French Students to Honor Martin Luther King in Atlanta

Atlanta’s French sister city is sending four high school students on a 10-day trip to the Georgia capital to pay homage to Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.

The city of Toulouse is paying for the winners of an annual essay contest on “The Dream of Martin Luther King” to spend Aug. 2-12 with host families in the city where the nonviolent civil rights activist was born and is now buried.

Betty Davis of the Atlanta-Toulouse sister city committee told GlobalAtlanta that the French city’s government established the competition independent of the Atlanta committee.

“It was their idea that did it because the French people love Martin Luther King,” she said.

Past winners have traditionally visited many Atlanta sights, including the King Center, City Hall, the Georgia Aquarium and others.  Ms. Davis said the committee held a meeting recently to determine how the students will spend their days.

Visits to the New World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center and the Cyclorama have been mentioned as possible activities.

“A lot of it will be whatever the host family wants to do with them, because we’re trying to place them with families that have students their own age,” Ms. Davis said. 

Three of the four students have been placed, but one is still seeking lodging. 

The three female winners are Mathilde Thouron, Anissa Lebbad and Heloise Cros.  The only male is Vladimir Molinie.  All are proficient in English.

For more information or to host a student, e-mail Ms. Davis bettydavis@mindspring.com or call her at 404-252-2260 or 404-376-0087 or contact Debbie Riedmiller at 678-595-0599 or by e-mail at driedm8521@aol.com.

 

GE Energy Promotes New CFO

Dan Janki was promoted on July 14 to chief financial officer of GE Energy, the Atlanta-based energy unit of General Electric Co. 

Mr. Janki replaces Tom Saddlemire, who is retiring after a 38-year career with GE. 

General Electric Chief Financial Officer Keith Shearin expressed confidence in Mr. Janki’s appointment, saying in a press release that Mr. Janki “increased our global reach and has been an effective advocate for investors inside the company.”

Mr. Janki joined the company in 1992, starting off in the in its financial management program and subsequently gaining CFO positions at GE Equity and GE Money-Americas. 

American Israel Chamber Names 2008-2009 Leadership

Laurence Olivier

The Atlanta-based American Israel Chamber of Commerce Southeast Region on June 30 released its leadership appointments for fiscal year 2008-2009.

Laurence Olivier, Atlanta-based partner of Israeli venture firm Veritas Venture Partners, has been re-elected chairman of the organization. 

Other re-elected officers include Charlie Harrison, president, Wynden Pharmaceuticals,chairman-elect; Lorin Coles, managing partner and founder, Alliancesphere LLC, vice chairman; Benjamin Fink, shareholder, Berman Fink Van Horn P.C., treasurer; and Jonathan Minnen, partner, Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP, treasurer. 

Tom Glaser continues to serve as the chamber’s president and chief professional officer.  

Joel Neuman, assistant general counsel food service for Coca-Cola Co., was elected vice chairman.

Jon Regitsky, program director, Global ISV programs and Alliances, International Business Machines Corp.; Steve Horn, director of tax planning and compliance services, Williams Benator & Libby LLP; Nancy Sousa, COO, Mazor Surgical Technologies and Barry Sobel, director, Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown have joined the chamber’s executive committee.

New members of the board of directors include Maggie Bellville, partner, CarterBaldwin; Steven Caras, director, U.S. clinical operations and medical affairs, Solvay Pharmaceuticals; Arie Goldshlager, group vice president and marketing manager, SunTrust Banks Inc.; David Hartnett, vice president of technology, Metro Atlanta Chamber Chamber of Commerce;

Josh Hirsh, managing director, Studley Inc.; Jim Levine, partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP; Heath Linsky, partner, Morris, Manning & Martin LLP; Igal Zamir executive vice president of sales, Metrolight; Steve Rothschild, partner, RRB Business Services; Tamir Sagie, CEO, TopEyeView; Oren Shefler, general counsel, Jacada; Panna Sharma, CEO and managing partner, TSG Partners; Richard Sheinis, partner, Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover P.C.; Nadav Yakir, executive vice president, Dodson Global; Seth Cohen, attorney, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; Eric Vayle, vice president, Jones Lang LaSalle, Graham Stieglitz, partner, Burr & Forman LLP; Israel Raz, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Given Imaging and Oren Stern, vice president of product management, Verint Systems.

Delta Announces Post-Merger Leadership Team

Delta Air Lines Inc. pulled extensively from Northwest Airlines Corp.’s leadership pool when it announced the officers to lead the combined airline when the merger between them closes.

Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO, will remain head of the new airline, and Ed Bastian, Delta’s current president and CFO, will also become chief executive of Northwest until the airline is fully integrated into Delta, a process the company said will last 12-24 months.

Doug Steenland, Northwest’s current president CEO, will vacate the executive position and take a seat on the new Delta’s board.

Mike Becker, currently Northwest’s human resources vice president, will become new executive vice president and chief operating officer of Northwest during the transition period.

Mike Campbell, Delta’s executive vice president for human resources, labor and communications, will stay in that role.  Steve Gorman, Delta’s executive vice president for operations, and Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president for revenue and network planning, will keep their roles as well.

Three senior vice presidents were selected from Northwest’s leadership team.

The new Delta will be based in Atlanta.  NWA Inc. will be an operating subsidiary of Delta until Northwest’s operations are sufficiently merged into Delta’s.

The merger between the two airlines would create the largest airline by in the world by traffic.  The deal was announced April 14 but is subject to government and shareholder approval.  Delta has said that it hopes to gain approval by the end of 2008.

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Coke Board Elects Two Officers

Alex Cummings

David Taggart

In a meeting where it declared a quarterly dividend, Coca-Cola Co.’s board of directors also named two new officers.

Alex Cummings, current chief administrative officer and former president of the company’s North & West Africa division, will become executive vice president beginning Oct. 15 after he relocates from Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Mr. Cummings joined the company in 1997 as region manager for Nigeria.  He had previously held positions at Pillsbury Co. in the U.S., including vice president of finance for the company’s international operation. 

He chairs the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and serves on the boards of the African-America Institute, Africare and Clark Atlanta University.

David Taggart, the company’s treasurer, has been elected senior vice president effective immediately.  A 28-year Coke veteran, Mr. Taggart manages foreign currency, commodity, interest-rate hedging and risk programs.  He has held his current position as treasurer and vice president since 1993.

He serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Inc.