Four Reasons to Promote Your Brand at Piedmont Park

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Piedmont Park is filled with many opportunities to promote your brand. The Conservancy offers 3 venues and 2 lawn spaces for activations. The amazing views and greenspaces draw in visitors from all over the city of Atlanta and the Southeast region, making it the perfect place to promote your business. Reach thousands of potential customers by bringing your brand to Piedmont Park. Here are the top four reasons to bring your company to Atlanta’s favorite park.

1. Raise Awareness About Your Business

Piedmont Park is a great place to raise awareness about your business. Many community members and visitors to the area come to Piedmont Park for a fun time outdoors. The Park gets heavy foot traffic, giving featured businesses ample opportunity to reach a large audience. Bring pamphlets and giveaways to share about your product or service. Your team can talk with people directly about your company. Pass out t-shirts, pictures and other items to raise awareness about your organization. Whether you’re a new business or simply trying to gain more customers, Piedmont Park is the spot for you.

Piedmont Park was a great location for the Costa Coffee Tour to stop because it saw high traffic and was a great area to set up and have a large presence. – Costa Coffee

2. Target New Customers

Looking to meet new customers? We’ve got you covered. Piedmont Park attracts over 6 million visitors each year, and is one of the most diverse places that people can visit for free in the city of Atlanta. According to mobile data, Piedmont Park’s visitors compare relatively similar to Atlanta’s general population. Interests also vary widely including dog walkers, families, couples, seniors, teens, children, roller-skaters, cyclists and more. There’s a niche for everyone. You are sure to meet and discover your new target audience here.

3. Get Your Product in Users’ Hands

Who doesn’t love free product? Get your products into the hands of your customers by bringing samples, small tokens and distributing your product straight from your truck or tent. You can also show off your services like free facials, massages, fitness classes and more. A brand activation in Piedmont Park also provides a great opportunity for gathering testimonials, feedback and photos from people that have used your product or service. On average, Piedmont Park receives 16,000+ visitors on a daily basis. Prepare to be busy, because Piedmont Park visitors love free stuff!

Our product flies off the truck while at Piedmont. – Bolt24

4. Create Some Buzz Around Your Company

Have a fun and creative idea for creating stories around your brand? Piedmont Park offers a lot of opportunity to host unique and exciting activations. The Promenade has plenty of space to do something unexpected and outdoors for your business. Dockside has a beautiful lake background that makes for stunning visuals and presentations. Other ideas include hosting pup festivals, setting up food stands or showing off teasers for your upcoming movies or films. The opportunities are endless! Let us help you get creative with your next activation.

We can’t wait to interact with you and your brand here at Piedmont Park. Click the link below to find out more about past activations, how they work, and how we can get your activation started.

Inquire about Your Brand Activation Today!

Ultimate Summer Bucket List: Top Things to Do in Piedmont Park

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Summer in Piedmont Park is filled with picnics, bicycles, rollerblades, puppies and babies, all sights you would expect in a classic summer experience.  Make the most of your summer by using our Ultimate Bucket List for Piedmont Park. Here are our top five recommendations for the season.

  1. Visit the Piedmont Park Dog Parks

Whether you’re a fur family or just passing through, the off-leash dog parks are sure to bring you a smile. Stop by and take a few minutes to watch wagging tails, free running pups and more.

2. Hit Your Stride on the Track in the Active Oval

Whether you’re an early morning runner or afternoon jogger, the half-mile track in the Active Oval is great for reaching your running goals. The oval also features outdoor fitness equipment and a large staircase for toning and strength-training.

Aerial View Active Oval

3. Make a Splash in the Pool

Cool off this summer at our resort-style pool. Grab your towel and have fun swimming laps, relaxing poolside and enjoying a lakefront view. The pool is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

4. Pitch in to Volunteer at the Park

Help your local community and make a difference by volunteering with the Piedmont Park Conservancy. Volunteers are needed for landscaping, beautification, helping with the Green Market and more!

5. Shop the Green Market

Start your Saturday mornings with coffee and pastries in beautiful Piedmont Park. Located at the 12th Street and Piedmont Avenue gate, Green Market offers access to local farmers, fresh produce, prepared foods, home goods and more!

