Ted Turner at CNN’s 1980 LaunchCourtesy of Getty Images Maria Saporta, founder and executive editor of the SaportaReport, is a longtime Atlanta business, civic, and urban affairs journalist. From 2008 to 2020, she wrote a weekly column for the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and prior to that, she spe nt 27 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Saporta is a past president of the Atlanta Press Club and continues to serve in an emeritus role.Illustration by Graham Smith In the 1960s, most decisions in Atlanta could be traced to a dozen or so business leaders who called the shots. This elite group included the heads of the Georgia-based banks, development companies, Atlanta newspapers, utilities, and Rich’s department store. All were men. At the helm was Mr. Anonymous: Coca-Cola mogul Robert W. Woodruff, famously reserved. The public face was Ivan Allen Jr., who presided over the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce until he was elected mayor in 1961, exemplifying the overlap between business and city hall. Allen’s goal in office was to work among the city’s tight-knit group of business leaders to focus on the city’s growth rather than racial divisiveness. Allen had a six-point platform for progress: integrating public schools, developing a rail transit system, attracting professional sports teams, expanding highways, supporting urban renewal and housing, and creating the Forward Atlanta campaign to promote the city globally. It served as a blueprint for the Atlanta we know today. Allen built bridges between the Black and White communities. There were open lines of communication between businessmen, the presidents of Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities, and civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta was a beacon of progress, especially when compared to other major Southern cities. In the early 1970s, the dynamic shifted when Atlanta elected its first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson. The business community no longer controlled city hall. The Atlanta Action Forum and the Commerce Club board served as venues for Black and White leaders to work out their differences behind closed doors. Developers John Portman and Tom Cousins competitively shaped modern Atlanta with such buildings as Portman’s curving Marriott Marquis and Cousins’s double-crowned 191 Peachtree Tower. Minority-majority joint ventures, spurred by the construction of Atlanta’s airport, helped forge lasting partnerships across racial lines. (For example, the construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium followed the same standard of using minority-owned contractors.) As investment in the city grew in the ’70s and ’80s, Atlanta’s business elite became less cohesive. Major Georgia banks were acquired by North Carolina financial institutions, creating a leadership void. Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air LinesPhotograph by Associated Press Major new companies entered the Atlanta market, such as The Home Depot in 1978, led by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, which became Atlanta’s top Fortune 500 company. Ted Turner put Atlanta on the world map in the ’70s and ’80s with Turner Broadcasting System, CNN, and his philanthropic investments. UPS moved its headquarters from Connecticut to Sandy Springs in 1991. And Delta Air Lines expanded its global footprint through the 1991 purchase of Pan Am and its transatlantic flights, then the largest acquisition in airline history. The yields of these investments culminated in the 1990s, arguably Atlanta’s golden years. The city held its first Super Bowl in 1994; the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995; and Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. A business and philanthropic partnership developed Centennial Olympic Park, thanks to contributions from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the Coca-Cola Co., and others. During Mayor Allen’s day, Atlanta comprised half the metro area’s population, which gave the business leadership an opportunity to target its initiatives. Today, the city accounts for only 8 percent of the metro’s population due to explosive suburban growth. Leadership is now more diffused among governments and businesses. Many executives are transplants to Atlanta; CEOs tend to have shorter tenures, and they exert less influence. But that also means business has become more diverse, both in staffing and scope. Carol Tomé is CEO of UPS, the only woman to lead a Fortune 500 company in Georgia. Chris Womack, who is Black, is the CEO of the Southern Co. Buildings for an array of new companies—including technology giants Google and Microsoft—are now part of Atlanta’s skyline. In 1991, a bank executive told me, “Nothing happens in this town without it first going by North Avenue”—referring to the Coca-Cola Co. headquarters. So where does the center of power rest in Atlanta today? While hard to pinpoint, a likely stop is Cousins’s iconic contribution, 191 Peachtree Tower—the home of the Woodruff Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Where else? The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation on Howell Mill Road, or Atlanta City Hall, where one can check in with Mayor Andre Dickens. One of the most influential business leaders today is Delta Air Lines’ CEO Ed Bastian. The relationship between city hall and the business community continues to evolve. In 2003, Mayor Shirley Franklin launched the Atlanta Committee for Progress, which gathered nearly 40 business and civic leaders to meet quarterly. ACP is one of multiple tables where leaders congregate to envision Atlanta’s future. More on Atlanta business “Since moving the UPS headquarters to Atlanta in 1994, we have become one of the city’s largest employers and a key driver of Georgia’s economy. We rely on Atlanta’s civic community, world-class universities, and rich talent pool to drive our business. Every day, our people connect this city to the global marketplace, strengthening communities and making the state of Georgia a leader in logistics and trade. On a personal note, Atlanta isn’t just where I work—it’s where I’ve found my sense of purpose. This city has shaped me as a leader, and I’m lucky to call it home.” – UPS CEO Carol S. Tomé Back to 65 Years of Atlanta Magazine This article appears in our May 2026 issue. 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