Leadership Atlanta names class of 2018 participants

Leadership Atlanta aims to develop leaders with a better understanding of the region’s issues. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

Leadership Atlanta aims to develop leaders with a better understanding of the region’s issues. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Eighty-six metro Atlanta leaders from a wide range of organizations have been selected to participate in Leadership Atlanta's Class of 2018 Program.

The program aims to “move Atlanta forward by delving deeply into the city’s issues,” according to a press release.

“We are thrilled to welcome one of our largest, most diverse classes ever,” President and CEO Pat Upshaw-Monteith said. “We are proud to continue Leadership Atlanta’s tradition of bringing together the region’s most influential, engaged, and creative leaders dedicated to working together for the greater good.”

The nine-month program includes retreats, full-day seminars, service projects, discussion groups and community tours, among other activities aimed at building the leaders’ knowledge of regional issues and boosting their own effectiveness.

Here are the 2018 participants and their companies or organizations:

Alba Adamo, Coca-Cola Company

Afshan Ali, SkyTherapist Inc.

Ronald Alston, SunTrust Bank

Ana Amato, Protiviti Inc.

Deanna Anderson, 705 Marketing

Rick Aranson, Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta, Inc.

Jennifer Barlament, Symphony Orchestra

Thua Barlay, Barlay Law Group LLC

Keith Barnett, Troutman Sanders LLP

Molly Battin, Turner Broadcasting

Jeremy Berry, Dentons US

Protip Biswas, United Way of Metro Atlanta

Jason Blake,PepsiCo

Fred Blankenship, Cox/WSB-TV

Nisha Botchwey, Georgia Institute of Technology

Christopher Boyd, Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral

David Brand, Market Strategies Group

Rob Brawner, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership

Scott Brown, Georgia Pacific

Rodney Bryant, Atlanta Police Department

Catherine Buell,Atlanta Housing Authority

Kevin Campbell, PwC's Greater Atlanta MarketPwC

Scott Casey, UPS

Rakesh Chauhan, Banyan Investment Group

Eric Christ, PracticeAdmin

James Connelly, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice

Amy Corn, Global Payments Inc.

Jay Cranman, Hands On Atlanta

Tom Cunningham, Metro Atlanta Chamber

Jackie Cushman, speaker, author, syndicated Columnist

Vonetta Daniels,VYD and Associates

Walter Davis, Jones Day

Erica DeChicchis, PNC Bank

David Dorton, McKinsey & Company

Angela Dotson,Aprio

David Dreyer, Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry

Mark Dvorak,Golin

Isa Ellis, Boys and Girls Clubs of America

Todd Ellis, KPMG

Duriya Farooqui, Atlanta Committee for Progress

Burt Fealing, Southwire Company

David Felfoldi, Npressive, Inc

Jodi Fleisig, Porter Novelli Global Public Relations

John Fuchko, University System of Georgia

Art Gambill,McGuireWoods LLP

Robert Green,DeKalb County School District

Robby Gulri, PRGX Global Inc.

Sandra Harris-Hooker, Morehouse School of Medicine

Julia Houston, Equifax

Jose Jimenez, Cox Communications

Ronald Johnson,Clark Atlanta University

Alison Jones,Alston & Bird

Chad Jones, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department

Archie Jones,NOW Corporation

Mary Kepler, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Jonna Kirkwood, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of GA

Lauren Koontz, YMCA of Metro Atlanta

Tracey Lloyd, Bloomingdale's

Kevin Lyman, Invesco Ltd.

Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber of Commerce

Juan McGruder, Junior Achivement of Georgia

Whitcliff McKnight, The Westminster Schools

Nishant Mehta, The Children's School

Keith Millner, Invest Atlanta

John Moeller, Action Ministries, Inc.

Constance Nagle, Emory University School of Medicine

Eric O'Brien, Jackson Spalding

Chad Parker, East Lake Golf Club

Brian Pauling, 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

Matthew Pieper,Open Hand Atlanta

Kyle Pietrantonio,Holy Spirit Preparatory School

Adrian Powell,Morgan Stanley

Victoria Seals, Atlanta Technical College

Irma Shrivastava,American Cancer Society

Theia Smith, City of Atlanta

Michael Smith,The Smith Business Group

Cati Stone, Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta

Bill Taggart, Morehouse College

Michele Taylor, community volunteer

John Tien, Citigroup

Christopher Tomlinson, State Road and Tollway Authority

Adriana Varela, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

Don Vassel, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.

Scott Wandstrat, Arnall Golden Gregory

David Watson, Delta Air Lines

Kevin Woods, Cancer Treatment Centers of America/ Southeastern Regional Medical Center

For information about Leadership Atlanta visit www.leadershipatlanta.org.