critical business matters including employment agreements and regulations, termination and grievance procedures, state and federal agency charges, breach of contract, and tortious claims. In 2023, she became the first individual of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander descent to be elected president of the Atlanta Bar Association since it was founded in 1888. In 2025, she was appointed to the Atlanta Board of Education Ethics Commission. Cheng has been recognized in Georgia Super Lawyers every year since 2019.
EDUCATION Emory University, University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health (MPH), Emory University School of Law (JD)
HOMETOWN Charleston, South Carolina
FAVORITE EVERYDAY RESTAURANT LanZhou Ramen
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION 30A to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my husband
NONPROFITS Atlanta Bar Association, Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Mawuli Mel Davis
Founding Partner
Davis Bozeman Law Firm
Mawuli Mel Davis leads the civil rights division of Davis Bozeman and has represented and helped organize legal support for activists engaged in protests including the Occupy movement, Moral Mondays, and Black Lives Matter. He is a cofounder of Let Us Make Man and The Black Man Lab. In 2019 Davis received the Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award, the highest honor given by Georgia State University College of Law. In 2022 Davis delivered the commencement address for the Georgia State University College of Law.
EDUCATION United States Naval Academy, Bowie State University (MPA), Georgia State University College of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Named humanitarian of the year by the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, the Kappa Alpha Sigma chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, and the Atlanta alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and an outstanding advocate of the year by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Urban League, the Southern Center for Human Rights, and the Gate City Bar Association. The DeKalb Lawyers Association named the Mawuli Davis Legal Warrior Award in his honor.
Jonathan E. Eady
Chairman and Partner
Arnall Golden Gregory
JJonathan E. Eady is Arnall Golden Gregory’s chairman and a partner in the Real Estate practice. Formerly the firm’s managing partner for two consecutive four-year terms, he was named chairman in 2024. Eady maintains a prolific practice counseling business and real estate clients as they make important financing, investment, acquisition, development, and operational decisions. Clients select Eady for his expansive knowledge of joint ventures, asset purchases and sales, mergers, entity governance, commercial agreements, leases, workouts, capital restructurings, and numerous types of debt and equity financing. Developers, owners, and investors count on Eady’s steady counsel through all phases of the real estate development process. Eady has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Georgia Super Lawyers.
EDUCATION Emory University, University of Georgia School of Law (JD)
HOMETOWN Oxford, Georgia
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK I like solving complex problems involving people and money.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Worked on developing the legal and financial model that helped transform the face of public housing revitalization in Atlanta and across the U.S.
Erica V. Fleetwood
Labor & Employment Partner
Akerman
Over two decades ago, Erica Fleetwood left a successful career running a multimillion-dollar record label to attend law school. Today, she is a nationally recognized employment law partner whose business experience helps her defend clients in federal court litigation or advise executive leadership teams on how to protect their three biggest assets: employees, company culture, and brand reputation. In 2019, Fleetwood joined Akerman’s newly minted Atlanta office, where she leads a diverse, multilingual team that assists clients with everything from employment law issues to routine HR advice to class actions. Clients range from startups to Fortune 100 companies. She has received numerous awards recognizing her pro bono and community service and served as president of the Hispanic National Bar Association from 2017 to 2018.
EDUCATION Georgia State University, University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD)
LESSON LEARNED Your toughest boss or those who seemingly give you the hardest time are often those who teach you the most.
Sharon Gay
Senior Counsel
Dentons
As senior counsel of the Atlanta office of the world’s largest global law firm, Sharon Gay works at the intersection of government, business, and public policy. She helps governments and businesses do business with one another, especially in the areas of land use and zoning, tax allocation districts and other economic development incentives, transportation, public-private partnerships, and state and local government affairs. She’s worked with public- and private-sector clients to amend state and local laws to facilitate brownfield redevelopment, community improvement districts, and water and wastewater privatization projects. Additionally, Gay served as cochair of the transition team for Mayor Andre Dickens.
EDUCATION Vanderbilt University, Emory University School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Coordinated the successful effort to amend the Georgia Constitution to confirm that school systems could participate in tax allocation districts to support community redevelopment
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Saint Barthélemy
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Atlanta Botanical Garden
Kevin A. Gooch
Partner
Holland & Knight LLP
Kevin Gooch is a financial services partner at Holland & Knight LLP. With a diverse practice, he has the most experience serving as outside general counsel as well as negotiating and documenting large debt transactions on behalf of financial institutions or corporate borrowers. Over the course of his career, Gooch has closed loan transactions and restructurings worth over $20 billion. He worked previously for McKenna Long & Aldridge (now Dentons), Alston & Bird, and DLA Piper. A past board chair of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, he served as an adjunct professor at Emory Law School and is a guest lecturer at the University of Georgia School of Law. Gooch, who was recognized in 2025 as a business leader in Georgia Titan 100, is a member of boards for The Carter Center and the University of Georgia Alumni Association.
EDUCATION Emory University, University of Georgia School of Law (JD)
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED Success is leased, not owned, and rent is due every darn day.
FAVORITE SONG ABOUT ATLANTA “Player’s Ball” by OutKast
FAVORITE EVERYDAY RESTAURANT Taqueria del Sol
Photograph courtesy of individual
Robert D. Hays
Chairman
King & Spalding
Robert D. Hays is the fifth chairman in King & Spalding’s more than 130-year history, currently serving his seventh term. During his tenure, the firm has opened 23 offices and created a global platform. It has launched offices in Miami, Chicago, Brussels, and Sydney and marked a number of milestones, including $2 billion in revenue and 1,100 lawyers. A nationally recognized trial lawyer, Hays led the firm’s tort and environmental practice group for 12 years. He is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead scholar. Hays earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was selected to the Vanderbilt Law Review and was a Patrick Wilson scholar.
EDUCATION University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University Law School (JD)
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Michael E. Hollingsworth II
Managing Partner, Atlanta Office
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
When Michael E. Hollingsworth II was named managing partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough’s Atlanta office, he was 38—one of the youngest lawyers to hold such a position at a large Atlanta firm. In the decade since, Hollingsworth has led the growth of the office from 83 to over 150 lawyers. He’s also cohead of the firm’s mergers and acquisitions group and its investment management group, focusing on middle-market corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.
EDUCATION Tulane University, Samford University Cumberland School of Law (JD), University of Alabama School of Law (LLM)
FIRST JOB Sales clerk for my parents’ sporting-goods store
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Gulf Coast beaches
NONPROFITS Empty Stocking Fund, Woodruff Arts Center, City of Refuge
BUCKET LIST Family trip to Africa at some point
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Jason Bateman
Candis Jones Smith
Partner
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
Candis Jones Smith is a partner in the Atlanta office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and a member of the firm’s general liability practice. Since 2011, Smith’s practice has focused on insurance defense, premises liability, personal injury, and medical malpractice; she has a strong track record in automobile liability and tort/premises liability trials with demands of $1 million or more. Her clients have included several Fortune 500 companies, numerous insurance carriers, and a major metropolitan transit authority. She has successfully tried and won federal and state jury and bench trials.
EDUCATION Spelman College, Georgia State College of Law (JD)
HOMETOWN Atlanta
FIRST JOB Party City
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Super Lawyers Rising Star (2019-2024)
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I won the Dirty Bird Dance Contest hosted by a local radio station when the Falcons won the NFC Championship Game in 1998 and was headed to the Super Bowl.