Piedmont Park Green Market Vendor List

If you are looking for even more things to do in Piedmont Park, consider taking a tour or visit our calendar to find special events.

Green Market, More Than a Shopping Experience

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Nothing beats waking up on a Saturday morning and starting a quest for warm coffee and hot breakfast. Many Atlantans in the Piedmont Park area start their Saturday mornings by heading over to Green Market, the Park’s local farmers market. Motivated by caffeine and an empty stomach, visitors stumble upon more than just a quick bite to eat; they enter a gathering place of neighbors, local and small businesses, and community partners.

Imagine walking through the market, meeting local vendors, learning about not only their goods but their stories. Green Market provides Midtown Atlanta a place where the community can come together and support one another. There is something about buying your bread, produce or coffee from local farmers. You feel better inside and feel inspired to create amazing meals. Yes, you could just drive to the closest grocery store, but there is something about buying straight from the vendor that makes it more fresh and delicious.

Green Market isn’t only just delicious food, it is also home to beauty and home products, plants, you name it. 

With a community atmosphere, Green Market is great for families and friends to gather to enjoy fresh air to discover the hidden gems Georgia has to offer. After you shop around the market, take a walk around the 200 + acres of park land and find a place to set up a picnic.


At Green Market, you’re not only supporting local businesses, you’re creating connections with the great community we live in. Learn more about Green Market at: piedmontpark.org/green-market

A Community Space for Atlanta, A Historical Perspective

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“During my childhood in the seventies, Piedmont Park was one big everlasting festival.  There was the old swimming pool and bathhouse where my brother Bird and I swam in the summer, diving off the platforms and slipping down the giant slides into the water.  It was where we learned to play.”

This quote from longtime Atlanta resident and novelist Celestine Sibley reflects many visitors’ experiences at Piedmont Park. Some know the Park as a place to exercise and play, while others think of it as the home of many outdoor events and festivals.

Piedmont Park was first used as a gathering place for an Atlanta Civic group, The Gentlemen’s Driving Club.  The club purchased the 189-acre Walker family farm in 1887.  They were looking for a place outside of the city (Atlanta was about 3 miles to the South) where they could congregate and exercise their horses.  The group of prominent businessmen (including Charles Collier and Henry W. Grady) also wanted to use the space to host expositions to promote the prosperity of the Piedmont region of The United States.  To that end, they formed the Piedmont Exposition Company, which held their first exposition at The Gentlemen’s Driving Club later that same year.

There were 20,000 visitors to The Piedmont Exposition on opening day, October 10, 1887 and over 50,000 people attended on October 18th to see President Grover Cleveland. Also, in attendance was the Executive Committee of the World’s Fair organization. They were on hand to determine if Atlanta was ready to host a World’s Fair. The event closed on October 22 with a total attendance of about 200,000. When the exposition was over, civic leaders said that it had successfully expanded Atlanta’s reputation as a place to visit and to conduct business.  The site, formerly known as “The Walker Farm,” had an official name change to “Piedmont Park.”

Piedmont Park was soon to host yet another impressive fair.  The Cotton States and International Exposition’s goals were to foster trade between southern states and South American nations as well as to show the products and facilities of the region to the rest of the nation and to Europe. Approximately 800,000 attended the three-month exposition which ended on December 31, 1895.

Photo Credit: Atlanta History Center

Events and exhibits at the Cotton States and International Exposition included: a performance of “King Cotton March” conducted by John Phillip Sousa, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, the Liberty Bell, The Streets of Cairo, The Women’s Building, and The Negro Building.  The very popular “Shoot the Chute” ride (a waterslide with boat-cars) was later moved to Lakewood Park. The Exposition even included the first ever showing of a projected motion picture which used a projector called a Phantoscope, the patent of which was later sold to Thomas Edison.


Photo Credit: Atlanta History Center

Piedmont Park has always been a popular place for sports.  Georgia’s first intercollegiate sporting event was held in the Park on February 20, 1892. The University of Georgia (UGA) and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now known as Auburn) met head-to-head for the very first time. Nearly 125,000 swimmers swam in lake Clara Meer every year from 1911 until 1960. Atlanta’s first professional team, The Atlanta Crackers played their first baseball game against Nashville on Saturday, April 26, 1902 before a crowd of around 3,500. The Park was also home to Atlanta’s first golf course.

