Reporter’s Notebook: Atlanta Business League CEO Lunch, The Food Studio to open in Pittsburgh Yards, Spelman receives $1 million for cybersecurity clinic
Atlanta Business League holds 45th CEO lunch
Five Atlanta leaders were celebrated on June 11 by the 90-year-old Atlanta Business League, an organization that promotes Black business and entrepreneurship.
“We’ve been making connections for nearly a century,” said Leona Barr-Davenport, ABL’s president and CEO.
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams received the Catalyst Award from Valerie Nesbitt, director of supplier diversity and sustainability for Norfolk Southern.
“We need to do everything we can to overcome the racial wealth gap,” said Williams, who had to leave early to return to Washington, D.C.
Eric Pinckney, legacy principal for the Integral Group, received the Thomas W. Dortch Jr. League Leadership Award from Andrella Kenner, founder and CEO of CI² Aviation.
Pinckney thanked Egbert Perry, Integral’s CEO, and Renee Glover, former CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority, for being part of their professional journey in transforming communities. In a video, Perry said Pinckney had been a critical part of the company’s success and strategy.
DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond received the Distinguished Service Award from Al Edwards, CEO and president of C.E.R.M. Zola Thurmond accepted the award on behalf of her husband, saying: “This is something I don’t normally do.”
Tharon Johnson, founder and CEO of Paramount Consultant Group, received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Andrew Morse, president and publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The final award — the Jerman J. Russell CEO of the Year Award — went to Keith Parker, president and CEO of Goodwill of North America. Ryan Wilson, co-founder and CEO of the Gathering Spot who also is ABL’s 2024 chair, presented the award and then engaged in a chat with Parker, a former MARTA general manager.
“Leadership takes practice,” Parker said. In his role at Goodwill, Parker said the organization has helped move 55,000 families out of poverty into becoming members of the working class.
— Maria Saporta
Albany State names interim president
Earlier this week, the University System of Georgia named Lawrence Drake II as Albany State University’s interim president.
Drake replaces President Marion Ross Fedrick, who announced in February that she had accepted the role of executive vice president and chief of staff to the president at Georgia State University.
“With my passion for expanding access to learning opportunities and helping individuals acquire 21st century skills, I am honored to have this opportunity to work with Albany State’s faculty, staff and students in a time of positive transition,” Drake said. “There’s so much momentum thanks to the work of President Fedrick, and I’m looking forward to doing my part for the legacy of the largest public HBCU in Georgia.”
Drake will take his new role on Jul. 1.
— Allison Joyner
Black-owned plant-based commercial shared kitchen holds Juneteenth groundbreaking
The Pittsburgh Yards Business District recently announced it will be holding an official groundbreaking on Jun. 19 during the Juneteenth holiday for its newest facility, The Food Studio.
The Food Studio will become Atlanta’s first Black-owned, plant-based commercial shared kitchen in The Nia Building, the anchor of Southwest Atlanta’s Pittsburgh Yards development named after the Kwanzaa principle meaning purpose.
During the ceremony, the business will reveal its design and membership plans centered around plant-based foods, food entrepreneurship and honoring the history of the land, the former farmland of Clark College’s — now Clark Atlanta University — agricultural department.
Click here to learn more about the event.
— Allison Joyner
Mandela Washington fellowship returns to CAU this summer
Last week, Clark Atlanta University (CAU) announced its selection as an Institute Partner for this year’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YAL).
YAL is an organization that empowers young African leadership through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local engagement with its fellows in the program.
Over 700 fellows will be hosted at 28 educational institutions, like the Historically Black University, and will arrive in the capital city from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
At the end of the program, fellows will attend the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit in Washington D.C., where they will participate in networking and panel discussions with U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
— Allison Joyner
Shine2Inspire launches internship partnership with HBCUs
Last week, nonprofit Shine2Inspire announced their new internship program, ShineU, for college students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Schools, including Clark Atlanta University and Savannah State University, will participate in the immersive business-focused program.
Interns will participate in the tenets of entrepreneurship and business ownership, complement their academic studies, increase their professional preparation with real-world experiences, and be provided with critical professional development opportunities.
“As a business owner, I know first-hand the challenges young people face as they begin their careers, especially young Black men and women entering our workforce,” said Danesha Smith, President of Shine2Inspire. “We will help forge a pathway toward a successful career and a fulfilling life. This is how we bring new levels of prosperity to Black communities and end the racial wealth divide in our country.”
Visit their website to find out how to apply.
— Allison Joyner
Spelman receives $1 million from Google to launch cybersecurity clinic
Spelman College recently announced it has been selected to receive $1 million in grant funding and support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund.
The funds will go towards their new Spelman SPEAR program, which will give students the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and AI skills hands-on while simultaneously helping to protect vulnerable organizations and critical infrastructure, such as small businesses, hospitals, schools, and energy grids from cyber attackers.
“Spelman is the number one producer of Black women who earn PhDs in STEM. Google’s support enables Spelman to develop programming that allows students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world use cases,” said Raquel Hill, associate professor and chair of the Computer and Information Sciences Department at Spelman. “Extending our active learning environments to include cybersecurity makes us certain that Spelman will be the number one producer of Black Women who become cybersecurity professionals.”
Spelman is one of 15 new clinics set to launch in 2024 at higher education institutions nationwide, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.
In addition to $1 million in Google.org funding, the tech company offers Spelman volunteer mentorship from Google employees, Google Titan Security Keys, and the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity scholarships.