Jen Jordan
Partner
The Summerville Firm
Consistently recognized as one of the top lawyers in the state, Jen Jordan is an attorney who specializes in complex civil cases and stands up for those the system has failed. In 2015, Jordan brought suit against then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp over a data breach that exposed the personal information of Georgia voters. She was elected to the Georgia legislature in a 2017 special election—breaking a Republican supermajority in the state Senate—and won reelection in 2018 and 2020. She was the 2022 Democratic nominee for Georgia’s Attorney General. In 2023, Jordan joined The Summerville Firm as a partner.
EDUCATION Georgia Southern University, University of Georgia School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT In 2019, with the legislature debating a bill that would strictly limit access to abortion, Jordan delivered a dissent that went viral, drawing more than 3 million views on a single platform.
FIRST JOB Historical extra at Mossy Creek Festival. I would put on period clothing and be a hostess for visitors to the arts and crafts festival in Middle Georgia.
Wab Kadaba
Global Chair
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Effective July 1, 2024, Wab Kadaba was named global chair of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, leading the technology-focused law firm with more than 650 attorneys in 24 offices worldwide. For more than 11 years, Kadaba served as the global chair of the firm’s intellectual property department, leading a team of more than 300 attorneys in offices across the U.S. and Asia. Kadaba concentrated his practice on litigation related to intellectual property as well as strategy and management of intellectual property and technology issues; his experience in patent, trade dress, and trade secret litigation matters has involved technologies as diverse as software, telecommunications, e-commerce, medical devices, footwear, and chemical compositions.
EDUCATION Georgia Tech, Case Western Reserve University (MA), University of North Carolina School of Law (JD)
FIRST JOB Dunkin’ Donuts at age 14
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED My father told me to complete my education because it is that which no one can ever take away from me.
BUCKET LIST A bike-riding trip through Tuscany
Linda A. Klein
Senior Managing Shareholder
Baker Donelson
Linda A. Klein is senior managing shareholder at Baker Donelson and a past president of the American Bar Association, the world’s largest voluntary professional association. As the first woman to serve as president of the State Bar of Georgia, she devised a proposal and advocated for the state to allocate funding for lawyers to help indigent victims of domestic violence. Klein served as managing partner of Gambrell & Stolz beginning in 2001, leading the firm’s 2007 merger with Baker Donelson. In 2024, Klein was named an Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO.
EDUCATION Union College, Washington and Lee University School of Law (JD)
HIDDEN TALENT I collect Shirley Temple memorabilia and can even impersonate her.
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Center for Civil and Human Rights
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS Big city: Toronto; leisure: Hawaii; Old Europe: Zagreb, Croatia
Ernest LaMont Greer
Co-president
Greenberg Traurig
Ernest Greer is copresident of Greenberg Traurig, an international law firm with over 2,850 attorneys in 49 offices. He helps lead the firm’s global strategy and operations and also chairs its Washington, D.C. office. He previously served as managing shareholder of the firm’s Atlanta office, where he directed strategic growth while maintaining an active litigation practice. Greer is also deeply committed to civic and community engagement, serving on the boards of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Equal Justice Works, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Buckhead Coalition.
EDUCATION Harvard University, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Georgia Firm of the Year, Benchmark Litigation (2025); Swan House Ball honoree, Atlanta History Center (2024); Georgia Trend 100 Most Influential Georgians (2023); Anti-Defamation League Southeast Region Lifetime Achievement Award (2022); 2022 inductee into the Junior Achievement of Atlanta Hall of Fame
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I met my wife on the first day of college. We’ve been together ever since—more than three decades and counting.
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED Success is temporary—significance lasts. Strive for significance.
Photograph courtesy of individual
Simon R. Malko
Managing Partner
Morris, Manning & Martin
Simon R. Malko brings more than 20 years of courtroom and law firm experience to his leadership role at Taft / Morris Manning. Taft Stettinius & Hollister, one of the fastest growing law firms in the nation, and Morris, Manning & Martin, a highly regarded firm with offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., announced their plan to merge effective Dec. 31, 2025. The merger will bring more than 100 lawyers and nearly 50 years of exceptional client service to the Taft platform, expanding its position in the Southeast. Malko began his legal career in New York City, where he represented Fortune 50 companies and large investment banks.
EDUCATION Emory University, Fordham University School of Law (JD)
FIRST JOB Mowing lawns
HIDDEN TALENT I am a very good cook.
LESSON LEARNED Never let your ego get in the way of your success.
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Soccer at Liga Guinguard on Saturday mornings
BUCKET LIST Learning to play the bagpipes
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Edward Norton
Ceasar C. Mitchell Jr.
Partner
Dentons
A partner at Dentons, Ceasar C. Mitchell Jr. is a member of the firm’s Regulatory, Public Policy and Government Affairs team as well as the head of its interdisciplinary Local Government Solutions practice, which bridges the public and private sectors to meet the challenges facing local and state governments. Mitchell is past president of the Atlanta City Council, where he served two four-year terms as an at-large member while maintaining a legal practice in which he brought his policy advocacy, regulatory compliance, and real estate experience and relationships to bear. An Atlanta native, Mitchell has been active on several boards including boards for Hands On Atlanta and the Midtown Alliance.
EDUCATION Morehouse College, University of Georgia School of Law (JD)
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED What people are fussing about ain’t always what they are mad about.
LESSON LEARNED The best way to get your next initiative done is to tell people about your last initiative.
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I have to keep a box of tissues handy when watching romantic comedies.
Chuck Palmer
Partner, Atlanta
Troutman Pepper Locke
In three decades of practice, Chuck Palmer has advised clients in a range of industries, helping them navigate their interactions with government. His work on behalf of major corporations, including Delta Air Lines, Emory, Verizon, and others, has earned him a reputation as a skilled advocate and a positive leader in Atlanta’s business community. Palmer is grateful to have played a role in the revitalization of Atlanta’s famed East Lake Golf Club, which, through its East Lake Foundation, has revitalized the surrounding community. He is currently serving as chair of the Bobby Jones Golf Course Foundation board and volunteers with a number of Atlanta civic and cultural organizations.
EDUCATION University of Georgia, Emory Law School (JD)
HOMETOWN Lindale, Georgia
FIRST JOB Central Maintenance Department at the West Point-Pepperell cotton mill
INSPIRING PERSON Georgia Governor Carl Sanders, elected the same day as George Wallace in Alabama. He led Georgia in a completely different direction, making the state a magnet for business and professional sports.
Gerald L. Pouncey Jr.
Chairman
Taft/Morris Manning
Gerald L. Pouncey Jr. is chairman of Taft / Morris Manning. A senior partner in the firm, he also heads the environmental and infrastructure practices. His primary focus is the acquisition, disposition, and/or the redevelopment of properties with significant environmental impact; mergers, investments, and financing related to such properties; and the development and implementation of green energy technologies and strategies. The Opelika, Alabama, native has led efforts in the permitting, financing, acquisition, redevelopment, and regulatory closure of numerous industrial properties, mines, and landfills throughout the United States. In 2025, he was selected as the recipient of the 2025 International Council of Shopping Centers (ISCS) Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award, ICSC’s highest honor. Additionally, Pouncey is the past chairman of the board of directors for the Council for Quality Growth, the Georgia Brownfield Association, the Walker School, and Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society.
