Author: pmiller

The November meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on Thursday, November 21st, at the downtown Capital City Club.  This meeting is for Roundtable members only.

Our speaker is Jon Birdsong, a partner in Atlanta Ventures. Jon is an entrepreneur, executive, blogger, podcaster, and community organizer. He’s spent his entire career in the Atlanta technology community, starting or working for startups. Atlanta Ventures invests in startup companies and spawned the incubator Atlanta Tech Village.

Jon also serves as CEO of South Downtown Atlanta, a real estate development firm revitalizing the southern district. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and lives in midtown with his wife, daughter and son.

The next meeting of the Roundtable is at noon, Thursday, October 17th, at the Capital City Club downtown.  Attendance is limited to members and guests of members only.

Our speaker is Randall Suffolk, the director of the High Museum of Art, the leading art museum in the southeastern United States.  Mr. Suffolk came to the High in 2015 and has championed a renewed commitment to community engagement, placing emphasis on collaboration, inclusivity and access. To support these objectives, the Museum has reduced admission fees, added important artworks to the permanent collection, and developed programs and partnerships.  

Previously, Mr. Suffolk was the director of the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  His institutional strategy at the Philbrook was nationally recognized by the American Alliance of Museums.  

Mr. Suffolk was born in Ohio and moved to Italy with his family as a teenager.  He spent four years in Rome, an experience that opened his eyes to art, culture and history.  He earned a master’s in art history at Bryn Mawr College and a master’s in higher education administration from Columbia University.

The September meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on Thursday, September 19th, at the downtown Capital City Club. For members and guests of members only.

We’re honored to host Michael Thurmond as our first speaker in the 2024-25 lineup.

Mr. Thurmond, best known for his work as Dekalb County CEO, is an uncommon blend of scholar and public servant. We will hear from the scholar version with a discussion of his recent book “James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia,” a fresh look at the Georgia founder and abolitionist. In Q&A, you may, of course, ask any question you wish, but expect a focus on his work as an historian.

Mr. Thurmond leaves office in January following a term-limited run of eight years at the helm. Previously, he was the Dekalb School Superintendent and, as Georgia Labor Commissioner, he was a Roundtable speaker in 2005.

Born in Clarke County, Michael Thurmond is the son of sharecroppers. His undergraduate degree is from Paine College; his JD is from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

The May meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on Thursday, May 16th, at the downtown Capital City Club.

Our speaker is Michael Oxman, Managing Director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business. The Anderson Center manages a number of initiatives that engage students, faculty, and industry partners, including the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, a consortium of businesses working on climate solutions.

Michael teaches business sustainability courses at undergraduate and graduate levels and helps to oversee the Center’s industry outreach. Prior to joining Scheller, Michael spent over 25 years working at the intersection of international business, sustainability, and risk management, including serving in leadership roles at Acorn International and Business for Social Responsibility. In these roles, he advised a broad range of international companies on local content, social impact, risk management, community engagement, reporting, corporate social responsibility, and human rights initiatives.

Michael Oxman has an MBA from Rice University, an MIA in international political economy from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. from Trinity College in Russian Area Studies.

The April meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on the 18th at the downtown Capital City Club.

Our speaker is Greg Beadles, president of the Atlanta Falcons. As president, Mr. Beadles reports to Falcons CEO Rich McKay and assumes day-to-day oversight of finance, operations, marketing, digital communications, human resources and community relations, as well as shared functions related to game presentation, retail, sales, and service.

Through three decades with the organization, Mr. Beadles has held numerous roles with the Falcons and the parent company AMB Sports & Entertainment, including being part of the finance team that orchestrated the transfer of ownership of the Falcons from the Rankin Smith family to Arthur Blank in 2001. The Atlanta Business Chronicle recognized Mr. Beadles as CFO of the year in 2021 and 2012.

Greg Beadles started with the Falcons as an intern after graduating from Louisiana State University. He has a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Georgia State University. 

The March meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on Thursday, March 21st, at the downtown Capital City Club

Our speaker is DeRetta Rhodes, Executive Vice President and Chief Culture Officer of the Atlanta Braves. Ms. Rhodes oversees people capital initiatives, communications and community affairs for the Braves, the Battery Atlanta and the team’s Spring Training facility operations.

Prior to joining the Braves, Ms. Rhodes was the Executive Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Vice President of Human Resources at First Data, Vice President of Human Resources for Turner Broadcasting and held leadership positions at Ernst & Young, ADP, HomeGrocer.com and YUM Brand.

Ms.Rhodes received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, her master’s in business administration from Clark Atlanta University, and her Ph.D. in adult education from the University of Georgia.  She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three sons.

The February meeting of the Roundtable is at the Capital City Club, noon on the 15th.

Our speaker is presidential historian Christopher Binkert, known for his engaging and interactive presentations.

Mr. Binkert began his interest in the US Presidents 40 years ago, collecting a biography of each President and visiting the eight presidential homes in his native Ohio. His collection expanded to include presidential campaign buttons, historic newspapers from special presidential moments, trivia, and memorabilia gathered from his visits to presidential museums, libraries and monuments.

Mr. Binkert writes a monthly column on the presidents for the Smoke Signals newsletter. In addition to writing and lecturing on the US presidents, he has pursued a 45-year career in marketing and sales.

The January meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on Thursday, January 18th, at the downtown Capital City Club.

Our speaker is Keith Parker, President and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia. One of the largest retail and nonprofit organizations in the southeast, GNG spans a 45-county territory, operating 67 stores, 52 attended donation centers and 13 career centers. 

Prior to joining GNG, Mr. Parker served as CEO of MARTA for five years. As CEO, he helped transform one of the most beleaguered transit agencies in the nation to a fiscally sound, award-winning organization. Parker’s leadership established MARTA as an important player in Georgia’s economic development.

Keith Parker has a BA in political science and masters in urban planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has an MBA from the University of Richmond.

The November meeting of the Roundtable is at noon on Thursday the 16th, at the downtown Capital City Club.

Our speaker is Courtney English, Chief Policy Officer and Senior Advisor to Mayor Dickens. Mr. English deals with Atlanta’s most pressing challenges, including affordable housing, economic development, youth engagement, and closing the city’s equity gaps.

From 2010 through 2018, Courtney English was Chairman of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, overseeing 52,000 students and 7,000 employees, with an annual budget of $1B. He was elected to the board at age 24 and became chairman at 28. He is a former classroom teacher.

Mr. English has an undergraduate degree in political science from Morehouse College and a masters in organizational psychology and leadership from Columbia University.