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Katerina Taylor is resigning as president and CEO of the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce. Taylor made history in 2014 when she succeeded Leonardo McClarty, becoming the first-ever female appointed president in the 75-year history of the Chamber.
Taylor has accepted a position with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom’s administration. Before her appointment with the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, she served as vice president of SunTrust Bank.
Taylor said in a letter to Chamber members today that her last day with the Chamber is Oct. 16. Her letter reads as follows:
| “It is with gratitude that I write this letter of thanks. I am grateful for the support of the Board of Directors, business members, community partners, ambassadors and staff. During my time at the Chamber, I have learned a lot and I have grown a lot. Over the last five years we have rebranded the Chamber, engaged new strategic partners, and increased attendance and financial performances of some of our most important events. In celebration of our 80-year anniversary, the staff and I created the first DeKalb Chamber Mobile History Exhibit, cementing our 80-year legacy.
In 2015 we created the Keep DeKalb Healthy Initiative. Through this initiative, we shared health updates with the DeKalb Business Community and focused on the importance of healthy communities for Economic Development. We hosted the Centers for Disease Control to share with our community the impact of Zika, and partnered with the DeKalb County Board of Health to share vital information to maintain a healthy workforce. The Chamber established the first Women Executive and Entrepreneurs of DeKalb Resource Group, and in 2018 I delivered the first State of Women in Business (SOIWIB) Address in DeKalb. The SOWIB brought over 100 women from Clayton, Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett Counties. We added a Women’s Clinic to our Golf Tournament, yielding in record numbers of women participation in our Annual Golf event for the past several years. We’ve raised money in support of the 2017 T-Splost and helped support the DeKalb County School District to obtain their 5-year accreditation. We’ve worked to keep DeKalb a pro-business county, engaging with our elected officials and DeKalb delegation and helping our small businesses establish relationships with key decision-makers. I have had the opportunity to present in front of hundreds of people at Enterprise Innovations, Microsoft, AT&T, Centers for Disease Control, DeKalb Lawyers Association, Atlanta Dream, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, the NAACP DeKalb Chapter, DeKalb Junior League, Turknett Women’s Leadership Forum and many more. I have represented the Chamber and DeKalb County across the world in China, Israel, and Cuba, and across our country in Washington D.C., California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. |
| With so many things to be proud of it is with great satisfaction that I graciously share with you that Wednesday, October 16th will be my last day as your DeKalb Chamber President and CEO. I will take my same passion for people, economic development and workforce development to the City of Atlanta. I am most humbled to begin work for Atlanta’s 60th Mayor.”
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