EDUCATION Auburn University, University of Georgia (JD)
HOBBIES Golf, fly fishing
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION London
Steven H. Sadow
Criminal Defense Attorney
Steven H. Sadow PC
Steve Sadow is a nationally known criminal defense attorney who has practiced law for 46 years. Sadow’s criminal trial and appellate practice focuses on white collar crimes, including healthcare fraud, political corruption and RICO, as well as general crimes, including conspiracy, drugs, and murder. Notable high-profile representations have included President Trump, rappers/entertainers T.I., Rick Ross, Usher, and Gunna; Howard K. Stern (Anna Nicole Smith’s attorney); and Steve Kaplan (owner of the former Gold Club).
EDUCATION Marietta College, Emory University School of Law (JD)
HOMETOWN Trotwood, Ohio
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK It was a calling. I knew I wanted to be a criminal defense attorney at age 11.
HIDDEN TALENT College pocket-billiards champion
INSPIRING PERSON Bobby Lee Cook
FAVORITE MOVIE My Cousin Vinny
Michele Stumpe
CEO and Cofounder
Ardis Dispute Resolution, PBC
With over 31 years in practice, Michele Stumpe is an experienced lawyer, mediator, negotiator, leader, and speaker. In 2025, Stumpe cofounded Ardis Dispute Resolution, PBC, an Atlanta-based firm that offers a strong foundation of services including litigation, employer and executive counseling, commercial real estate, leasing and lending services, creditors rights and bankruptcy, and a robust hospitality, alcohol and regulated products practice. In addition to negotiations in her career as a lawyer and mediator, Stumpe served as the international president of the Great Ape Project and was instrumental in petitioning the Spanish parliament to grant legal rights to great apes in 2008. She negotiated a reconciliation between the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance board and 19 of its discontented member sanctuaries on the verge of withdrawing from the organization.
EDUCATION University of Florida, University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law (JD)
REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS WORK I was a theatre major in undergrad, and my boyfriend was taking the LSAT. He wanted to hang out so I took it as a fluke without studying. I ended up doing really well on it, so I applied to law school and was accepted three weeks later. I realized that my theatre background was actually ideal for a career in litigation as I was completely at ease in front of judges and juries.
Travis Townsend Jr.
Partner
Townsend & Locket LLC
As cofounding partner of Townsend & Lockett and group leader of its business and transactional law practices, Townsend services businesses and supports their growth through the facilitation of financing, asset acquisition, and relationship management. Townsend led the corporate, securities, transactional, and banking practice groups at Townsend & Lockett, resulting in the firm closing over $18 billion in transactions for clients. Founded in 2010, the firm’s practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, commercial real estate, intellectual property and technology, private equity and venture capital, and commercial litigation and arbitration in four locations: Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Townsend, who is the president of the Atlanta chapter of the National Black MBA Association, is a member Leadership Atlanta’s class of 2023.
EDUCATION University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School (JD)
HOMETOWN Muskegon Heights, Michigan
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK Through a mentor, I learned about corporate law. She told me, “If we are advocates in this space, it will improve the community.”
J. Henry Walker IV
Chair Emeritus and Partner
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
J. Henry Walker IV is the chair emeritus and partner of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, an international law firm with more than 600 lawyers in 22 offices. During his tenure as chair and CEO of Kilpatrick from 2014 to 2024, the firm increased revenues and profits every year, and seven new offices were opened. Walker is a recognized leader in the legal and business communities, including serving as an active member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber executive committee, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and the State Bar of Georgia board of governors. In 2019, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named him one of the city’s Most Admired CEOs and honored him as an Executive Champion of Corporate Citizenship in 2024.
EDUCATION University of Virginia, Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law (JD)
HOMETOWN Griffin, Georgia
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Mark D. Wasserman
Managing Partner and Co-CEO
Eversheds Sutherland
With more than three decades of experience in corporate law, Mark Wasserman served as managing partner of Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP from 2005 to 2025. He also held the position of global Co-CEO of Eversheds Sutherland Limited from 2017 to 2025, providing strategic leadership to the firm. He’s represented and advised private and public companies in the U.S. and internationally, and has counseled clients on a range of business matters, especially mergers and acquisitions and issues relating to federal and state securities laws. He has served as chair of the Emory Law Dean’s advisory board and has been named in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of corporate law. Additionally, The Daily Report and Law.com selected Wasserman as a 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree as part of its annual Southeastern Legal Awards.
EDUCATION Clemson University (MA), Emory University School of Law (JD)
FIRST JOB Owned and operated my own lawn service
HIDDEN TALENT I was an all-American fencer in college.
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT The BeltLine
John C. Yates
Cofounding Partner
Gunderson Dettmer/Atlanta Office
John C. Yates has practiced exclusively in the technology law field for more than 40 years. He is one of the founding partners of the Atlanta office of Gunderson Dettmer, the leading law firm in the country representing emerging growth companies and technology funds. Gunderson Dettmer officially launched its Atlanta office, its 12th global office, in 2025 after more than a decade representing clients in the Southeast. Having launched Morris, Manning & Martin’s technology practice, under the leadership of Yates, the firm represented more than 1,000 tech companies and offered comprehensive legal and corporate services to start-ups, growing tech companies, and investors. In 2025, Yates was inducted into the Computer Museum of America’s Hall of Fame.
EDUCATION Duke University, Duke University School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS A prolific author and leading voice in technology law, Yates has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal and The Economist.
Photograph courtesy of individual
Sally Q. Yates
Partner
King & Spalding
With the Department of Justice for 27 years, Yates rose through the ranks of assistant United States attorneys to become U.S. attorney in Atlanta, deputy attorney general, and acting attorney general. As deputy AG from January 2015 through 2017, she was the second-highest-ranking official in the department. She directed all U.S. attorneys’ offices and DOJ law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Prisons. Having served as a visiting distinguished lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center, she has specialized in white collar crime and tried high-profile public cases such as the ones against former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell and Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph.
EDUCATION University of Georgia, University of Georgia School of Law (JD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS A fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, Yates has received the Luminary Award from the Southern Center for Human Rights.
MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Vaughn Alvarez
Founder and CEO
CR8 Agency
Vaughn Alvarez is the CEO of CR8 Agency, an entertainment and lifestyle PR and marketing agency which Alvarez founded in 2016. His client roster has included TV One, Entertainment One, RCA Inspiration, Lifetime, WE tv, BET, as well as entertainers Rickey Smiley, Brandy, Ray J, Kierra Sheard, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Wendy Raquel Robinson. HuffPost recognized Alvarez as one of the Top 25 African American PR Millennials to Watch, and he has been a significant figure in promoting Black and LGBTQ+ voices in entertainment. Additionally, Alvarez provides PR and marketing at his church, The Vision Cathedral of Atlanta.
HOMETOWN Ashburn, Virginia
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Los Angeles, California
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Atlanta Black Pride Weekend Honoree (2023), Black Media Honors Agency of the Year (2021)
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I am a professionally trained tap dancer.
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Dyllón Burnside
Kristin Cowart Pierce
Founder and CEO
Brave Public Relations
With expertise in media relations, reputation management, crisis communications, new product launches, and partnership marketing, Kristin Cowart Pierce founded the boutique firm Brave Public Relations in 1999. The company has worked with notable Atlanta brands including mall developer Simon, Pike Nurseries, PGA Tour/Tour Championship, Fox Theatre, and Legoland Discovery Center. Before founding Brave, Cowart Pierce worked in London for the global public relations firm Edelman, directing campaigns for clients including Ericsson and IMAX. Prior to that she was an account supervisor at Golin in Atlanta. In 2024, Newsweek included Brave Public Relations in its inaugural list of America›s Best PR Agencies.
