The MCP Foundation, the private, non-profit organization providing technical leadership and support for the Midtown Connector Park (MCP), is pleased to announce Doug Hooker as its new CEO. Mr. Hooker will work closely with the Foundation’s Board of Directors, MCP Chief Strategy Officer Taylor Morison and funding partners to bring the transformational 17-acre park in the heart of Atlanta out of the ground. 

Mr. Hooker most recently served as the Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) for over a decade. In his leadership role at ARC, he oversaw the agency that helped coordinate regional projects that impacted the 11-county Atlanta region and engaged community leaders and the public on important issues for the growth of the region.

“Atlanta has been my home and my career. I have an insatiable passion for this city and its people,” said Mr. Hooker. “I’ve dedicated my career to helping Atlanta reach its full potential and the MCP has the ability to transform this city and region like no other project I’ve seen. I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to help deliver this remarkable park project to my city and see the impact it can have on future generations.”

MCP plans to deliver a world-class deck park over the Connector in Midtown Atlanta, reconnecting East and West Midtown and revitalizing the area with much needed urban greenspace. The park will feature over 17 acres of greenspace along with multipurpose gathering spaces for community residents and visitors alike. Running from North Avenue to 5^th Street, adjacent to Atlanta’s central business district, Georgia Tech, and the Westside neighborhoods, the deck park over the Connector will enhance economic vitality, provide ecological and environmental restoration, and increase access to social, cultural, and natural assets for all of Atlanta.  

Mr. Hooker’s hire is another significant step for the MCP. At the end of 2021, the MCP Foundation completed its three-year feasibility study. The project made further strides in 2022, including City of Atlanta and State of Georgia stakeholder events, vision trips to similar projects around the globe, and most notably the securing of a $3.2 million investment from the 2023 House and Senate US Department of Transportation appropriation bills thanks to the support of Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock and Congresswoman Nikema Williams. 

“Doug Hooker knows Atlanta. With a depth of knowledge from the public and private sectors, he knows how to bring people together to get big things done. Connecting East and West Midtown on this scale is no small task, but Doug is the right person for the job and both he and the entire Midtown Connector Park have the City’s support,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. 

Mr. Hooker’s experience in Atlanta, and particularly the areas surrounding MCP, is deep. He earned an engineering degree from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree from Emory University. He has worked with Georgia Power and later served as the City of Atlanta’s commissioner of public works during the 1996 Olympics. He later led the State Road and Tollway Authority and numerous community projects and boards, including chairing the board of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and serving with the Georgia Conservancy, the Atlanta Music Project, and the Fox Theatre. 

His post-ARC work continues in the world of education, both as an educator himself and as a student. Mr. Hooker serves as a Senior Fellow and Professor of Practice at the Urban Studies Institute at Georgia State University and is also pursuing his passion for music and the arts, studying music composition and continuing to compose musical works.

“We are thrilled to have Doug joining our team to lead the Midtown Connector Park into this important next phase,” said Dan Cathy, Chairman of the MCP Foundation Board of Directors. “He holds a deep knowledge and appreciation of the needs of this region and knows what it takes to create healthy, livable communities, improving infrastructure, and foster economic growth. We are incredibly grateful for him dedicating this next chapter in his career to a project that means so much to me, and one that will have an incredible impact on this city and the region.”