Friday, February 13, 2009
News Beltline Partnership announces new board members
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 2:53 PM
The Beltline Partnership, the fundraising and public awareness arm of the $2.8 billion project that imagines Atlanta circled by parks, trails and transit, has new board directors.
Most prominent among those, especially for people who keep their eyes on smart growth and transit projects in the city, is Ryan Gravel. An urban designer who envisioned the Beltline as a graduate student at Georgia Tech, Gravel now works at local architecture firm Perkins + Will. He's become more engaged with the Beltline since the Georgia Department of Transportation and Amtrak unexpectedly announced they want to use tracks near Piedmont Park for a commuter-rail project, putting the project in jeopardy.
Ray Weeks, the partnership's founding chairman, is stepping down now that his term on the board has ended. He will continue to serve as one of the organization's chief fundraisers. Weeks is succeeded by AGL Resources CEO John Somerhalder.
The partnership's roster includes some of the city's biggest business names. Since its founding, the organization has been vital in securing private funds to help pay for some of the public-works project's costs.
Full release, with details of who's joined the board, after the jump.
Atlanta, GA, Feb. 13, 2009 – The BeltLine Partnership board of directors this week approved a new slate of directors that addresses succession from the non-profit organization’s founding chairman A. Ray Weeks, Jr., and provides it with critical leadership in several areas of expertise. Succeeding Weeks, who will continue to serve as one of four BeltLine Partnership Capital Campaign co-chairs, is AGL Resources CEO John Somerhalder. Joining Somerhalder in beginning three-year terms on the board will be:* Ryan Gravel, Perkins & Will Urban Designer, whose Georgia Tech graduate thesis and subsequent advocacy for his vision led to the BeltLine;
* Charlie Shufeldt, Retired Executive SunTrust Bank Vice President;
* Curley Dossman, Georgia-Pacific Foundation President; and
* Phil Rubin, rDialogue CEO.
“As the BeltLine Partnership matures from the start-up phase of the BeltLine, we are fortunate to add to the board increasingly diverse and deep skill sets,” said Weeks. “We are particularly fortunate to bring to the organization the world-class level of leadership of John Somerhalder.”
The board also approved creation of three new vice chair positions with accountability for: finance, in which Shufeldt will serve; marketing and communications, in which Rubin will serve; and community outreach, in which Mtamanika Youngblood, Annie E. Casey Foundation Director of Neighborhood Transformation, will serve.
“In the wake of Ray’s transition from serving as not only chairman of the board of the BeltLine Partnership and co-chair of the capital campaign, but also of the leadership he has provided to the BeltLine since Mayor Shirley Franklin first turned to him, we required an enhanced board structure to account for the many roles he played for the organization and the BeltLine overall,” said BeltLine Partnership Executive Director Valarie Wilson.
With these additions to the board, three other members have completed their service to the board: Archibald “Archie” B. Hill, III, Christopher Glenn Sawyer, and Timothy C. Tuff. Continuing their service to the board are:
* Clara Hayley Axam, Enterprise Foundation Project Director;
* Dr. Gerald Durley, Providence Missionary Baptist Church of Atlanta Senior Pastor;
* Ralph G. Edwards, Jr., EBS Real Estate Investments Managing Director;
* William C. Fowler, CBF Realty Owner;
* Samuel G. Friedman, AFCO Realty Chairman;
* Henry “Greg” D. Gregory, Jr., IDI Vice Chairman/CEO;
* Helen Davis Hatch, Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc. Principal;
* Richard L. Holmes, Georgia Power Senior Vice President;
* David Anderson Hooker, Center for Working Families, Inc. VP of Community Building;
* Philip I. Kent, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. Chairman and CEO; and
* Joerg G. Matthiessen, Boston Consulting Group SVP and Managing Officer; and
* Mtamanika Youngblood, Annie E. Casey Foundation Director of Neighborhood Transformation.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
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