James March-April 2024 online - Flipbook - Page 26
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Area. Parr, who has been at the helm for 19
years, has put an emphasis on wedding the
region’s education system to its business
community, focusing on the CSRA’s ability to
develop and retain a talented workforce.
to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown
Atlanta. The 40-story luxury hotel is the
newest addition to the GWCC’s 3.9 million
square feet of event space, the fourth-largest
convention center in the U.S.
FRANK PATTERSON
NEIL PRUITT, JR.
PRESIDENT & CEO, TRILITH STUDIOS
CHAIRMAN & CEO, PRUITTHEALTH
A former professor and dean at the
Florida State University College of
Motion Picture Arts, Patterson now
runs the largest film studio in the
Southeast— the home to such blockbusters
as “Avengers: Endgame.” Trilith has taken
on a life of its own over the past decade,
growing into a full-fledged community that
includes homes, restaurants, retail and even a
micro-school.
SONNY PERDUE
CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
Overseeing Georgia’s 26 public
colleges and universities, with
a $10 billion annual budget and
more than 340,000 students, can
be quite the tall task. Luckily the successful
businessman, former state legislator, twoterm Georgia governor and U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture under then-President Donald
Trump is well equipped and qualified in this
leadership role.
TYLER PERRY
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, PHILANTHROPIST
This playwright-turned-actorturned-media mogul is one of the
great Georgia success stories of recent times. His Tyler Perry Studios
is one of the largest in the U.S., and established Perry as the first African-American to
outright own a major film production studio.
Not afraid to speak his mind, Perry rubs
shoulders with some of the biggest names in
show business and politics as a Democratic
mega-donor.
MIKE PLANT
To learn about this nationally-renowned leader in the field of
senior healthcare, read our CEO
Spotlight on him on page 42.
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Patrick C. Jones
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Mat Swift
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Cade Joiner
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Sarah-Elizabeth Langford
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Tim Evans
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Jose Perez
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Allen Gudenrath
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Jim Syfan
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Harold Reynolds Chair
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Tom Bradbury
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Everett Kennedy
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A former U.S. Olympian and
Turner Sports executive, Plant now
oversees real estate and development holdings for the Atlanta
Braves. His crowning achievement there has
been The Battery Atlanta, the wildly successful Cobb County mixed-use development adjacent to Truist Park that serves as a template
for similar projects across the country.
Doug Aldridge
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS
CENTER
The latest feather in the cap for
this legend of the convention/
sports/events industry is the brand
new Signia by Hilton hotel adjacent
CHAIRMAN & CEO, COCA-COLA CO.
A native of Britain, Quincey led
Coke’s Mexican and European
divisions before ascending to the
top spot in Atlanta in 2017. His goal
is to evolve Georgia’s most iconic brand into
a “total beverage company.”
RALPH REED
CHAIRMAN, FAITH & FREEDOM COALITION
The former Georgia GOP chairman
has been a major player in national
politics since the 1990s when he
rose to fame as the first executive
director of the Christian Coalition. He remains
a key figure in the GOP’s ability to target,
mobilize and turn out the conservative religious vote, which has been vital to the party’s
successes against Democrats in Georgia.
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Bárbara Rivera Holmes
PRESIDENT & CEO, BRAVES DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
FRANK POE
JAMES QUINCEY
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Lowery Houston May
AT-LARGE
Erin Hames
AT-LARGE
Samuel Holmes
AT-LARGE
James Hull
AT-LARGE
Neil L. Pruitt, Jr.
AT-LARGE
Dallas Smith Vice Chair
ANNA ROACH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ATLANTA REGIONAL
COMMISSION
Former chief strategy officer for
Fulton County, Roach joined the
ARC in 2022 where she oversees the
agency’s public policy work, interfaces with state and local officials from each
of its 11-member counties and helps guide one
of the nation’s fastest-growing regions as it
embarks on an ambitious 25-year plan.
DAVID RUBINGER
PUBLISHER, ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE
Rubinger began his career as
a reporter for the ABC in 1989,
returning in 2015 as its publisher
after turns as a communications
executive for several major Atlanta companies. One of the largest business journals in
the country, the ABC’s influence rivals that of
Atlanta’s daily newspaper.
KATHERINE SAEZ
GEORGIA REGIONAL PRESIDENT, TRUIST
The 24-year Truist veteran was
named president of the bank’s
Georgia division in 2022. She now
leads Truist’s commercial banking
teams that operate throughout the state—
and it’s one of the most important and
profitable within the bank’s purview.
CANDICE SAUNDERS
PRESIDENT & CEO, WELLSTAR
Saunders got her start in healthcare as a critical care nurse, giving
her experience in the emergency
room as well as the boardroom,
where she’s served as president since 2015.
She has made patient access a priority at the
statewide medical system, which today entails 11 hospitals, over 300 medical offices and
more than 25,000 employees across Georgia.
