Atlanta lawyer Stephen O'Day has been elected to be the new chairman of the Southern Environmental Law Center, which focuses on environmental issues across the Southeast.

O'Day, a partner with the Atlanta firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell, will be the fourth chairman in the center's 25 year history. In 2006, O'Day received the center's James S. Dockery Jr. Southern Environmental Leadership Award. He is a trustee of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and a past trustee of the Georgia Conservancy.

About the Author

Featured

Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)