EDUCATION Boston College
HOMETOWN Tampa, Florida
FIRST JOB Waitress. I was horrible!
INSPIRING PERSON My grandfather. He started as a busboy at Morrison’s Cafeteria and worked his way up to CEO of the company—with only an eighth-grade education.
Gina Espinosa-Meltzer
CEO
Hope Beckham Espinosa Inc.
became CEO and majority owner of the marketing and communications company formerly known as Hope-Beckham Inc., which added her name to become Hope Beckham Espinosa. An award-winning communications strategist, she has worked with for-profit companies and nonprofits to elevate their brand, increase sales, and enhance messaging to both the Hispanic and mainstream markets. Originally from Mexico City, she has advised such organizations as the Latin American Association, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, and Ser Familia. Her media relations expertise stems from her years as a journalist — with the BBC, CNN and Mundo Now, among others. A member of Leadership Atlanta’s class of 2025, she serves on the boards for the International Women’s Forum, Hope Atlanta, and Prospera USA.
EDUCATION Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, Mexico
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS YWCA Academy of Women Achievers Class of 2024, Women of Influence, Atlanta Business Chronicle 2023; Top Women in Communications, PRNews 2022; Top Women in Communications, PR Daily/Ragan Communications 2022; 50 Most Influential Hispanics in Georgia, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2022
Jenn Hobby
Brand and Communications Director
CURE Childhood Cancer
In 2025, Jenn Hobby was named brand and communications director at CURE Childhood Cancer. The mission of CURE Childhood Cancer, which was founded in 1975, is to conquer childhood cancer through funding innovative research and providing comprehensive support to children and their families. Hobby’s firsthand experience as a parent navigating a child’s cancer journey gives her a unique and deeply personal understanding of the challenges these families endure. Hobby is a former radio host on Atlanta’s Star 94 and a television host of The Daily 2 and House 2 Home on WSB-TV. A well-known Atlanta personality for more than 20 years, her radio career has included WBTS-FM (95.5 The Beat), WWWQ-FM (Q100), and WKHX-FM (Kicks 101.5), and her television work has included HLN, CNN, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and Fox 5 Atlanta.
EDUCATION Florida State University
HOMETOWN Saint Petersburg, Florida
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Hobby earned two Gracie Awards for her work in radio and an Emmy for her TV work at GPB.
Genna Keller
Co-CEO
Trevelino/Keller
A PR and marketing practitioner for more than 30 years, Genna Keller served in executive leadership positions with global public relations firms for 16 years before launching Trevelino/Keller with longtime colleague Dean Trevelino in 2003. In 2025, Trevelino/Keller won four Hermes Creative Awards from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals for outstanding work across the marketing and communications industry. With a wealth of B2B and B2C and nonprofit experience, Keller is also passionate about the tech industry and innovation, serving in advisory roles with Tech Alpharetta and Atlanta Tech Angels, among others. A member of the Buckhead Coalition, Keller’s expertise is often sought for company launch strategies, M&A communications, crisis work, and campaign development.
EDUCATION Wake Forest University
FIRST JOB Gift wrapping in a department store where I learned the importance of customer service and speed. And the importance of “the small stuff.”
WHAT I’D TELL MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF Invest in your personal and professional network. Over the years, those contacts will become invaluable resources, colleagues, and friends.
Williams Mills
CEO
William Mills Agency
A native Atlantan, William Mills III joined the William Mills Agency in 1983 and launched the firm’s public relations practice in 1989, which now accounts for 90 percent of agency revenue. He serves as lead consultant for the agency’s clients and has personally advised more than 500 C-level executives on marketing strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, company branding, and public relations. His other responsibilities include agency financial management, overseeing the agency’s business development, as well as the agency’s creative and marketing services. In addition to serving on the agency’s board, Mills is an advisory board member for Atlanta-based Sionic, a digital payments provider. He and his wife are parents of two daughters and are grandparents as well. Mills is an active musician, 10-K runner, and foster parent for children prior to their adoption.
EDUCATION Florida State University
REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS WORK Following in my parent’s footsteps
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE Surviving and prospering through six recessions and Covid-19
Tara Murphy
Founder and President
360 Media Inc.
Tara Murphy is a seasoned communications powerhouse and the visionary founder of 360 Media Inc., one of Atlanta’s most respected public relations and digital marketing firms. Before founding 360 Media in 1996, Murphy served as public relations director for two major independent record labels and was deeply immersed in the concert promotions world. Today, 360 Media represents an influential roster of clients that includes award-winning chefs, luxury hotels, global brands, nonprofits, music festivals, and high-profile food and wine events. She is a board member of Georgia Music Partners, a board of trustees member for the Georgia chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), and founding member of The LOLA.
EDUCATION Elon University
NOTABLE ACHIEMENTS Georgia Titan 100 (2022), Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO (2020), Atlanta magazine Women Making a Mark (2020), Rolling Out “Top 25 Women of Atlanta
BEST ADVICE Always trust your gut—it rarely steers you wrong. Another piece of advice that’s stuck with me came from my dad, during a tough moment with a client. He told me, “Never let anyone back you into a corner or force you into a decision that isn’t truly yours.” It’s a reminder I’ve carried with me ever since.
Allyson Park
Chief Communications Officer
Walmart Inc.
As the chief communications officer for Walmart Inc., Allyson Park is responsible for leading and developing a world-class team that advances the company’s reputation and meaningfully contributes to Walmart’s business strategy. Her portfolio includes media relations, external, employee, executive, financial, and legal communications, social media content and events.Previously, Park was the chief corporate affairs officer for Yum! Brands Inc., with global responsibility for reputation, stakeholder engagement, environmental and social governance, government relations, sustainability, communications, social media, philanthropy, social impact, creative services, meetings and events. Before joining Yum! Brands, Park held executive leadership roles at Mars (Mars Wrigley, Wrigley, Mars Chocolate, and Mars Petcare) and The Coca-Cola Company. She began her career in consulting in New York and Atlanta.
EDUCATION University of Florida
Carolyn Sloss
Vice President
Allied Integrated Marketing
As vice president of Allied Global Marketing, Sloss has expertise in marketing, communications, digital initiatives, and business development. Her client list includes The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, Cirque du Soleil, and GPS Hospitality. A Florida native, Sloss creates and manages integrated campaigns and brand strategy with an entrepreneurial spirit. She has been honored with the Synergy Award given by the African American Film Critics Association for her impactful commitment in the arts and entertainment community.
EDUCATION Auburn University
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I start every morning with a Coke Zero.
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Greece
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACES TO VISIT Atlanta BeltLine, Fox Theatre, and Truist Park
NONPROFITS Atlanta Film Festival, VOX ATL, and Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Photograph courtesy of individual
Vince Thompson
Founder, Chairman, and CEO
MELT
Vince Thompson founded MELT in 2000 and built the company into one of the nation’s leading events and sports marketing agencies. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, MELT has produced thousands of events and experiences throughout the country, and has worked with nearly every major sports organization and or league in the country including the NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, PGA Tour, NASCAR, FIFA, NFHS, and more. Thompson also built MELT University into one of the industry’s most successful internship and career development programs; his book Build Brand You: Insights for Pursuing Your Dreams, a guide to building personal brands, was published in 2020. In 2018, the Atlanta Business Chronicle named Thompson one of its Most Admired CEOs.
EDUCATION Auburn University
HIDDEN TALENT I played the saxophone in high school.
