Eighty-six community leaders have been selected to participate in Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2027 Program.
This class includes representatives from diverse industries who share a common desire to move Atlanta forward by delving deeply into community issues, according to a press release from the organization.
“We are delighted to introduce our 56th Class,” Pat Upshaw-Monteith, President and Chief Executive Officer, said in the release. “It’s a privilege to uphold Leadership Atlanta’s legacy of uniting the region’s most influential, committed, and innovative leaders, all driven by a common goal of advancing our community. We eagerly anticipate the innovative ideas and initiatives that the Class of 2027 will contribute!”
During the nine-month program, the Class will learn more about the region by participating in retreats, full-day seminars, service projects, discussion groups, community tours, and other impactful experiential activities. In addition to exploring important regional issues, class members will critically examine themselves as leaders, challenge themselves to find ways to be more effective in their leadership roles, and build relationships of trust and mutual understanding with each other.
Each year, a Leadership Atlanta trustee is selected by his/her peers to serve as the incoming class Volunteer Program Chair. Anna Roach ’24, Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, will be the Program Chair for the Class of 2027.
Meet the Class of 2027
Justin Alexander
Vice President
IHG Hotels & Resorts
Sonya Allen
District Attorney, Cobb County
State of Georgia
Malory Atkinson
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Shear Structural
Paul Baldoni
Senior Vice President
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Azim Barodawala
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Volantio, Inc.
Sheretha Bell
Senior Vice President
Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau
John Bencich
Founding Principal
Square Feet Studio
Daphne Bond-Godfrey
Executive Director
Urban Land Institute (ULI Atlanta)
F. DuBois Bowman
President
Morehouse College
Kristi Brigman
Chief Economic Development Officer
Metro Atlanta Chamber
Matt Brill
Head of Investment Grade Fixed Income
Invesco
J. Keith Brown
Vice President
Randstad
Ann Burris
Deputy Commissioner
Georgia Department of Human Services
Pia Candotti-Sherman
Founding Attorney
Candotti Law Firm, LLC
Federico Castellucci
Chief Executive Officer
Castellucci Hospitality Group
Kerri Christian
Senior Vice President
GoTo Foods International
Stacey Church
Chief Operating Officer
Georgia World Congress Center Authority
Curtis Clark
Chief Deputy
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
Mary Beth Coke
Executive Vice President
Regions Bank
Roxann Cooke
Managing Director
JPMorgan Chase
Jennifer Cowart
Senior Vice President
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Sarah Crockett
Chief Marketing Officer
Carter’s
Jasmine Crowe-Houston
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
GOODR.CO
Valerie Cunning
Partner
McKinsey & Company
Kashmira Date
Senior Director
Pfizer, Inc.
Nicola Dawkins-Lyn
Vice President
ICF
Keisha Duck
Vice President
BlueLinx
Charles Edwards
Coaching Practice Lead
Jackson Spalding
Kathleen Eidbo
Vice President
Genuine Parts Company
Kelly English
Chief of Staff
Atlanta Housing
Jorge Estevez
Anchor and Reporter
Cox Media Group – WSB-TV Channel 2
Tayo Famakinwa
President
UPS
Walt Farrell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Atlanta Gas Light & Chattanooga Gas
Latina Fauconier
Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Jai Ferrell
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Pierre Gaither
Chief Operating Officer
Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Atlanta
Carmen Garcia
Head of Global Creative & Global Creative Director
BlackRock
Richard Goldstucker
Partner
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Jeffrey Gopen
President & Chief Executive Officer
Jewish HomeLife, Inc.
Jill Greer
Executive Vice President
Wheels Up
Thomas Guerard
Vice President
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Hector Gutierrez
City Councilman
City of Forest Park
Deanna Hamilton
Senior Vice President
LISC
Dorian Harriston
Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Morehouse School of Medicine
Jeremiah Haswell
Director
Georgia Power
Glenn Hilburn
Vice President
Grady Health System
Tori Hines
Founder & Executive Director
Resurgence Hall, Inc.
SueAnn Hong-Whitaker
President & Chief Executive Officer
The Center for Asian Pacific American Women
Sara Irvani
Chief Executive Officer
Okabashi Brands Inc.
Carlton Joiner
Partner
EY
M. Cole Jones
Managing Partner & Chief Innovation Officer
RIISE Ventures
Hilliary Jones
Senior Vice President
PNC Bank
Zackary Knight
Chief Executive Officer
ATLVets, Inc.
Heather Lamb
Senior Vice President, Atlanta Division Head
Highwoods Properties, Inc.
Kristy Lundstrom
Chief Executive Officer
Mount Vernon School
Stephanie Martin
Chief Financial Officer
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Emily Master
Vice President & General Manager
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Ellie May
Senior Vice President, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer
The Coca-Cola Company
Brendan McGill
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc.
Sherard McKie
Regional Administrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
John Mulcahy
Vice President, Stewardship / Chief Sustainability Officer
Georgia-Pacific
Amelia Nickerson
Chief Executive Officer
First Step Staffing
Phil Olaleye
Executive Director
Next Generation Men & Women
Shelly Owens
Senior Executive Director
March of Dimes
Steven Parker
Chief of Staff
MARTA
Nicolle Parsons-Pollard
Provost & Executive Vice President
Georgia State University
Blake Patton
Founder & Managing Partner
Tech Square Ventures
Spencer Preis
Vice President, Associate General Counsel &Chief Privacy Officer
Southwire Company
Bryan Rand
Founder, CEO & Chairman
Rand & Co Holdings, LLC
Adam Rimes
Chief Financial Officer
Aprio Advisory Group
Josh Roberts
Chief Operating Officer
Piedmont Healthcare
Roger Rutkowski
Head of Legal Operations
Mercedes-Benz USA
Susan Salyer
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Veritiv
Karim Shariff
Founder & Managing Member
PacificPoint Realty, LLC
Toronda Silas
General Counsel
The Big Green Egg, Inc.
Kevin Simmons
Partner / Principal
Deloitte
Brian Smith
Principal
KPMG, LLP
Michelle Stewart
Partner
King & Spalding, LLP
Ken Taunton
President & Chief Executive Officer
The Royster Group, Inc.
Al Trujillo
President
Georgia Tech Foundation
David Walens
Chairman
Exploring, Inc.
Adam Webb
Chief Operating Officer
Emory Healthcare
Darcy White
Partner
Jones Day
Sandra Williams
President
Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council
Jason Winston
City Council Member, District 1
City of Atlanta
Libby Wright
President & Chief Executive Officer
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
For additional information about Leadership Atlanta and its programs, visit www.leadershipatlanta.org.