Click here to learn more.
— Allison Joyner
Walmart closes Dunwoody location
Walmart leadership recently announced they have made the business decision to close the Walmart location at 4725 Ashford Dunwoody Road.
Leadership says this decision was not made lightly and was reached only after a careful and thoughtful review process. There are nearly 5,000 Walmart locations across the U.S. and some do not meet financial expectations. While the underlying business is strong, leadership says the store hasn’t performed as well as they’d hoped.
The plan is to close the store to the public on July 12.
— Derek Prall
Georgia Film Academy announces high school scriptwriting competition winners
The Georgia Film Academy (GFA) today announced the winners of its 2024 high school scriptwriting competition.
High school dramatic writing students and teachers across Georgia were encouraged to submit a 10-minute play or short film script to be evaluated based on GFA’s dramatic writing curriculum. Submission winners were chosen through blind evaluations by Kennesaw State University graduate students in the “Writing for Young Adults” program as well as GFA curriculum and industry professionals.
“It’s important to highlight the talent of our high school students and teachers across Georgia. The submissions we received showcased an impressive range of creativity, originality and storytelling that indicates a strong future for Georgia’s film and television industry,” said Aaron Levy, dramatic writing curriculum and lead trainer at GFA. “The Georgia Film Academy is proud to play a role in nurturing young talent across the state and fostering their growth.”
The winners included:
10-minute play:
- First place: “Freezer Burn” — Abby Bullock, Johns Creek High School. Teacher: Debbie Prost
- Second place: “Saturday Session, Love Confession” — Emma Kevers, Milton High School. Teacher: Meredith Jo Reddy
- Teacher selection: “MY NEW FRIEND IS A BIGFOOT WHO LIVES UNDER AN ARBY’S” — Sonny Harding, Marietta High School
Short film script:
- First place: “Whoosh” — Abbas Kazmi, Peachtree Ridge High School. Teacher: Jon Zopf
- Second place: “Penance” — Ethan Rehg, Midtown High School
- Teacher selection: “Odyssey ’75” — Benjamin DeWitt, Central Gwinnett High School
Winners received a $1,000 University Systems of Georgia scholarship. Those finishing second received a $500 USG scholarship. Over the summer, GFA will also host a private script reading of the winning submissions.
— Derek Prall
Atlanta History Center to host ‘Juneteenth 2024: Home Plate’ celebration
The Atlanta History Center is pleased to reveal programming details for its annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Through on-campus events, cooking demonstrations, museum theater and exhibitions – including “More Than Brave: The Life of Henry Aaron” and a pop-up experience titled Barbecue Nation – the event will highlight Juneteenth’s legacy and underscore the joyous union of food, family and community through this year’s theme, “Home Plate.”
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. While President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, few people were freed at that time. Two-and-a-half years after that day, the last enslaved people in Texas were officially freed, establishing June 19, 1865 as the day to truly celebrate a turning point for the nation.
“Juneteenth is a monumental day in our nation’s history, and we take great pride in finding new ways to present and contextualize the history of the Black experience stemming from that watershed moment,” said Sheffield Hale, president and CEO of Atlanta History Center. “Juneteenth also serves as the kick-off to the fourth annual Civic Season at Atlanta History Center, which lasts until July 4th. Aligned with the Civic Season mission to better engage young people with American history so they can use it to inform and inspire civic participation for generations to come, we invite guests to reflect on the significance of the Juneteenth holiday and celebrate the impact of Black culture and community.”
Beginning at 10 a.m., attendees are invited to explore the “More Than Brave: The Life of Henry Aaron” exhibit and “Barbecue Nation,” a pop-up in the atrium dedicated to the history of barbecue and its origins in the Black community — complete with samples, take-and-bake offerings and more. On Smith Farm, visitors can enjoy demonstrations on canning, pickling and other food preservation methods used throughout history.
Click here for more information.
— Derek Prall
Town Center CID Board of Directors welcomes new members and officers
Town Center CID Board of Directors today announced the appointment of two new board members and the election of four officers during its May 21 meeting.
Jo Ann Chitty was elected chair; Britt Fleck, vice-chair; Darin Mitchell, treasurer; and Tracy Styf, secretary (ex-officio).
Chitty, chief operating officer at Selig Enterprises, has more than 35 years of experience in commercial real estate. She joined the Town Center board in 2016. She also has served as chair of the Kennesaw State University Foundation and is a past president of the University of Georgia Real Estate Foundation. In addition, she is an advisor for Signature Leaders.
Fleck, who will serve as vice-chair, has served on the Town Center CID board since 2018. She is the regional director of the metro west region of Georgia Power, one of the largest producers of electricity in the nation. In her role, Fleck leads operations, customer service and sales for five counties and approximately 175,000 customers.
Mitchell, an executive director, middle market banking at JP Morgan Chase, is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He has served on the board of Town Center CID since 2014. He is also an active board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and a graduate of Leadership Cobb and 100 Black Men of Atlanta.
“I am honored to continue leading the Town Center CID board, working closely with my colleagues to propel the district forward in a new strategic direction,” expressed Chitty. “I am excited to welcome our two new members whose fresh perspectives and expertise will undoubtedly enrich our collective efforts.”
The two new appointees to the board are Michael Davis, Post 4, and Nick Porter, Post 2. Both will serve three-year terms.
— Derek Prall
