The Atlanta Beltline has named an interim leader as it starts a national search for its next chief executive.
Atlanta Beltline Inc. said in a news release Thursday that Clyde Higgs, the agency's chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO as it looks for a permanent replacement for outgoing CEO Brian McGowan.
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McGowan announced in July he will take the role of CEO at Greater Seattle Partners, an economic development cooperative in Washington state. McGowan's last day at the Beltline is Aug. 17.
Higgs was expected to land the interim leadership role. Higgs joined the organization in 2015 after helping steer a multi-billion dollar public-private redevelopment program in North Carolina.
“As an essential part of the ABI leadership team, Clyde has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to ensuring the Beltline remains true to its mission and vision,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement. “The Beltline is physically connecting Atlanta’s many diverse communities and neighborhoods, and it is important to have a leader in place who understands the significance of accomplishing this goal.”
The Beltline is a more than $5 billion revitalization project including trails, parks, environmental remediation, affordable housing and transit.
The change in Beltline leadership comes as MARTA is expected to soon announce its $2.6 billion transit expansion plan, which could include rapid transit on parts of the 22-mile loop of the city. Beltline supporters have pressed MARTA to complete the entire loop with light-rail.
