The Atlanta Regional Commission today announced that 49 leaders from metro Atlanta’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors have been selected to participate in the 2025 class of the Regional Leadership Institute (RLI).

RLI immerses participants in key issues facing the Atlanta region, such as housing affordability, transit and transportation planning, economic development, and workforce development – issues closely tied to ARC’s core functions and key priorities. Over the course of the program, participants hear from some of the region’s top leaders and subject matter experts while exploring policy and planning through a regional lens.

ARC will host RLI 2025 at its offices in Downtown Atlanta and at Legacy Lodge at Lake Lanier. The program includes presentations, group discussions, leadership activities, and interdisciplinary and interactive simulations.

“Enthusiasm about RLI grows every year and the competition to be the ‘best class ever’ continues.  We look forward to setting the stage where participants form new bonds, network, and expand consensus building skills,” said Anna Roach, ARC’s Executive Director & CEO. “Leaders and experts from various sectors will underscore the issues that challenge our region’s prosperity and success, as well as our opportunities to address them.”

Applications were solicited from 11 counties in the Atlanta region – Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale.

Program Goals

• Educate leaders about core challenges impacting the region using a regional lens.

• Foster a network of regional leaders across sectors who are invested in working collaboratively to create a region that serves all its residents.

• Create a space for inquiry, discussion, and sharing of knowledge, approaches, tools, and resources to help leaders better tackle regional policy concerns.

2025 RLI Participants

• Berj Alexanian – Manager, Public Affairs, Delta Air Lines

• Clarence Anthony, Jr. – Workforce Development Manager, Partnership for Inclusive Innovation

• Angela Ballantyne – Grantmaking and Operations Associate, Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation

• Keosha Bell – Councilmember, City of South Fulton

• Cheryl Brooks – Assistant Director of Community Development, Clayton County Government

• Mallori Bruning – Chief Administrative Officer, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

• Joshua Byrd – Director of Career Services, Professor & Program Chair Schools of Criminal Justice, Atlanta InterContinental University (AIU)/Hawque Protection Group

• Merry Hunter Caudle – Associate Director for Economic Development, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Andrew Clark – Manager of Digital Marketing & Media, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Michael Davis – Deputy Executive Director, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership

• Nichelle Davis – Board of Education Member Post 6, Cobb County School District

• Gerald Evans – Councilmember, City of Doraville

• Marco Friend – Senior Program Manager/Client Service Leader, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.

• John J. Funny – President, CEO and Councilman, Grice Consulting Group/City of Brookhaven

• Tasha Hall-Garrison – Associate Director of Engagement, Center for Community Progress

• Fredrick Hicks – CEO, HEG, LLC

• Carl Hill – Special Assistant to the Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools

• Brad Hill – Managed Accounts, Georgia Power Company

• Dana Inman – President & CEO, Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency

• James Jackson – Associate Media Manager, The Home Depot

• Latasha James – Regional Director of Operations, Southern Company/Atlanta Gas Light

• Kathryn Jones – Director, Membership & Marketing, Council for Quality Growth

• Ashley Jones – Owner/Managing, Springleaf Real Estate Advisors

• Rebecca Jordan – Director, Project Management and Regional Partnership, Metro Atlanta Chamber

• Chenee Joseph – President & CEO, HDDC

• Whitney Kenner Jones – Commissioner, Douglas County Board of Commissioners

• Natalie Koshe – Senior Manager of Government Affairs, Flock Safety

• Carley Lawson – Vice President, Douglas County Chamber of Commerce

• Kelly Lee – Community Affairs Lead, Atlanta and Columbus (OH) Field Offices McDonald’s Corporation

• Joanne Louis – Accountant, Troutman Pepper

• Chris Luly – Capital Improvement Plan Administrator, City of Woodstock

• Tia McCoy – Neighborhood Engagement Director, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

• Michael McNeely – Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice

• Michael McPherson – Member Services Consultant, Georgia Municipal Association

• Natalie Rutledge – Regional Director, Communities in Schools of Georgia

• Shara Sanders – Executive Director, Leadership DeKalb

• Donya Sartor – Mayor, City of Jonesboro

• Janet Sevilla – Founder/Chief Impact Officer, Sevilla Katalyst For Change

• Jeffrey Smythe – Executive Director, Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI)

• Curt Stamp – VP, Regulatory & Government Affairs, Cox Enterprises

• Courteney “CJ” Stewart – Chief Visionary Officer, L.E.A.D. Center for Youth

• Bridget Thorne – Fulton County District 1 Commissioner, Board of Commissioners of Fulton County

• Allison Toller – Chief Social Impact Officer, YMCA of Metro Atlanta

• Denise Wells – Deputy Director of Public Affairs, City of South Fulton

• Breanne West – Chief Operating Officer, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education

• Joshua Williams – Vice President & Southeast Director of Operations, Jacobs

• Sabrina Wright – Director, Economic Development, Cobb County Government

• Jennifer “Jen” Young – Executive Director, Impact46, Inc.

• Katrina Young – Business Retention and Expansion Manager, Decide DeKalb Development Authority – Decatur, GA

For more information about RLI, visit www.atlantaregional.org/RLI.