HOBBIES Exercising, fishing, fine wine, cigars
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Chops Lobster Bar
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I recently helped reopen the famous dive bar the War Eagle Supper Club at my alma mater.
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Jeremy Piven
Alicia Tillman
Chief Marketing Officer
Delta Air Lines
An executive leader with more than two decades of experience in global marketing, sales, and strategy, Alicia Tillman is Delta’s chief marketing officer and a member of the Delta leadership committee. Tillman’s marketing credentials include leadership experience as the global chief marketing officer at SAP and an 11-year tenure at American Express, where she led the travel division’s Marketing, Public Affairs, and Business Services. Most recently, she was chief revenue officer of Capitolis, a leading fintech company.
EDUCATION Lycoming College, Kellogg School of Management
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Forbes The World’s Most Influential CMOs (2025)
Dean Trevelino
Co-CEO
Trevelino/Keller
Dean Trevelino had 16 years of experience in executive leadership positions at global public relations firms before he and longtime colleague Genna Keller launched Trevelino/Keller in 2003. Together they created a growth public relations and marketing firm that has been ranked as high as the fourth fastest-growing firm in the U.S. by O’Dwyer’s, and recognized as one of the best North American firms to work for by PRovoke Media. In 2024, the firm acquired Marsden Marketing to expand its growth marketing capabilities. Trevelino is a member of the Forbes Agency Council; he’s also a competitive ultrarunner and former Division I college wrestler.
EDUCATION Pennsylvania State University, University of Alabama (MA)
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE 33-hour run in the hills of No Business, Tennessee
HIDDEN TALENT Modern design enthusiast
DE-STRESS AND RELAX Running distances me from stress. It’s less about relaxing, but there’s a sense of peace my mind gets in part because I’m not randomly choosing a street to run but rather a trail that sets the tone for my escape.
BUCKET LIST Trek across Costa Rica
Caroline Wilbert
President
The Wilbert Group
Under Caroline Wilbert’s leadership, The Wilbert Group has grown consistently since its founding in 2009 and now ranks as one of the largest PR firms in metro Atlanta. Passionate about defining clients’ stories, The Wilbert Group consistently tells those stories in the marketplace through a variety of channels, including traditional news and social media. While Wilbert stepped away from her role as president in 2025, she will continue to remain involved in the firm. Wilbert began her career in journalism, including seven years as a business reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and two years at the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Having won awards for both breaking news and feature writing, Wilbert’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Atlanta magazine, and many other publications nationwide.
EDUCATION University of Georgia
HOMETOWN Chattanooga, Tennessee
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Jodie Foster
MEDIA
Donald Albright
President and Cofounder
Tenderfoot TV
Donald Albright is an entrepreneur, producer, and CEO of the content creation company Tenderfoot TV, which he cofounded in 2016 with Payne Lindsey, and which produces an array of entertainment media including podcasts, live shows, television, film, and other digital platforms. Since its launch, Tenderfoot TV has released multiple award-winning podcast franchises including Up and Vanished, Atlanta Monster, and To Live and Die in LA, amassing over 800 million downloads. Through Tenderfoot TV, Albright has forged partnerships with media companies including Apple, Spotify, iHeartMedia, Cadence13, NBCUniversal, HBO, Audible, Netflix, and Issa Rae’s label Raedio. Additionally, Albright serves as a founding governor of The Podcast Academy
HOMETOWN San Jose, California
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS iHeartRadio Audible Audio Pioneer Award (2020), Webby Crime & Justice Podcast Award (2020), iHeart Best True Crime Podcast (2019)
Blayne Alexander Bailey
Dateline NBC Correspondent
NBC News
Blayne Alexander Bailey has gone from being a one-man-band reporter and photojournalist at WRDW-TV in Augusta to a correspondent for Dateline NBC, the longest running primetime show on NBC. Previously, she was an Atlanta-based correspondent for NBC News, where she reported for all platforms including NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, TODAY, and MSNBC. During her time with the network, she has reported on the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 elections, and the death of Congressman John Lewis. A former reporter and anchor with Atlanta’s 11Alive News and four-time Emmy Award nominee, her work has been honored by the Atlanta and National Associations of Black Journalists, the Atlanta Press Club, and the Alliance for Women in Media. She also enjoys making an impact in her community as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Jack and Jill of America. A proud Oklahoma City native, she has loved making Atlanta home with her husband, James Bailey, and their two daughters, Sage and Skylar.
EDUCATION Duke University
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 Under 40 (2025); Gracie Award Honorable Mention – Outstanding TV Reporter/Correspondent (2023); Daily Point of Light Award honoree (2016); Atlanta Press Club – Rising Star Award (2016)
Brandon Butler
CEO
Butter ATL
Brandon Butler is the CEO of Butter.ATL. Since its launch in 2019, Butter—a 2020 Webby Award nominee—has developed original programming featuring Atlanta figures such as Killer Mike, Goodie Mob, and DJ Scream, and gained more than 70,000 followers, including Chrissy Teigen, Big Boi, and Tim McGraw. A seasoned marketing and creative leader, Butler, who is a cofounder of the 404 Collective, has previously led successful creative and digital teams at Accenture, Edelman, Public Broadcasting Atlanta, and NBA Digital.
EDUCATION Georgia Southern University, Georgia Tech (MBA)
Spencer Bynes
Metro Atlanta President
iHeartMedia
Spencer Bynes is the metro president of a six-station cluster in Atlanta for iHeartMedia, the nation’s leading audio company. The first Black metro president appointed in Atlanta, Bynes oversees all programming, marketing, and operations efforts, while developing and managing key partnerships across the company’s platforms. Previously, Bynes served as iHeartMedia Texas area president from 2021 to 2023, where he drove revenue growth and delivered the highest sustainable profit margins for five community markets. His leadership in Beaumont, Texas earned the team the Community Market of the Year award in 2022 for the highest year-over-year revenue growth. His journey also includes roles as director of Talent Management and Talent Acquisition at iHeartMedia and talent acquisition manager for Coca-Cola North America.
EDUCATION Sam Houston State University
HOMETOWN Corsicana, Texas
WHAT I’D TELL MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF People’s opinion of you is none of your damn business. Run as hard as you can, son.
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Michael Colter
BUCKET LIST Safari in Kenya!
Leroy Chapman Jr.
Editor-In-Chief
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A journalist for nearly 30 years, Leroy Chapman is the editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, which will be strictly digital as of Jan. 1, 2026. Chapman began working at the newspaper in 2011, originally as a story editor. Through a series of promotions, he went from managing a single local news reporting team to managing several reporting teams to being named managing editor in 2020, where he oversaw the daily news production in print and on ajc.com. Named editor-in-chief in March 2023, he is the first African American to hold this position since the newspaper was founded in 1868. Prior to his work in Atlanta, Chapman, who is a U.S. Navy veteran, worked at several newspapers in South Carolina primarily covering politics.
EDUCATION The University of South Carolina
HOMETOWN Greenville, South Carolina
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS At 28, became the first African American named to The Greenville News’ editorial board. Led the reporting team that broke the news of former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford’s whereabouts when he disappeared to Argentina in 2009.
Jennifer Dorian
President and CEO
WABE 90.1FM and WABE.org
As president and CEO of WABE, Jennifer Dorian oversees Atlanta’s original, independent, nonprofit source for national NPR/PBS news and impactful local stories and programming. Since taking over the helm in 2021, Dorian has led the consolidation of NPR station WABE-90.1, PBS station ATL-PBA, and digital-content hub WABE.org under one umbrella WABE brand and made significant, strategic investments in the newsroom and digital transformation to better serve Atlanta audiences. A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Marketing Association Atlanta chapter, Dorian came to WABE after a 20-year career at Turner Broadcasting.