Atlanta’s largest urban park is also “the place” for intramural sporting events. In 2016 alone, the Active Oval (containing a running track, two soccer fields, two softball fields and two sand volleyball courts) had over 68,000 reserved players on its fields. The Park is also home to The Sharon E. Lester Tennis Center, a fully staffed, public facility, offering play on 12 lighted hard courts as well as bocce and basketball courts.

Nothing brings people together like live music and Piedmont Park has hosted some of music’s biggest stars, including The Grateful Dead (1969), R.E.M. (1982), The Black Crowes (1992), Dave Matthews Band (2007), Paul McCartney (2009), The Eagles (2010), Pearl Jam (2012), Journey (2013), and Elton John (2015).

The Atlanta Jazz Festival has been bringing thousands of visitors to Piedmont Park since it was founded by Mayor Maynard Jackson in 1978. Some of the artists that have participated in the Festival include Lionel Hampton (1980), Miles Davis (1983), Etta James (1986), Dizzy Gillespie (1988/1990), Wynton Marsalis (1989), Nina Simone (2000), Ray Charles (2002), Herbie Hancock (2000) and Macy Gray (2017).

In 2019, about a third of Piedmont Park’s 6 million visitors were attendees of special events or festivals. While these large events bring the world to Atlanta’s “Front Lawn,” it is the smaller events and family gatherings, like family reunions, birthday parties, and weddings, that truly make Piedmont Park our favorite gathering place.

Author: Patrick Teague, Piedmont Park Conservancy Docent

 

Sources:

Willy’s Mexicana Grill at Piedmont Park Under Construction for New Concept

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Willy’s Mexicana Grill at Piedmont Park has secured a lease with the Piedmont Park Conservancy for the Community Center vestibule area and will be constructing a new concept in the coming months. Willy’s Mexicana Grill existing restaurant will be operating out of a food truck starting February 23, 2021 and is expected to return to its brick and mortar location sometime in April.

For further questions, please contact Willy’s Mexicana Grill’s Vice President of Marketing Diana Holley at [email protected].

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About Piedmont Park Conservancy
The Piedmont Park Conservancy is a member and donor funded nonprofit organization working in partnership with the City of Atlanta to maintain and enhance historic Piedmont Park. Founded in 1989, the Conservancy raises over $3 million each year to enhance and maintain the park. Today, the Conservancy manages over 90% of the overall maintenance and security of Piedmont Park.

Media Contact: Amy Han Risher
Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations
Piedmont Park Conservancy
E: [email protected]
P: (404) 480-3758

Shake Shack Coming to Piedmont Park

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Shake Shack has secured a lease with the Piedmont Park Conservancy to open their sixth metro Atlanta location at Piedmont Park. Shake Shack will be located at the Piedmont Park Conservancy Community Center, directly adjacent to Willy’s Mexicana Grill at 1071 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309.

“Shake Shack coming to Piedmont Park is a dream come true,” says Mark Banta, President and CEO of Piedmont Park Conservancy. “We can’t wait to see Park visitors enjoying classic roadside burgers and frozen custard shakes all year round. The Piedmont Park Conservancy’s new relationship with the family friendly establishment will enhance the Piedmont Park experience by adding more food options and a fun, upbeat environment. Landing this fantastic tenant was the direct result of the hard work of past and present Conservancy Board Members.”

The space is anticipated to host seating options as well as a Shack Track exterior walk-up window, giving guests a seamless pickup experience. The Shack Track experience is Shake Shack’s digital pre-ordering and fulfillment experience. Shack Track includes the ability to preorder via app or web and pick up by way of a walk up window, curbside pick-up or in-Shack pick-up shelves.

“We’re incredibly excited to be joining Piedmont Park,” says Andrew McCaughan, Chief Development Officer of Shake Shack. “Shake Shack started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in New York City and became a beloved community gathering place. Parks are a part of our history and supporting public spaces a core value as a company. We’re looking forward to serving guests of Piedmont Park and working with the Piedmont Park Conservancy to uphold the common ground’s iconic reputation.”

Shake Shack expects to open at Piedmont Park in late 2021 or early 2022.

