Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will likely be the next board chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission — a key planning agency responsible for spearheading development for the 11 counties in the metro area.
Dickens would be the first Atlanta mayor in history to be voted into the leadership role and is currently running unopposed. The position is a two-year term on which the board will officially vote in November.
On Wednesday, Dickens said that he sees Atlanta as a key player in regional development and, if elected, would capitalize on his relationship with the Biden administration to funnel resources to the area.
“I grew up here so I understand this operates as a region,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I find it valuable for Atlanta to be a part of the leadership from a shared perspective. The benefits would be: we are in the center of the region and so the north and the south can be connected.”
Originally established in 1971, the commission produces long-term plans for transportation, workforce development and other areas to help funnel tens of millions of federal dollars to the region. The last Atlanta elected official to serve as chair was Former City Council member Ira Jackson nearly four decades ago.
The 41-member board consists of county commission chairs, mayors from the metro Atlanta area — including Atlanta’s mayor — an Atlanta City Council member and 15 citizens.
Current President Kerry Armstrong, board chairman since 2014, is not running for reelection after serving nearly a decade in the position. A resident and representative of Gwinnett County, Armstrong is the managing director at Pope and Land Real Estate.
Armstrong said he believes Dickens’ experience on Atlanta City Council and as mayor will be beneficial for the future of the commission.
“The organization is resilient, it’s prepped, it’s prepared to deal with change and change is inevitable,” he said. “We have an exciting new candidate who’s willing to do the job.”
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