The Atlanta Regional Commission elected commercial real estate executive Kerry Armstrong as its new chairman on Wednesday, replacing outgoing chairman Tad Leithead.
Armstrong beat out several rivals to obtain 33 of 34 votes (20 votes are required).
Armstrong, vice president of Pope & Land Enterprise, becomes the second non-politician to lead the ARC.
The other contenders were Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson, Rockdale County Chairman Richard Oden and Douglas County Chairman Tom Worthan.
Leithead, chairman of the Cumberland Community Improvement District, became the first citizen member (nonpolitician) to head the ARC in 2009. He was also a vocal champion of the failed regional transportation plan referendum in 2012, which had asked voters to approve a 1 cent sales tax to fund $7.2 billion worth of transportation projects.
Leithead, who has fully recovered from a brain bleed that forced him to undergo emergency surgery in August, said he will continue to work with the Cumberland CID to improve transportation access in its footprint and to help pave the way for the new Braves stadium.
The ARC is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county metro Atlanta area, including: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties, and the City of Atlanta.
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