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About Piedmont Park Conservancy
The Piedmont Park Conservancy is a member and donor funded nonprofit organization working in partnership with the City of Atlanta to maintain and enhance historic Piedmont Park. Founded in 1989, the Conservancy raises over $3 million each year to enhance and maintain the park. Today, the Conservancy manages over 90% of the overall maintenance and security of Piedmont Park.

About Shake Shack
Shake Shack is a modern day “roadside” burger stand known for its 100% all-natural Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches and flat-top Vienna beef dogs (no hormones or antibiotics – ever), spun-fresh frozen custard, crinkle cut fries, craft beer and wine and more. With its fresh, simple, high-quality food at a great value, Shake Shack is a fun and lively community gathering place with widespread appeal. Shake Shack’s mission is to Stand for Something Good®, from its premium ingredients and caring hiring practices to its inspiring designs and deep community investment. Since the original Shack opened in 2004 in NYC’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to more than 280 locations in 27 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, including more than 80 international locations across London, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dubai, Philippines, Singapore, Mexico, Tokyo, Seoul and more.

Skip the line with the Shack App, a mobile ordering app that lets you save time by ordering ahead! Guests can select their location, pick their food, choose a pickup time and their meal will be cooked-to-order and timed to arrival. Available on iOS and Android.

Learn more: shakeshack.com | IG: @shakeshack | t: @shakeshack | facebook.com/shakeshack

Contacts

Piedmont Park Conservancy Contact: Amy Han Risher
Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations
Piedmont Park Conservancy
E: [email protected]
P: (404) 480-3758

Shake Shack Contact:
Katie Scott | Shake Shack | [email protected]

Photographs

Lease Space Photo:

Shake Shack Photos:
https://shakeshack.sharefile.com/share/view/s3ee4608dcf2a4173a3f8772419b7ebe3

Four Adorable Piedmont Park Love Stories

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Piedmont Park is a go-to destination for dates, couples photos, weddings and more. Parks have a special way of kindling relationships and creating lifelong memories. This Valentine’s Day season, the Piedmont Park Conservancy rounded up four absolutely adorable love stories.

A Park for All Your Special Moments

“My husband and I were dating back in Dec. 2012. We decided to make it “official” while we were on a date at Park Tavern’s skating rink. Since our first “Skate Date,” as we like to call it, the park has held a special place in our hearts. We have returned almost every December for a skate date since. We used to live in Buckhead and would spend weekends picnicking in the park wishing that we lived closer. In 2014, we took our engagement photos at the park and used them for our wedding save the dates. In 2015, we bought a Goldendoodle with our wedding money and started frequenting the dog park and sponsoring a bone each year. In 2016, we decided to move to Midtown and live near the park, which is where we are now, just two blocks away! We recently had our first child and amidst the pandemic world, found sanctuary walking our baby in her stroller around the park almost daily during my maternity leave and now as a family every weekend since I’m back to work. The park is my favorite place!” – Tyler Keenan

World’s Tiniest Ceremony

“I have been with my partner for six years, and while we were in quarantine, he proposed. But we didn’t want to wait until the end of the pandemic to get married. We decided to plan the world’s tiniest wedding ceremony for the month after. Come October 2, 2020, we were standing in Piedmont Park, overlooking the lake with the skyline as the backdrop. Our parents and one best friend were in attendance, and my now-husband’s best friend since childhood married us. It was the best day of my life, and every time we visit the Park, that lovely memory washes over me.” – Grace Dent

From Dreaming to Fruition

“My husband moved close to Piedmont Park right after we first started dating long-distance. We spent every other Saturday morning (then nearly every one after I moved to Atlanta) walking through with coffees, talking, dreaming and planning. Two years later, I took one of the first photos of my engagement ring in the park with the Midtown skyline in the background. After waffling between venue disappointments, we were again walking through when he suggested that we should be married at Piedmont Park. It was our favorite place, after all! We ended up shooting our engagement photos in the park a few months before the wedding, too. I love that we have photographs of just us bundled up in the sleepy, wintry park and of us with our family and friends enjoying a beautiful spring day. We still visit the Green Market and park just about every weekend – and now we bring a stroller, too. Piedmont Park is so integral to our lives here, and we’re excited for our baby to love it as much as we do!” – Anna Kay Cope

