Downtown Atlanta Inc. has chosen Atlanta Community Food Bank President and CEO Kyle Waide to lead the organization beginning in December.
Downtown Atlanta Inc. is the umbrella organization of the former Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID).
Waide joined the Atlanta Community Food Bank in 2012 and became the organization’s second President and CEO in 2015, succeeding the Food Bank’s founder, Bill Bolling. Waide led the Food Bank through a decade of dramatic growth and expansion, including its move to a new 345,000-square-foot East Point facility.
“I love both the city we are today and the city I believe we can become,” Waide said in a statement. “Downtown is central to Atlanta’s identity and the face we present to the world. This is a moment of great possibility, and I am humbled by the opportunity to build on AJ Robinson’s extraordinary legacy, and the work Downtown Atlanta Inc. has already accomplished.”
Waide expressed gratitude for his time serving the city and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. “I am so proud of the work we did together to connect more of our neighbors with food, resources, and opportunity. We were able to build on Bill Bolling’s legacy as the founder of the Food Bank and dramatically grew the organization’s impact while engaging more of our community in the fight to end hunger. I have the utmost confidence in our board of directors and the team we’ve built together. Atlanta needs the Atlanta Community Food Bank now more than ever, and I know its best days are yet to come.”
Waide also expressed enthusiasm for working with staff, membership, and partners to realize Downtown’s potential for the future. “Together, we can build a Downtown that offers a world-class experience to everyone who comes here to live, work, learn, and play.”
Robinson, who led CAP for more than two decades and announced he would transition to become the chair of ADID earlier this year, expressed his enthusiasm for Waide’s selection. “It’s wonderful to see Kyle selected to lead Downtown Atlanta Inc. He brings expertise that will benefit so many aspects of Downtown’s work. I have known Kyle for many years and have long admired his leadership. I look forward to supporting him as he leads Downtown into this next chapter.”
The search committee began its work in April of 2026 under the leadership of Egbert Perry, CEO, Integral Group; longtime member of CAP and former board Chair. “As chair of the search committee, I knew we had a significant responsibility: finding the right leader to follow someone with AJ’s experience and legacy,” Perry said in a statement. “But when we met Kyle, we saw his vision and his plans for Downtown Atlanta. It became clear that Kyle is the right person at the right time to lead Downtown Atlanta Inc.”
Mayor Andre Dickens also applauded Waide. “I look forward to working with Kyle Waide at Downtown Atlanta Inc. as we build on the tremendous momentum we are seeing across Downtown,” he said in a statement. “With gratitude for AJ’s many years of service, we welcome a new leader who can carry that growth and excitement forward. As I’ve been saying, Downtown is back!”
