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Thursday, July 3, 2008
Apparently, AT&T’s heart deep in Texas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Once again, Atlanta has missed out on becoming AT&T’s headquarters town.
Last week, the telecommunications giant announced that it was moving its corporate headquarters from San Antonio to one of Texas’ top business addresses —- Dallas.
Was Atlanta ever in the running?
AT&T spokesman Walt Sharp sent me an e-mail saying the company had looked at “several other cities that provided us with access to a world-class airport and to large communities of technology partners, suppliers and human resources needed for future growth.”
But he did not say whether Atlanta, a city that seems to fit that profile, was seriously considered before the decision was made to move to Dallas.
“To our knowledge, there was no corporate relocation consultant retained,” said Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, adding that the chamber wasn’t contacted.
But Williams is not surprised the telecom company chose Dallas.
“The senior leaders and decision-makers at AT&T really have a strong emotional tie to Texas,” Williams said. “As far as I’m concerned, the decision to stay in Texas was made two years ago.”
When AT&T announced a deal to acquire Atlanta-based BellSouth in March 2006, Gov. Sonny Perdue and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin reached out to then-CEO Ed Whitacre about possibly basing the company’s operations out of Georgia.
Whitacre said Perdue called him and invited him to come to the mansion to talk about the headquarters (usually it’s the other way around). Whitacre came to Georgia to meet with the governor, but he let leaders know that the company would stay in San Antonio.
But AT&T did commit to keeping its wireless division (formerly Cingular Wireless) in Atlanta for at least five years. AT&T Mobility now is headed by Ralph de la Vega, a loyal Atlantan who returned here from San Antonio last fall.
“If I had to pick a division of AT&T to be based in Atlanta, it would be AT&T Mobility,” Williams said. “There’s nothing any more high-growth than wireless. And Ralph de la Vega has assured me that they are not going anywhere.”
New president for Atlanta Rotary
The Atlanta Rotary Club on Monday had a changing of the guard —- from hotelier Dick Stormont to Alec Fraser, president of Turner Properties.
Stormont thanked the Rotarians for all their philanthropic efforts worldwide, from polio eradication in India to clean water efforts in Africa.
Fraser said his theme for the club in the coming year will be “Time Well Spent.” He plans to spend his year improving the club’s offerings, including better technology. By the way, the first speaker under his leadership will be media pioneer Ted Turner, who will be there on Monday.
Following Fraser as Rotary’s president will be Bill Nordmark, who runs a consulting firm and has been a longtime leader with the club.
Developer named to Boy Scout post
Doug Mitchell, the founder of Pathway Communities, which helped guide the development of Peachtree City, is now taking on a major community role.
Mitchell has been named Southern regional president for the Boy Scouts of America, one of the highest volunteer jobs with the organization. Mitchell first became active with the Boy Scouts in 1956. He has been awarded the Distinguished Eagle Award by the National Eagle Scout Service.
In his new role as regional president, Mitchell will become one of 64 members of the organization’s executive board. The Southern region, the largest of the organization’s four regions, serves 1 million young people, with 270,794 volunteers stretching from Florida to Arkansas.
Power couple heads to hills
Two of Atlanta’s longtime international leaders are moving to the mountains. Carol Martel, who recently retired from Coca-Cola Co., used to head the international division for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. During the 1980s, she organized several high-level trade missions —- often led by then-Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.
Her husband, Carlos Martel, headed the international trade division for the Georgia Department of Economic Development until a few years ago. He also worked on the now-stalled Hemisphere Inc. project for Atlanta to become the headquarters for the Americas.
Now they have decided to move full-time to their “little horse farm near Blue Ridge.”
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