A Piedmont Park Game Plan

“When we first fell in love, she was in Houston and I was in Atlanta. I knew the other half of my heart was in Atlanta, so I set out to convince her that Atlanta was a place she’d like to move. We’d go to Piedmont Park every weekend she visited. We would walk down 10th street and enjoying some wine sometimes but it was always Piedmont Park. People watching in the valley, watching doggies at the dog park, and my secret weapon: the Botanical Garden. Once I unleashed it’s full power, she knew it was futile to resist. She moved to Atlanta, and we continued going to the park every week pretty much ever since. We were married in April 2018 at Park Tavern and all of our family from out of state remarked on how beautiful the view of the park was and how festive it was to have dozens of families in the valley enjoying a park as the back drop to our wedding party. I owe it all to Piedmont Park for being the best place I have ever known to go kill time until the end of the world with ones you love.” – William Smartridge

Looking to host your next date at Piedmont Park?

If you are inspired by these love stories and want to make a love story of your own, check out our self-guided tours and plan a picnic at one of our several lawns. The Piedmont Park Conservancy offers three venues perfect for weddings, proposals and anniversaries, and all proceeds benefit our nonprofit mission to preserve and enhance the Park.

Story Behind Sidney Lanier Monument

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In 1866, Sue Harper, a 23-year-old from Brandon, Mississippi with a “shell-like complexion and violet eyes” met Civil War Veteran Livingston Mims from Jackson, Mississippi. They fell in love and were soon married.

The couple moved to Savannah, Georgia in 1876. After visiting Atlanta, Mrs. Mims fell in love with the city and persuaded her husband to move his business, the Southern Department of the New York Life Insurance Company, to Atlanta.  In 1879, the couple moved into their Queen Anne-style house at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce DeLeon Avenue.

Guests to their house, named “Heartsease”, included President Grover Cleveland (twice), President William McKinley and Jefferson Davis.

In 1901, Major Livingston Mims became Mayor of the City of Atlanta.

Mrs. Mims’ love of literature guided her to start the first Shakespeare Club in Atlanta, as well as the Browning Society. She also became the first president of the Home for the Friendless which aided deserted children.

Upon her death, Sue Harper Mims bequeathed money obtained from the sale of her jewels be used to erect a monument to Sidney Lanier in Piedmont Park.

Sidney Lanier, a friend of the Mims and frequent visitor to their home, was considered one of America’s greatest poets whose poems expressed the social concerns of that day. His more famous works are “The Song of The Chattahoochee” and “The Marshes of Glynn.”

Author: Patrick Teague, Piedmont Park Conservancy Docent

Sources:

Cover Photo Credit: Marcia Brandes

Three Ways to Turn Piedmont Park Into Your Gym

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Piedmont Park is known for outdoor fun and recreation, but have you considered using the Park as a core part of your fitness routine? Fitness partner Saidah Jones of Love You Healthy Fitness shares her top recommendations for infusing Piedmont Park into your health goals.

1) Plan Regular Walks around Piedmont Park

Walking is one of the most important things that one can do for their bone density, heart health and sanity. Walking is a full-body exercise as it requires every body part to be able to step and pull your body forward, which is why walking outdoors is better than walking on treadmills. Incorporating daily and/or weekend walks is the number one way to prioritize your health. Not to mention, walking outdoors is one of the safest forms of exercise during the pandemic.

2) Take Advantage of the Piedmont Park Active Oval

The Active Oval is perfect for walkers and runners of all fitness levels. Tracking time and steps is easy because the track measures slightly over a half mile and it level. In addition there are two sets of stairs that offer an additional fitness boost for those of high fitness levels who want to increase their caloric output. Here is the Piedmont Park Conservancy Active Oval Workout Plan that I often complete with family, and friends of ALL fitness levels.

