ARC Names Co-Chairs for Fifty Forward Visioning Effort
(ATLANTA - March 26, 2008)
Fifty Forward, the Atlanta Regional Commission’s two-year visioning and planning effort for metro Atlanta, is taking a major leap forward with the announcement of the initiative’s first forum and the appointment of three co-chairs who’ll steer the region-wide exploration of future livability, prosperity and sustainability.
Secretary of State Karen Handel, Atlanta Gas Light President Suzanne Sitherwood and United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta President Milton Little Jr. will serve as co-chairs of Fifty Forward, representing the active governmental, business and civic aspects of metro Atlanta.
Fifty Forward is an ambitious effort to delve into the critical issues that will shape metro Atlanta 50 years into the future. This will be achieved through a series of public, open-house style forums held quarterly for the next two years, attracting the best national thinkers on a variety of key topics vital to the future success of Atlanta, such as sustainability, population and employment shifts, economic trends and future development patterns.
“With these three highly-capable leaders at the helm of Fifty Forward, we’re embarking on one of the most exciting and crucial tasks we’ve ever undertaken,” ARC Chairman Sam Olens said.
Handel was elected in November 2006 and sworn into office on Jan. 8, 2007 as Georgia's first Republican Secretary of State. In 2002, Handel served as deputy chief of staff to Governor Sonny Perdue, where she oversaw constituent services, the Governor's Mansion and general administration services. In 2003, she was elected chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
Sitherwood, named senior vice president of Southern Operations AGL in November 2004, has executive oversight of Atlanta Gas Light, Florida City Gas and Chattanooga Gas. She is a member of Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2006 and also serves as a board member for the Emory Hospital Visiting Committee, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Livable Communities Coalition, Neighborhood Development Partnership Inc. and is a member of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of United Way.
Little, the first African-American president of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, earned a B.A. degree from Morehouse College, an M.A. degree from Columbia University and also studied at New York University. His 25-year career spans the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In addition to serving as president and chief operating officer of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Little served in executive leadership positions at the National Urban League in New York, Lucent Technologies and AT&T.
The first Fifty Forward future forum, to be held April 10 at 9 a.m., will focus on the vital issue of sustainability and will feature a keynote address by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who launched the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. The sustainability forum is presented in partnership with The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and will take place at the Blank Foundation’s LEED-certified headquarters.
“Mayor Nickels is a national trailblazer in sustainability. We are honored that he’ll be the one to kick off our efforts to plan for what metro Atlanta can become in 50 years,” Olens said.
Seating is limited for “Going Green: Creating Sustainable Cities,” featuring Mayor Nickels, who will be followed by a response panel of local experts and an open house-style Q&A session that will be webcast live, accessible at www.atlantafiftyforward.com.
The Fifty Forward effort will culminate with a capstone event to integrate what has been learned into a plan for the Atlanta region’s future success.
For more information or to find out how you can participate, please visit www.atlantafiftyforward.com.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 66 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues.
