Atlanta Development Authority (ADA)

The Atlanta Development Authority is the catalyst for residential and commercial economic vitality in Atlanta. To accomplish this, ADA seeks to:

• Coordinate efforts with the City, County, State and other key stakeholders;
• Jumpstart redevelopment activity within the City’s tax allocation districts;
• Provide small business loans for expansion and start-up;
• Supply mortgage down-payment assistance to low and moderate income families;
• Issue bonds to spur residential and commercial development;
• Acquire land for green space, residential and commercial development;
• Implement quality of life projects in underserved communities; and
• Retain and expand existing business, recruit new business, promote the City and available business development incentives. 

Cheryl Thomas Strickland, Managing Director of Tax Allocation Districts for Atlanta Development Authority
Cheryl Thomas Strickland, CFA is Managing Director, Tax Allocation Districts for Atlanta Development Authority (ADA). As the City’s economic development agency, ADA is the catalyst for residential and commercial economic vitality in Atlanta.

Central Atlanta Progress (CAP)

Central Atlanta Progress is a private, not-for-profit, 501(c) (4) corporation representing the interests of businesses and Downtown organizations that share the vision of a thriving, secure and vibrant Downtown Atlanta. With a Board of Directors comprised of Downtown's top business leaders, CAP is funded through the investment of businesses, foundations and institutions. CAP and its affiliate organizations are a driving force in shaping Downtown development and public policy. Through its focus on economic development, the physical environment and marketing, CAP has been improving central Atlanta through innovative programs and public-private partnerships since 1941.

A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress
A.J. Robinson is President of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID). CAP, a private business association started in 1941, remains one of the most effective advocacy organizations in the city. CAP has created and spun off a number of organizations such as Trees Atlanta, Research Atlanta, COPA, Inc. and the Midtown Alliance. In 1995, CAP created the ADID and the Ambassador Force of downtown to address public safety and cleaning concerns.

In his role, he manages the overall strategic functions of the organizations, which are designed to make the Downtown Atlanta community more livable, vital and diverse. Key initiatives focus on economic development, planning, public safety, sidewalk environment, transportation, events and overall marketing of Downtown Atlanta. CAP is funded through membership dues and grants from many of Atlanta's major corporations, as well as organizations and foundations committed to the development of downtown.

As the former President of Portman Holdings, AJ was responsible for all activities of this multi-dimensional real estate company with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Shanghai and Warsaw. During his 22-year career with Portman, he managed all aspects of real estate development process, including identification of new opportunities, securing financing, design, construction, marketing, acquisition, property management, and asset management. Various projects included property and asset management of SunTrust Plaza, a $400 million multi-use urban development in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Other assets included the AmericasMart, Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, Westin Charlotte, Westin Warsaw and Shanghai Centre.

A 1980 graduate of Harvard School of Business, he received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. With high distinction, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in June 1977 from Emory University.

Center for Civil and Human Rights Partnership

Doug Shipman, Executive Director Center for Civil and Human Rights Partnership
Doug Shipman is currently serving as the Executive Director of the CCHR Partnership. Doug was most recently a Principal in the Atlanta office of the Boston Consulting Group. Doug joined BCG’s Atlanta office in 2001 and was a summer consultant in the BCG New York office in 2000. He also spent one year in BCG’s Mumbai, India office as part of BCG’s Ambassador Program.

During his time at BCG, Doug worked for with senior executive clients within the financial services, consumer goods and industrial goods industries. He has led cases dealing with marketing, sales force organization and incentives, sales distribution strategy, pricing, and operations. He has extensive experience in strategy and overall management issues.

Doug also has an extensive educational background in issues of race, ethnicity and gender including undergraduate and graduate studies in topics including the relationship between economics and poverty, the history of American minority groups and religion as applied in social movements including the American Civil Rights movement, the Indian independence movement and the Buddhist environmental movement in Southeast Asia. He has also served as a facilitator for discussion groups exploring racial understanding in Richmond, VA and Cambridge, MA.

Doug has an MPP (Master of Public Policy) from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University with an emphasis on domestic politics; an MTS (Master of Theological Studies) from the Harvard Divinity School with an emphasis on religion in public situations and politics and a bachelor’s degree with High Honors from Emory University with majors in Economics and Political Science.

Tiffany Powell, Senior Project Manager Center for Civil and Human Rights Partnership
Tiffany Powell is currently serving as a Senior Project Manager for the Center for Civil and Human Rights (CCHR) Partnership. 

Tiffany’s work experience has primarily focused on program management, community outreach, qualitative and quantitative data management and research.  She was most recently a Research Associate at Alliances for Quality Education (AQE), undertaking extensive curriculum design, research and development, and program evaluation.   Ms. Powell lent support in qualitative data management and evaluation for the Minority AIDS Research Initiative. Prior to her tenure at AQE, she worked for Emory University's Department of Internal Medicine as a Contract Consultant, exploring beliefs with regard to cultural competencies in healthcare.

As Project Director at Stanford University's Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Ms. Powell managed an obesity prevention stud. She gained significant experience as a trainer and facilitator of community based studies and health education sessions.  The findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and other peer reviewed journals.

Tiffany has a MPH (Master of Public Health) from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and Bachelor’s degree in African American studies from the University of Pennsylvania with an emphasis on Women’s Literature and History.