  1. Walk one lap around the track
  2. Complete 10 pushups on the elevated stone wall by the stairs
  3. Walk five flights of stairs
  4. Complete ten push-ups on the elevated stone wall
  5. Walk one lap around the track to complete the workout

3) Participate in a Group Fitness Class

In addition to using the Park’s pathways and Active Oval for daily movement, try a group fitness class to work on your strength and toning! Piedmont Park Conservancy partners with Love You Healthy Fitness to offer group experiences at Piedmont Park (temporarily offered via Zoom during the pandemic). Adding classes will ensure you are getting a well-rounded fitness routine.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it should be that health matters. Being healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Know that you are capable, understand that you are equipped and realize that your body is ready to be the vision of health that it is meant to be. Take care and love yourself to health in 2021. Oh and don’t forget, hydrate and veg up!

Author: Saidah Jones

Please consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen or workout plan. 

Learn More about Fitness in Piedmont Park

Piedmont Park Conservancy Welcomes 2021 New Board Members

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The Piedmont Park Conservancy welcomes five new members to their board of directors: Bill Bolen, CFP®, CFA of Homrich Berg; Mona Harty of Delta Air Lines; Chandra Stephens-Albright of Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company; Reverend Dr. Tony Sundermeier of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta; and local community leader, Lisa Cannon Taylor.

The Conservancy looks forward to working with these new board members to sustain and advance the Piedmont Park Conservancy mission’s to enhance and preserve Piedmont Park for all Atlantans.

Biographies:

Bill Bolen, CFP®, CFA
Bill is an experienced wealth advisor and executive leader who works with ultra-high net worth families to help them navigate the markets and manage their financial lives.  He also leads corporate Marketing and Strategy initiatives for Homrich Berg and serves as a leader in the HB Family Office practice.

Prior to joining Homrich Berg in 2009, Bill served most recently as leader of the Terwilliger Family Office and as the first President of the Atlanta Dream WNBA sports franchise. He started his professional services career as a manager at McKinsey & Company’s Atlanta office before co-founding The DaVinci Group, a strategy and marketing consulting firm based in Atlanta that eventually became TopRight.  During his consulting career, Bill was also responsible for leading the consulting effort for a number of metro Atlanta initiatives to improve the quality of life and economic growth including the creation of the Atlanta BeltLine, the Metro Atlanta Transportation Initiative, and the Mayor’s Affordable Workforce Housing Task Force.

Bill received his M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in marketing where he received the Outstanding Senior Award for the University.  He was chosen as one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2008.

An active member of the community, Bill has served on the Board of Directors for the Piedmont Park Conservancy, Board of Directors for the Ansley Park Civic Association, and the Board of Advisors for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.  Bill has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Board of Trustees for Mount Paran Christian School, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership Board of Directors, and the Community Advisory Board for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  He is an active supporter of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and High Museum of Art. Bill is a member of the CFA Institute and Atlanta Society of Finance and Investment Professionals.

Mona Harty
Mona Harty is currently the Director, East Coast Field Operations, and Leader, Diversity Equity & Inclusion for the Reservations Sales and Customer Care division at Delta Air Lines.  In this newly created role, Mona is responsible for the support and leadership of the 2000+ divisional front-line team members across the East Coast, operational performance, excellence in customer interaction experience, as well the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy for the division globally. Prior to this role, Mona joined Delta Air Lines in June of 2016 as the Managing Director for Program / Project Delivery and Quality Assurance for the airline.

Before joining Delta, Mona launched Mona Harty, LLC, a venture that provided management consulting, corporate innovation, mentorship, and public outreach to companies and individuals seeking to drive profit and innovation. Prior to creating her own business, Mona served as President and Chief Executive Officer for PSR Associates, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta Georgia.

Mona also held positions as the World-wide Production Manager, for iXL’s iXstream Division where she was charged with client managing and producing all of the Live and On-Demand streaming events. Prior to iXL, Mona spent five years as the founder, General Manager, and Director for the Cable Television & Multimedia facility at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta

Mona is also highly engaged with the Atlanta community.  She is an alumna of the Leadership Atlanta, Class of 2013, a member of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Atlanta and Central Outreach and Advocacy Center.

In 2013, Mona was named Women in Technology’s “Woman of the Year” for Small & Emerging Businesses for the state of Georgia. She also been a profiled member of the National Association of Professional Women.

