AWDA Welcomes Atlanta's 59th

Mayor Kasim Reed

On January 4, 2010 former Georgia state Senator Kasim Reed was inaugurated as the City of Atlanta’s 59th mayor. Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol W. Hunstein swore-in Mayor Reed during a mid-day ceremony at the Atlanta Civic Center.

Also sworn in that day were Atlanta City Council President, Ceasar C. Mitchell, and 15 city council members: Michael Julian Bond, Aaron Watson , H. Lamar Willis, Carla Smith , Kwanza Hall, Ivory Lee Young, Jr. , Cleta Winslow, Natalyn Archibong, Alex Wan, Howard Shook, Yolanda Adrean, Felicia Moore, C.T. Martin, Keisha Bottoms, and Joyce Sheperd.

As well as 11 municipal court judges, Deborah S. Greene – Chief Judge, Elaine L. Carlisle, Clinton E. Deveaux, Crystal S. Gaines, Calvin S. Graves, Barbara A. Harris, Gary E. Jackson, Catherine E. Malicki, Andrew A. Mickle, and Herman L. Sloan.

In his inaugural speech, Mayor Reed, spoke on the importance of developing small businesses and creating new job opportunities for all citizens of Atlanta. “ I have said before, and I believe it now, in order for Atlanta to truly be great, it must be a city for all of us. While job creation with fair wages and opportunities for people of all backgrounds must be a responsibility of the private sector, we have a responsibility to create a culture in the halls of our government where the City enables businesses to rapidly respond to opportunity, not impede that response with red tape and red ink...

Starting right now, we will make sure that the women and men who have visions of opportunity have partners in City Hall, not obstacles. I will be known as the Mayor of the small businessperson; it is these people of vision that will employ our citizens, open new markets and take Atlanta to new heights in this new decade. ”