The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chamber chooses new leader
Katie Kirkpatrick will be organization’s second women CEO.
Atlanta’s business leaders have played different roles in the city’s struggles with racial justice, sometimes partnering behind the scenes, sometimes leading in a more public way, and other times only after some arm-twisting.
Following days of citywide protests of how African Americans are treated by police, the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s new CEO, Katie Kirkpatrick, said business leaders will be closely involved in how the city once again deals with the issue of race.
No arm-twisting will be necessary, she said.
“We have to be at the table, and we have to be part of the change,” she said. “We need to hear these voices and really try to understand the policies that will help.”
Kirkpatrick, currently the chamber’s chief policy officer, was named successor Wednesday to Hala Moddelmog, who is voluntarily stepping down after a six-year tenure. Kirkpatrick, 46, will be the second woman to lead the organization, which represents business interests and whose members range in size from Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines to Clark Truck Repair and Spiller Park Coffee.
Kirkpatrick didn’t share any specifics about planned chamber actions on race. The group issued a statement last week, saying recent events have been “painful” and “our differences are our strength.”
The business community’s history with racial issues is a mixed bag. In 1964, business leaders at first refused to attend a dinner honoring Martin Luther King Jr. for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, although they eventually did come, a decision seen as a turning point in the city’s race relations.
Kirkpatrick said when the chamber helped save Grady Memorial Hospital, it was another example of how it’s taken a lead role on an issue that touches all races and income levels.
“The chamber has a great history of building coalitions and convening voices together,” she said. “We pulled a very diverse group of stakeholders together.”
City Councilman Amir Farokhi