Shirley Franklin is the Senior Advisor to the Chairman and assists the executive team as they strengthen and expand the organization’s programs.
The first female mayor of Atlanta and the first African American woman to serve as mayor of a major southern city, Shirley Franklin was first elected in 2002 and served two-terms as the 58th Mayor of the City of Atlanta until January 2010.
During her eight years, the city experienced unprecedented population growth and afforded Franklin the opportunity to partner and collaborate with many local and regional leaders in addressing urban policy challenges which included urban planning, economic development and infrastructure. Aside from her role as a public official, her community service spans over 35 years in Atlanta and includes her active participation in the arts, homelessness and higher education.
Additionally, she currently holds the position of the William and Camille Cosby Professorship at Spelman College in Atlanta, co-chairs the Regional Commission on Homelessness, serves as Vice Chair of the Center of Civil and Human Rights and serves on the board of the United Nations Institute For Training and Research (UNITAR).
Franklin holds a Bachelors of Arts from Howard University and a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
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