Mona holds a B.A. in Communications from Pepperdine University, and a M.S. in Information, Design & Technology from Georgia Tech. In 2015, she earned a Mini MBA for Tech Executives Certificate from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

Chandra Stephens-Albright
Chandra Stephens-Albright has been the Managing Director at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company since July 2017. She joined the nonprofit sector following a successful 22-year career at The Coca-Cola Company, where she led consumer-facing elements of the development and launch of Coca-Cola Freestyle®, the game-changing fountain dispenser named a “World-Changing Brand” by Interbrand in 2011.

Chandra is on the boards of True Colors Theatre Company, The Alliance Theatre, and the Atlanta Beltline Partnership (Nominating & Governance Committee Chair). She is a past member of the Emory Alumni Board (Development Committee Chair), the Emory College Alumni Board, the Emory Annual Giving Board (National Chair) and Girls Inc of Greater Atlanta (Board Chair). She is a member of the 2019-20 cohort of National Arts Strategies’ Chief Executive Officers Program, a 2018 alumna of Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta, and a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2005. She holds a BA in Chemistry from Emory University, and an MBA from the Olin School of Business from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to Warren Albright.

Rev. Dr. Tony Sundermeier
Tony Sundermeier has been the Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, a thriving 2,000-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation located in Midtown, since 2014.  He is married to Rev. Katie Sundermeier and together they have two sons, Jonny and Luke.  Tony earned his B.A. in Theology and Philosophy from Eastern University; his M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary; and his doctorate in Missional Leadership from Missio Seminary in Philadelphia.

Prior to his call to Atlanta in 2014, he served as the Lead Pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA and before that as an Associate Pastor for Preaching and Teaching at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester, PA. Tony currently serves as the chair of the board of trustees for the Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, a Christian ministry providing exceptional services to enhance the quality of life for over 1,000 senior adults in the state.  He is a trustee for Columbia Theological Seminary and the chair of their Advancement Committee.  Tony is also on the board of Midtown Alliance, Board of Visitors of Agnes Scott College, and on the advisory board for Day1.  He enjoys coaching basketball, cooking, playing golf, and rooting for the four professional sports teams from Philadelphia.

Lisa Cannon Taylor
Lisa Cannon Taylor is a community leader in Atlanta who is renowned for her commitment, innovation, and wry wit. Today, she continues to work tirelessly, ensuring that more female arts are included and supported, building on her time as chair of the Georgia Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA). In addition, Lisa serves on the National Advisory Board of NMWA. Recognizing her contributions in arts advocacy, Lisa was tapped to join the High Museum of Art’s board of Trustees in August 2017 and she serves on the High’s Communication committee as well as the Collections committee. Immediately after joining the board, Lisa co-chaired the biennial Collector’s Evening which focused on raising record funds for curator driven acquisitions for the High Museum of Art.

After serving on the Piedmont Park Conservancy’s Landmark Luncheon committee as a Co-Patron chair in 2018, Lisa was asked to co-chair the 30th Anniversary luncheon in 2019 with Heather Hallett. Lisa and Heather oversaw a historic success, breaking both attendance and fund-raising records. Lisa helped create a video celebrating the Conservancy’s 30 year history, and instituted new techniques such as in-room text-to-give.

A strong supporter of her neighborhood, Ansley Park, Lisa was the Ansley Park community liaison for the Piedmont Park Advisory Committee, where she focused on gathering critical community feedback for the Piedmont Park Conservancy expansion. Lisa co-chaired Ansley’s Art in the Park numerous times, raising needed funds for greenspace and playground improvements. Lisa also served on the Ansley Park Civic Association Board as well as president of the Ansley Park Garden Club.

Lisa holds a BFA in visual communication from Auburn University, has served as Creative Director for Atlanta advertising firm Camp Communications and has taught at the Art Institute of Atlanta. She currently lives in Ansley Park with her husband, Chuck Taylor. The Taylors have two adult children, Alix and Miles, and two welcoming dogs, Hero and Jack.

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About Piedmont Park Conservancy
The Piedmont Park Conservancy is a member and donor funded nonprofit organization working in partnership with the City of Atlanta to maintain and enhance historic Piedmont Park. Founded in 1989, the Conservancy raises over $3 million each year to enhance and maintain the park. Today, the Conservancy manages over 90% of the overall maintenance and security of Piedmont Park.

Media Contact: Amy Han Risher
Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations
Piedmont Park Conservancy
E: [email protected]
P: (404) 480-3758