New Chair, Vice-chair, and Members Announced to the Atlanta Beltline Partnership Board

Truist Executive Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Kathy Farrell Leading Board of Directors

The Atlanta Beltline Partnership announced Kathy Farrell, executive vice president, Commercial Real Estate for Truist, as the new chairperson of its board of directors. She succeeds Bentina Terry, senior vice president of Customer Strategy and Solutions for Georgia Power. Beth Chandler, vice president & general counsel for Rollins, Inc., is serving as vice-chair.

Joining the Partnership Board of Directors are

• André Anderson, first vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

• Matt Keith, senior vice president of Bank of America

• Amy Phuong, vice president of Government Relations of the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena

• Megan Sirna, vice president of HR of Georgia Pacific

• Lisa J. Smith, senior vice president of Region External Affairs of Georgia Power

“The Atlanta Beltline Partnership is committed to the vision of connecting our neighborhoods and creating a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable city,” said Farrell. “Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, which is reflected in the vital work of the Atlanta Beltline Partnership to ensure residents can live, work, and thrive in Beltline communities. I look forward to collaborating with this talented group of leaders.”

“We are excited to have such diverse, talented leaders to help advance our mission,” said Atlanta Beltline Partnership Executive Director Rob Brawner. “Each brings their unique experiences and insights to the table. We greatly appreciate Bentina’s guidance as board chair, and we look forward to Kathy’s leadership as we continue to advance the Partnership’s mission.”

André Anderson is first vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is also Vice Chair of the Bank’s Executive Leadership Committee and a member of the Discount Committee, which reviews district discount window lending. André currently serves on the boards of directors of the Atlanta Police Foundation and the Midtown Alliance and served on the board of trustees for Leadership Atlanta. A native of Mobile, Alabama, Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance from the University of Alabama. He also completed the executive development program at Cornell University.

Matt Keith is the Business Strategies and Initiatives executive supporting the Local Market Organization at Bank of America responsible for 91 markets across the enterprise. He is the recipient of OUT Georgia Business Leader of the Year, was named the Market Integration Executive for Atlanta, was selected for Out Georgia Board of Directors and recipient of the Presidential Community Service Award, was a two-time winner of Global Diversity and Inclusion Award, and serves as the co-chair of the Atlanta Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. Keith is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Business Administration.

Amy Phuong is vice president of Government Relations for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. She is responsible for the Hawks’ strategic government and external affairs strategy which includes managing various lobbying efforts and policy regulation. Amy served as Chief Operating Officer for Saving Our Atlanta Region’s Residents and has volunteered on recent board positions with Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC), Ivan Allen College Board of Advisors, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Trust for Public Land, Chattahoochee NOW, LISC Atlanta, Hands On Atlanta, Outstanding Atlanta, Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, and Dad’s Garage Theater. Amy is a native Atlantan and holds a B.S. in International Affairs and an MBA from Georgia Tech.

Megan Sirna is vice president of Human Resources for Georgia-Pacific. She joined GP in 2006 as an attorney in the company’s law department, following several years in private practice with the global labor and employment law firm, Littler. Since moving to human resources in 2014, she has held various leadership positions responsible for providing HR support across manufacturing, sales, supply chain, R&D, finance, and other areas. Megan has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Lisa J. Smith is senior vice president for Region External Affairs and Community Engagement of Georgia Power. In this role, she leads Georgia Power’s statewide external efforts to serve its 2.7 million customers. She also is responsible for leading the company’s employee volunteer and giving efforts A native of Meridian, Mississippi, Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University and an MBA from Kennesaw State University. Smith has been named one of Engineering Georgia magazine’s 100 Most Influential Women, Profiles in Diversity Journal’s Women Worth Watching, and The Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence.

A full listing of the Atlanta Beltline Partnership’s 2023 Board of Directors can be found here.

The Atlanta Beltline Partnership fulfills, protects, and preserves the Atlanta Beltline vision by raising funds and building partnerships that enable the Atlanta Beltline project, engage the public, and empower residents in surrounding neighborhoods.