CREW Atlanta hosts Tad Leithead, Chairman of ARC

Tad Leithead, new chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), led a lively and informative presentation at CREW Atlanta’s monthly luncheon on April 1^st at the Ritz Carlton, Downtown.  Leithead admitted to be being in a ‘wacky’ mood attributed partly to the full moon, partly to it being April 1^st and having successfully conducted several practical jokes on his family, and partly due to the fact that he sat in Atlanta traffic for 4 hours yesterday evening, missing his son’s soccer game, first goal of the season and celebratory dinner.

‘Don’t you agree, something has to change?’ Leithead asked the two hundred CREW attendees.  “We have three things that are adversely affecting economic development in the Atlanta area; water, education and transportation.  When we ask businesses to consider moving to this area they ask if it’s true that we are running out of water, that our schools rank 49^th in the nation and that we have the worse commute times in the country. And I have to answer yes to all three.”

As the fastest growing region in the nation, Atlanta’s current population of 5.5 million is expected to increase to 10 million by 2040.  Over 100,000 people move to the area each year, predominantly attracted by a quality of life which has the potential to be seriously jeopardized by our three overarching issues – lack of transportation, water and the current poor education offering.

The ARC, under the chairmanship of Leithead, is dedicated to solving these three issues (as well as the many others that they face!) by managing the process in a new way –working regionally with everyone concerned for the benefit of the area as a whole and reformatting the ARC itself to work across departments as opposed to the traditional vertical approach defined by committees. These two new work styles ensure that all groups are involved in the issues and the tactics that are agreed upon take into consideration all committees and their greater good.

Yet it is infrastructure development and the integration of public transit into the lives of people living in the area that is of upmost importance to the ARC.  Leithead in particular demands a strong push to pass a transportation improvement bill that will permit a tax dedicated to improving public transportation and for saving MARTA.   He was quick to point out that our population is not only set to grow but will increase in age dramatically by 2040.  With one in six of our citizens being categorized as ‘aged’ the need to incorporate a livable and enjoyable city is essential to maintain the quality of life for all who choose to live here – or who choose to not move away.

Although a long-term plan, the importance bestowed by the ARC onto the 2040 program is indicative of the positive outlook that the organization has as a whole, and that Leithead as an individual brings to his new position.