EDUCATION Emory University, University of Texas at Austin (MBA)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT Dorian led the creation of WABE’s Digital Transformation Capital Campaign dedicated toward growing and strengthening WABE’s ability to deliver independent news and programming to the next generation of Atlantans. In just nine months, she raised $6 million, including the largest single gift.
Erick Erickson
Host, The Erick Erickson Show
WSB Radio
Author and nationally syndicated columnist Erick Erickson is one of the most popular local hosts in the country and was the voice of evening drive time on WSB for 10 years. His show airs live noon to 3 p.m. each weekday. He has been a frequent panelist on NBC’s Meet the Press, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, and other programs. The Atlantic called Erickson the most influential conservative in America. He’s currently working on his master of divinity degree at Reformed Theological Seminary.
EDUCATION Mercer University, Mercer University School of Law (JD)
FAVORITE BOOK To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK I didn’t. I fell into it by accident when a local host got arrested in Macon and his station needed a fill-in, but it is now the longest job I’ve ever had, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
LESSON LEARNED Build relationships with people, including listeners, instead of just climbing a ladder.
Photograph by Getty/Jonathan Leibson
Sanjay Gupta, MD
Neurosurgeon
Chief Medical Correspondent
CNN
Emmy-winning chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta plays an integral role in CNN’s reporting on health and medical news for all of the network’s domestic and international shows, and he contributes to CNN.com. His medical training and public health policy experience inform his reporting from war zones and natural disasters. Gupta is also a member of the staff and faculty at Emory University School of Medicine and an associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, and he regularly performs surgery at Emory University and Grady hospitals. An author, his latest book, It Doesn’t Have to Hurt: Your Smart Guide to a Pain-Free Life, was published in 2025 with Simon & Schuster.
EDUCATION University of Michigan, University of Michigan Medical School (MD)
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Author of four New York Times bestselling books: Chasing Life, Cheating Death, Monday Mornings, and Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at Any Age. Named one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive in 2003.
Jeremy Heilpern
CEO and Founder
Ammunition
Having founded his first advertising agency when he was 14, Jeremy Heilpern is the CEO of Ammunition, a full-funnel advertising agency which he founded in 2017. One of Atlanta’s only genuine full-service agencies, Ammunition has been recognized on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Ammunition’s client roster includes LG, the Atlanta Hawks, and Georgia-Pacific. In 2023, Heilpern led the acquisition of Mad Hat Creative, an Emmy Award-winning video production company, and he served as president of Morrison in Atlanta before resigning to start Ammunition. Additionally, Heilpern was included in Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 class of 2025, which represents Atlanta’s best and brightest young professionals and emerging leaders.
EDUCATION The Art Institute of Atlanta
HOMETOWN Detroit, Michigan
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Ammunition is in the midst of a deliberate transformation. While others are tacking on AI, Heilpern is rebuilding the agency from the inside out. He restructured the agency’s creative leadership by promoting Jonathan Hayes to chief creative officer after acquiring his studio, Mad Hat Creative. He also formed an internal AI Committee among other initiatives. By the close of 2025, every department will be AI-enabled without losing an employee.
Hilton Howell Jr.
Chairman of the Board and CEO
Gray Television, Assembly Atlanta, and Atlantic American Corporation
Hilton Howell Jr. serves as chairman of the board and CEO of Gray Media and is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Assembly Atlanta. He also serves as chairman of the board, president, and CEO of Atlantic American Corporation. Under Howell’s leadership, Gray Media developed from a small, regional broadcaster based in Albany, Georgia to be an owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets throughout the United States. Through strategic acquisitions and mergers following the purchase of Gray Communication Systems in 1992, its television stations now serve 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of U.S. television households. Now headquartered in Atlanta, Gray Media has been a trailblazer in the broadcasting space, owning video program and production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios. CBS’ Beyond The Gates, which debuted in 2025 and is the first daytime drama to premiere in over 25 years, is filmed at Assembly Atlanta.
EDUCATION Baylor University (JD), University of Texas at Austin (MBA)
Bert Wesley Huffman
President and CEO
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Bert Wesley Huffman was named CEO of Georgia Public Broadcasting in 2023. Huffman joined GPB in 2014 when he became the company’s first vice president for Development and Marketing. In 2016, he was promoted to serve as the senior vice president of External Affairs, and in 2021 was named president of GPB. Prior to joining GPB in 2014, Huffman held top roles in development operations for arts and education institutions including, most recently, The Atlanta Opera and Emory University. He has used his experience in the arts and educational worlds to create a culture of philanthropy at GPB and elevated the organization’s foremost role to being a partner in the community that serves its viewers and listeners in ways that commercial broadcasting does not.
EDUCATION Tennessee Wesleyan University, Kennesaw State University (MPA)
HOMETOWN Blue Ridge, Georgia
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Atlanta Botanical Garden
WHAT I’D TELL MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF Hang in there. It gets better
Tharon Johnson
Founder and CEO
Paramount Consulting Group LLC
Tharon Johnson is the founder and CEO of Paramount Consulting Group, a bipartisan government affairs and communications firm based in Atlanta. A nationally recognized political strategist, Johnson appears each week on Fox 5 Atlanta’s longest-running public affairs program, The Georgia Gang, and on WABE 90.1FM’s popular Political Breakfast podcast. Most recently, he served as a senior advisor to the Biden-Harris campaign in the battleground state of Georgia. Additionally, he has served on campaigns for President Barack Obama, Congressman John Lewis, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. He appears regularly as a contributor on CNN, MSNBC, and WSB-TV and is frequently quoted in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Johnson is married to Dr. Chynna Johnson and is the father of Tyeson Johnson.
EDUCATION Clark Atlanta University
HOMETOWN Athens, Georgia
Payne Lindsey
Cofounder
Tenderfoot TV
Payne Lindsey is a director and documentary filmmaker who cofounded the content-creation company Tenderfoot TV with his friend and business partner Donald Albright. The company has launched several hit podcast series including Up and Vanished, Atlanta Monster, and Radio Rental, all of which Lindsey hosts. In 2020 he brought Up and Vanished to the small screen as a docuseries for Oxygen, and he partnered with Disgraceland host Jake Brennan on the podcast Dead and Gone, which investigates the cases of Grateful Dead fans who have died or gone missing. In 2025, Lindsey joined a panel of crime experts on FOX television docuseries America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons, an all-new format that centers on finding missing people and reuniting them with their families
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT iHeartRadio Best True Crime Podcast for Up and Vanished (2019)
FAVORITE TV SHOW Breaking Bad
FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION Maine
BUCKET LIST Direct a film or TV series
Photograph courtesy of individual
Mike Luckovich
Editorial Cartoonist
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Following stints at South Carolina’s Greenville News and The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, Seattle native Mike Luckovich became an editorial cartoonist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1989. His work has garnered him two Pulitzer Prizes as well as a Reuben Award, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cartoonists Society. Luckovich’s cartoons are syndicated in 150 newspapers, and his latest collection, The Twisted History of the GOP, was published in 2022.
EDUCATION University of Washington
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (1994), Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning (1995, 2006)
HIDDEN TALENT I’m a pretty good dancer.
FAVORITE BOOK Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
LESSON LEARNED Some people you can’t change.
