ATLANTA– Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia and Atlanta Business Chronicle are pleased to announce that
Dr. Mark P. Becker, President, Georgia State University, and Mr. Ernest Greer, Co-President, Greenberg Traurig, will be inducted into the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 15, 2021. They will join the group of 97 influential Atlantans recognized for their significant contributions to Atlanta’s economic and civic vibrancy.
Celebrating its 32nd year, the JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, a black-tie gala to benefit JA of Georgia, is held to honor dynamic business and civic leaders who have shaped Atlanta into the robust city it is today.
Since starting his tenure as Georgia State’s seventh president in January 2009, Dr. Becker has pursued an ambitious vision for the future of the university and has led it into an unparalleled period of growth and advancement. Under his leadership, the graduation rate has increased 22 percentage points and enrollment has grown to more than 50,000, making it the largest university in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. The university has become widely recognized as the national leader in the introduction of innovative programs and initiatives to foster student success and has experienced tremendous growth in the areas of research, global engagement, athletics and the physical development of its Atlanta campus. Dr. Becker’s academic career in biostatistics and public health has included appointments at multiple universities across the U.S., with his transition into academic leadership beginning in 2001 at the University of Minnesota, and continuing at the University of South Carolina, where he was the provost. He serves on the boards of the American Council on Education, the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, the World Affairs Council of Atlanta, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Research Alliance, and the Atlanta Committee for Progress. He also serves on the executive committees of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlanta Progress, and the Coalition of Urban-Serving Universities.
Ernest Greer serves as Co-President of Greenberg Traurig and plays a key role in the strategic direction of the firm and firmwide day-to-day operations. He is dedicated to continuing to shape the firm’s brand as a collaborative law firm providing high-quality legal work and excellent service to clients and the communities Greenberg Traurig serves. Greer uses his global position to reflect the firm’s commitment to dedicating time and talents through active involvement in communities in which they live and work. In doing so, Greer served as the Chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 2014, where he was the first lawyer to serve in this capacity in the Chamber’s more than 100-year history. At present, he serves on the boards for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Atlanta History Center, Achieve Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Atlanta Police Foundation, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Equal Justice Works. Greer also currently serves as the Director of Buckhead Coalition, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Guardsman, Inc. Past board memberships include the Center for Civil & Human Rights, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, and The Carter Center’s Board of Councilors, which he joined at former President Carter’s request.
The JA Atlanta Business Hall of Fame will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner, and Laureate Induction Ceremony. The 2021 gala will be held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. Proceeds from the event will benefit JA of Georgia and its efforts to empower the next generation to build a better future for themselves and their community. To learn more click here.
