Atlanta mayoral candidates Lisa Borders, Mary Norwood, Kasim Reed, and Jesse Spikes outline their commitment to arts programs and how they would pay for them, if they win the November election. This forum is sponsored by the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, and hosted by the Woodruff Arts Center.
Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders presides over council meetings, appoints committee chairs and maintains relationships with the executive branch of government. Her community initiatives include increasing the availability of affordable housing, uncovering transportation solutions to address the region’s traffic challenges and promoting neighborhood safety and preservation.
Councilwoman Mary Norwood, Post 2 At-Large, has a record on civic improvement, energy and integrity. Through more than a decade of community activism, she has developed expertise in environmental, preservation, zoning, traffic, public safety, housing and homeless issues.
Mayor Kasim Reed was raised in Atlanta’s Cascade community. He was educated in Fulton County's public schools where he graduated from Utoy Springs Elementary School and Westwood High School (now Westlake High School). From there, he went on to Howard University, where he received his undergraduate and law degrees. Kasim was first elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1998 as State Representative for District 52. He was re-elected in 2000, winning seventy-seven percent (77%) of all votes cast. In the House, he served two terms as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Education Committee and Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Committee.
Jesse Spikes has served Atlanta as a director, chairman or trustee at Agnes Scott College, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Clark-Atlanta University, the Alliance Theatre and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He's an attorney with a career supporting corporate business and financial transactions in Atlanta, the US, and overseas.