Darian Morgan (Big Tigger)
Television/radio producer
Currently host of The Big Tigger Morning Show With Jazzy McBee on V-103 (WVEE-FM), Tigger is well known as host of the longest running, nationally televised hip-hop show on BET, Rap City. In 2003, he created Live in the Den with Big Tigger, a three-hour, syndicated show that aired for more than 10 years in 67 markets and three countries. His television show, Direct Access with Big Tigger, won an Emmy Award in 2013. He’s also hosted BET Awards and Soul Train Awards and has appeared on the Dave Chappelle Show. He’s worked with both the Atlanta Hawks and the Atlanta Dream.
EDUCATION University of Maryland
NONPROFIT Big Tigger Foundation, which targets HIV/AIDS and illiteracy
Wes Moss
Managing Partner and Chief Investment Strategist
Capital Investment Advisors
Host
Money Matters
Wes Moss is the managing partner of Capital Investment Advisors, a more than $6.5 billion registered investment adviser in Sandy Springs. He’s also the longtime host of Money Matters on 95.5 WSB, host of the Retire Sooner podcast, and the author of What the Happiest Retirees Know: 10 Habits for a Healthy, Secure, and Joyful Life. Barron’s has named him one of its top 1,200 independent financial advisers every year since 2014, and Forbes listed him as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor in 2025.
EDUCATION University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
HOMETOWN Coatesville, Pennsylvania
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK When I was growing up, my dad was a large-animal vet. After going with him on a 5 a.m. farm call, I decided there was no way I wanted to do that for a living. So I picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal, and I was hooked.
DE-STRESS AND RELAX Visit Lake Michigan
MOST INSPIRING PERSON My original business partner, Mike Reiner (who recently passed away), taught me about loyalty, humility, and the importance of family
Tom O’Brien
President
Weather Group
Tom O’Brien is president of Weather Group, the parent company of both The Weather Channel and the over-the-top streaming service Local Now, and Pattrn (TWC’s brand dedicated to climate and the environment). As network president, O’Brien works to ensure that The Weather Channel remains the top-rated and most widely distributed weather network in the U.S. A longtime television and digital business executive, O’Brien was previously a corporate officer for Nexstar Media Group, where he led digital and revenue growth efforts. Prior to that he spent 14 years at NBCUniversal, including stints as president and general manager of NBC’s flagship station, WNBC, and executive vice president and chief revenue officer of CNBC.
EDUCATION Syracuse University
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK I’ve been fascinated with television and the outdoors my entire life. I can’t think of a better place to combine these two passions than The Weather Channel.
Michael Ouweleen
President
Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family, and TCM
Michael Ouweleen is president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and Discovery Family. He is responsible for all aspects of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and Discovery Family, including content development, production, and franchise management. His oversight includes programming, creative, digital, and live events related to these brands and their properties globally across all company-owned platforms and third-party partners. Ouweleen was a key member of the small team that championed and launched Adult Swim. While serving as creative director for the block, he also co-created, co-executive produced, and co-wrote one of the first Adult Swim shows, Harvey Birdman, Attorney-at-Law, starring Gary Cole and Stephen Colbert. He and his wife have three grown sons.
EDUCATION Georgetown University
HOBBIES Running, skateboarding, painting; co-hosted a weekly radio show focused on the popular arts
LESSON LEARNED It’s not about you, so don’t make it about you.
Lisa Respers France
Reporter
CNN
Lisa Respers France is a reporter for CNN in Atlanta. A veteran of CNN’s entertainment team and with a sharp instinct for where culture and news intersect, she interviews and reports on celebrities and trendsetters, from Oprah to Taylor Swift; and she contributed to the timely 2023 CNN FlashDocs Taking on Taylor Swift with her insights. She is the former host of the Lisa’s Desk franchise, founding author of the Pop Life Chronicles newsletter and co-host of the CNN podcast Lisa, Sandra and Kristin Go to the Movies, which ran in 2019. France previously served as an editor of the alumni magazine for Saint John’s University and, before that, as a journalist for The Baltimore Sun. She got her start in journalism in 1994 at The Los Angeles Times. Her short stories have appeared in two anthologies.
EDUCATION University of Maryland, Baltimore County
FEW PEOPLE KNOW I once appeared on an episode of America’s Most Wanted. Not as a criminal, though—as a journalist.
Rashad Richey
Radio and Television Personality
Rolling Out, TYT Network, Agents & Strategies LLC
The youngest inductee into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame as of 2022, Rashad Richey is also an Emmy-nominated political analyst, a political commentator, and a professor at Morris Brown College. Formerly the host of the Rashad Richey Morning Show on News & Talk 1380 WAOK for nearly a decade, in 2024, Richey signed multimillion-dollar national syndication deal with Agents & Strategies LLC to broadcast his morning show The Dr. Rashad Richey Morning Show on radio stations throughout America and Canada. He’s also the host of Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey on the TYT Network and a regular commentator on MSNBC and Fox News. Additionally, he is president of Rolling Out and serves on Piedmont Atlanta Hospital’s board of directors. Previously Richey was the political director and chief strategist for the Democratic Party of Georgia.
EDUCATION Beulah Heights University (MBA), Clark Atlanta University (EdD), Scofield Graduate School & Theological Seminary (PhD)
WHY I CHOSE THIS WORK I had a tough life growing up. Despair, poverty, and a general lack of access surrounded the communities I lived in. Today I seek to transform the narrative of those same communities through education, mentorship, civic engagement, and economic empowerment.
Maria Saporta
Founder
SaportaReport.com
An Atlanta native who began her full-time journalism career in 1980 with the Macon Telegraph, Maria Saporta is a former Atlanta Business Chronicle columnist and reporter and the founder of SaportaReport, where a stable of veteran contributors provide updates on business, urban, and civic issues in metro Atlanta and beyond. In 2008 she wrapped up a 27-year career with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, during which she was a business and civic columnist for more than 17 years.
EDUCATION Boston University, Georgia State University (MA)
FEW PEOPLE KNOW My first language was French, and I didn’t know English when I entered kindergarten.
Rose Scott
Journalist and Executive Producer
WABE 90.1FM
Rose Scott is a journalist, host, and executive producer of midday news program Closer Look heard on Atlanta’s NPR station WABE 90.1 FM. In her role, Scott has interviewed foreign heads of state, cabinet members, U.S. ambassadors, numerous consul generals, state, and local elected officials as well as civic and social leaders. Closer Look has become a signature broadcast for the community and brings together viewpoints from all sectors of society. Scott leads the Closer Look team in presenting discussions mostly centered around quality-of-life topics and segments. Scott has been honored with several awards including a Southeast Emmy Award, an Edward R. Murrow Award, an Atlanta Association of Black Journalists award, and numerous awards from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.
EDUCATION Indiana State University
HOMETOWN St. Louis, Missouri
WHAT I’D TELL A RECENT GRADUATE Learn to budget!
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Lionel Hampton Park
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED From Robin Roberts: “Atlanta is a place where a lot of people can help you. The key is to surround yourself with people willing to help you.”
Photograph courtesy of individual
Kim Severson
National Food Correspondent
New York Times
Kim Severson is a national food correspondent for The New York Times, and previously the paper’s Southern bureau chief and a staff writer in the dining section. Severson has won several awards for news and feature writing, including the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for her contributions to the team that investigated workplace sexual harassment and abuse against women, four James Beard Foundation Awards, and the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for her work on childhood obesity in 2002.
