Lessons from a Former Mayor and Mother of Four
As the 60th mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms quickly became known for her refreshingly authentic approach to leadership. She led through a term that began with the city experiencing a cyberattack and went on to include the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the racial justice movement that followed, and the most contentious elections in recent history.
In this conversation, Keisha will share insights from her leadership journey, recounting not only how she achieved the many accomplishments but also how she overcame the obstacles, including the bias she faced as a Black woman. Based on her own experiences as a professional and a mom of four, Keisha will teach audiences how to tap into what it means to be a leader – with a handbook of hard-earned lessons that can be applied across all aspects of work and life.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, is a visionary leader who has dedicated her life to bringing equitable outcomes to the forefront of government and commerce.
Before joining the White House, Keisha worked with CNN as a Political Commentator, based in Atlanta, Georgia, where she served as the 60th Mayor. She is a visionary leader in bringing equitable outcomes to the forefront of government and commerce.
Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Mayor in Atlanta’s history to have served in all three branches of government, having previously served as a Judge and a City Councilmember. As Mayor, she committed herself to realizing her vision of “One Atlanta” – an affordable, resilient, and equitable Atlanta.
During her time as Mayor of Atlanta (2018-2022) she led the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and served as a beacon of leadership for racial justice. As mayor, her notable accomplishments included: establishing Atlanta’s first fully-staffed Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; appointments of an LGBTQ Affairs Coordinator and a Human Trafficking Fellow; the citywide elimination of cash bail bond; and the rollout of the most far-reaching financial transparency platform in the City’s history – Atlanta’s Open Checkbook
Sworn in on January 2, 2018, Keisha served as Mayor during one of the most challenging times in the history of Atlanta. In the midst of a global pandemic and a racial justice movement, Keisha became a leading spokesperson regarding the challenges and opportunities facing cities and leaders across America.
While navigating these unprecedented challenges, the Bottoms Administration was able to remain focused on the resilience of Atlanta, negotiating and closing the largest real estate transaction in the history of Atlanta, and one of the largest in the Southeast United States, delivering millions of dollars in community benefits to people across the city.
Keisha Lance Bottoms took proactive measures to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the City and its agencies. As a result, during one of the worst economic downturns the world has ever faced, the Bottoms Administration delivered four years of balanced budgets, without resorting to property tax increases, layoffs, or furloughs of City employees. At the conclusion of her term, City’s reserves remained at a near-high of $181M, far exceeding the requirements of the City Charter.
Shaped by a childhood and professional career that highlighted the inequalities amongst Americans, Keisha Lance Bottoms led her Administration in undertaking several major initiatives that would seek to eradicate systemic issues facing Atlanta, while creating a model for all cities to follow.
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