2026 Executive Committee and Board of Directors

Chair, Board of Directors and Executive Committee
Erica Qualls-Battey
General Manager
Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Vice Chair, Advisory board
Bob Somers
Senior Vice President, Global Sales
Delta Air Lines

Vice Chair
Derrick Morrow
General Manager
Hyatt Regency Atlanta

Vice Chair
Chair, Atlanta Convention Marketing Fund Committee
Ken Bernhardt
Marketing consultant
Georgia State University

Vice Chair
Chair, Compensation Plan and CEO Contract Committee
Kris Reinhard
Partner
Fifth Group Restaurants, Inc.

Vice Chair
Chair, Finance and Human Resource Committee
Stan Wilson
Senior Partner
Fisher Phillips

Vice Chair
Chair, Board Cultivation Committee
Leona Barr-Davenport
President
Atlanta Business League

Secretary
Riley Blount
President
AT&T Georgia

Treasurer
Ramon Reyes
Managing Director
Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park

Daryl Evans
Consultant

Sharon Goldmacher
President
communications21

Sheffield Hale
President and CEO
Atlanta History Center / Margaret Mitchell House

George McKerrow, Jr.
Co-Owner
Ted’s Montana Grill

Nancy Oswald
Co-Owner/Director of Marketing
Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Derek Schiller
President, Business
Atlanta Braves

Steve Smith
Partner
Pendleton Group

Armand Vari
Partner
Jacoby Development Inc.

Scott Ward
General Manager
Signia by Hilton Atlanta

Dexter Warrior
Managing Partner and COO
T. Dallas Smith & Co.

Chris Alexander
Vice President, Operations
CLEAR

Cynthia Alford
Managing Director
Destination South Meetings and Events

Natalee Anderson
Vice President, Private Events and Special Projects
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Joselyn Baker
President
Grady Health Foundation

Ken Baye
CEO
ShotPro Technologies

Kimberly Beaudin
CEO
Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame

M. Brian Blake
President
Georgia State University

Kristi Brigman
Chief Economic Development Officer
Metro Atlanta Chamber

Shannon Brown
Owner
Gus’s Fried Chicken

Susana Chavez
Executive Vice President
Park Place

Stephen Chester
Co-founder
ATL-Cruzers Electric Car and Segway Tours

Maya Cody
AVP, Event Strategy and Management
Spelman College

Tony Conway, CMP
Founder and CEO
Legendary Events

Dan Corso
President
Atlanta Sports Council

Tim Dahlen
General Manager
The Candler Hotel

Mary Dart
Founder
Dart Transportation Solutions

Reggie Dominique
Managing Director
Loews Atlanta Hotel

Jennifer Dorian
President and CEO
Public Broadcasting Atlanta

Amanda Dyson-Thornton
Executive Director
Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus

Dr. Meredith Evans
Director
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

Stephanie Fischer
President and CEO
Georgia Restaurant Association

Alex Gonzalez
Chief Innovation Officer
Metro Atlanta Chamber

Derek Goshay
Vice President, Safety, Sustainability and DEI
Genuine Parts Company

John Grant, Jr.
Executive Director
Cricket Celebration Bowl and Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge

Kevin Green
President and CEO
Midtown Alliance

Jo Ann Herold
Vice President, Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Georgia State University

Jen Hidinger-Kendrick
Founder and Spokesperson
The Giving Kitchen

Dr. Leonard Jackson
Director and Professor of Hospitality Management
Kennesaw State University

Richard Jones
President
Presenting Atlanta

Robert Kamerschen
Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig

Andrella Kenner
Founder/CEO/President
CI2 Aviation, Inc.

Stacey J. Key
President and CEO
Georgia Minority Supplier Development

Ben Lawrence, Ph.D.
Director and Aziz Hashim Professor of Franchise Entrepreneurship
Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Georgia State University

Jay Markwalter
Deputy Commissioner of Tourism
Georgia Department of Economic Development

Yola Marshall
Vice President, Global Sales Americas
IHG Hotels & Resorts

Brian P. McGowan
President
Centennial Yards

Joanne Mello
Vice President, Corporate Sustainability
Atlanta Gas Light

John Metz
CEO and Co-Founder
Sterling Spoon Management Services

Mercedes Miller
President
ATL Airport District Convention & Visitors Bureau

Cherise Mlott
Founder and Principal
CM3 Strategies

Peter Moraitakis
Senior Vice President and COO
United Distributors, Inc.

Stan Morrell
Senior Vice President, Entertainment, Guest Experience, Special Events and Sponsorships
Stone Mountain Park

Adam Noyes
CEO
Proof of the Pudding

Eric O’Brien
Partner
Jackson Spalding

Mark O’Brien
President and CEO
LakePoint Sports

Morgan Shaw Parker
President and COO
Atlanta Dream

TK Petersen
CFO
The Gathering Spot

Frank Phair
Vice President of Operations, Hotels
Legacy Ventures

Will Ramsey
Vice President, Sales
Georgia Aquarium

Davonne Reaves
Founder and Chief Hospitality Strategist
The Vonne Group

Chris Rich
CEO
Hawque Protection Group

A.J. Robinson
President
Central Atlanta Progress

Terreta Rodgers
Head of Community Affairs, Atlanta Region
Amazon

David Rubinger
Publisher
Atlanta Business Chronicle

Andrew Saltzman
Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer
Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena

Kris Shea
Vice President, Business Development
Juice Studios

Jessi Shover
Director, Meetings and Events
Georgia-Pacific

Kelvin Slater
Owner
Slater Hospitality

Ricky Smith
General Manager
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

John Stephenson
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects
Chick-fil-A

Amber Stewart
Director, Marketing
CentraArchy Restaurant Group

Gary Stokan
President and CEO
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Kimberly Strong
Account Director
Brunner

Helen Taffet
President
Sensational Baskets

Pat Upshaw-Monteith
President and CEO
Leadership Atlanta

Allan Vella
President
Fox Theatre

Bryan Verhoef
Vice President, National Accounts
Coca-Cola Company

Dave Walens
CEO
Exploring, Inc.

Kate Walker
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Equifax

Tim Wright, CCIM
Director
Cushman & Wakefield