EDUCATION Michigan State University
FIRST JOB Cleaning cages in a vet’s office
HOBBIES Cooking and trying to understand the South
FAVORITE ATLANTA PLACE TO VISIT Any farmers market
BEST ADVICE RECEIVED Always raise your hand when someone offers an opportunity, and do the thing that makes you uncomfortable.
Ivan Shammas
President and CEO
Hispanic Plug
Ivan Shammas is president and CEO of Hispanic Plug, a multimedia marketing agency dedicated to integrating businesses into the fast-growing and dynamic Hispanic market. Having witnessed Georgia’s Hispanic population boom since his family moved to the state in 1987, Shammas has been a part of the Spanish media growth of Atlanta for the past 26 years starting with his first job out of college selling television advertising on Spanish cable networks. Most recently, Shammas was TelevisaUnivision’s chief revenue officer for Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In 2024, the Georgia General Assembly honored Shammas, who serves on the board of directors of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, with a resolution highlighting his impact in the Georgia Latinx community. Additionally, Shammas serves on boards for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, the Fox Theatre, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and The Same House.
EDUCATION Georgia State University
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Atlanta Falcons Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award presented by the NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation; Atlanta Business Chronicle Power 100; Georgia Trend 100 Most Influential Georgians; Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia.
Steak Shapiro
CEO
Bread n Butter Content Studio / Atlanta Eats
Radio and Television Host
Steak Shapiro is one of the most recognized media personalities in Atlanta history and the founder and CEO of Bread n Butter Content Studio, a full-service video agency that partners with some of the city’s most respected brands. A lifelong entrepreneur, Shapiro has launched multiple media ventures, including Big League Broadcasting, Atlanta Eats, and American Eats. He currently hosts The Steakhouse, one of Atlanta’s most popular radio shows, airing weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m. on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game. Known as a “force of nature” for his larger-than-life personality, Shapiro has spent over 30 years influencing Atlanta’s media and business communities, building a reputation as a dynamic voice and connector across the region.
EDUCATION Tulane University
HOMETOWN Newton, Massachusetts
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS Founded two Atlanta media/content companies, four Emmy Awards, four GABBY Awards
WHO’D PLAY ME IN A BIOPIC Vince Vaughn — Heard the comparison multiple times
Susan Sim Oh
Vice President of Strategy and Operations
Gray Telemundo Station Group
Susan Sim Oh is the vice president of Strategy and Operations for Gray Telemundo Affiliate Station Group. In this role, she strategizes, develops, and promotes overall strategy and best practices for news, programming, digital, marketing, and sales for Gray Telemundo Affiliate Station Group, which is comprised of 44 markets across the United States. In 2022, Gray Media acquired Telemundo Atlanta. Oh, who established Telemundo Atlanta with her brother Coline Sim in 2009 after realizing one million Hispanic people in metro Atlanta had no credible source of news information, continues to oversee the strategic direction of the station. Under Oh’s leadership, Telemundo Atlanta has garnered more than 65 Southeast Emmy Awards since 2012, and in 2025, Oh was inducted into its Silver Circle, which honors 25 years of work in the broadcast industry.
EDUCATION University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia State University (MBA)
HOMETOWN Atlanta
WHAT I’D TELL MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF You are right where you are supposed to be because God has a plan. Use your God-given talents for his will.
Shelley Wynter
Host, The Shelley Wynter Show
WSB Radio
Shelley Wynter is the host of The Shelley Wynter Show, which airs from 7 to 9 p.m. each weeknight. Neither a Republican nor a Democrat, Wynter is a staunch conservative who calls it like he sees it. A reformed sinner who goes to church on the big three days, his mother, Valerie G. Wynter, still loves and protects him from Heaven; however, she still does not know where his opinions come from, as she has said, “they certainly did not come from her.” Wynter’s heroes are Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Star Parker, Jack Kemp, and he has always admired Donald Trump, way before he became president. A member of the Georgia Black Republican Council, Wynter is also the founder of The Valerie G. Wynter Foundation, which hosts an annual Mother-Son Dinner Dance around Mother’s Day.
LEGENDS
Joel Babbit
Babbit is CEO of Narrative Content Group, which he founded in 2009 with Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, and which launched the sustainability website Mother Nature Network (sold in 2020). Narrative has created and distributed content for many of
the world’s leading brands, including Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, and Subway.
Emmet Bondurant
A partner at Bondurant Mixson & Elmore, Bondurant has been recognized by the National Law Journal as one of the top 10 trial lawyers in the United States.
Amanda Brown Olmstead
Olmstead founded her eponymous agency in 1972, making it one of the longest-serving full-service public relations firms not only in metro Atlanta but also in the Southeast. Her firm has won more than 70 awards.
Xernona Clayton
Media pioneer Clayton worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, and launched the Trumpet Awards in 1993.
Bob Hope
President and cofounder of Hope-Beckham-Espinosa communications firm, Hope was public relations director for the Atlanta Braves in the Hank Aaron era.
Clark Howard
A leading consumer advocate for more than 30 years, Clark’s podcast boasts around 2 million downloads per month. Previously, he hosted a nationally syndicated radio show. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2015 but retired from radio in 2020.
Glen Jackson
In 1995, Atlanta native Jackson cofounded the marketing communications agency Jackson Spalding with Bo Spalding, and he continues to provide leadership for many of its clients. He’s also the author of the book Preeminence: What It Means and How to Sustain It.
Valerie Jackson
The radio host was the wife of Mayor Maynard Jackson and helped prepare the city for the 1988 Democratic National Convention and the 1996 Olympic Games.
Tom Johnson
Under Johnson’s leadership, the Los Angeles Times won six Pulitzer Prizes. As CNN president, he worked with founder Ted Turner to pioneer the 24-hour news cycle.
Hank Klibanoff
The Pulitzer-winning author is now a professor in Emory’s Creative Writing Program. He coauthored The Race Beat.
Stephen E. Lewis
Lewis is chair of Troutman Pepper and has been a partner in the firm’s corporate law practice group since 1999. He serves as outside general counsel to several closely held companies and is particularly experienced in advising family-owned businesses. He served as firmwide chair of the corporate practice prior to becoming the managing partner of predecessor firm Troutman Sanders in 2011.
Bill Nigut
For five decades Nigut has covered local, state, and national politics in Georgia. He was inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2021.
Monica Pearson
Pearson was the first woman and first minority to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta, where she worked for 37 years at WSB-TV. She has won more than 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards.
Lois Reitzes
Reitzes began working at WABE-FM 90.1, the National Public Radio affiliate in Atlanta, in 1979 as a music programmer and announcer, becoming program director in 1992. She retired last year.
Alexis Scott
Retired as publisher of the Atlanta Daily World, founded by her grandfather in 1928, Scott was a longtime member of FOX 5’s Georgia Gang.
Frank Ski
Described as a rainmaker of urban radio, Ski began his career as a disc jockey and recording artist and has evolved into a radio, film, and TV personality, motivational speaker, journalist, and philanthropist. Over twenty years ago he launched the Frank Ski Kids
Foundation, which exposes young people to science, technology, athletics, and the arts.
Georgianne Thomas
Dr. Thomas has worked with the City of Atlanta Municipal Court as a program manager assisting victims of domestic violence, as a trainer with the City of Atlanta, as a trainer with Delta Air Lines, and as an instructor in Atlanta Public Schools. Executive producer of the award-winning documentary, Footsoldiers: Class of 1964, she was recently honored at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Ted Turner
Founder of CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies, the avid environmentalist donated $1 billion to fund the United Nations Foundation.
