Sam A. Williams was named president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber in 1997, leading the organization of 4,000 member companies that employ more than one million workers.
Sam works to make metro Atlanta a model of successful public-private partnerships to improve the region's quality of life. He brings together broad-based coalitions of leaders on issues critical to the region, such as the arts, water, transportation, quality growth and health care. These coalitions, comprised of business, civic and elected leaders, resulted in some of the region's most influential organizations, including the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, Metro North Georgia Water Planning District, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the Livable Communities Coalition.
Sam also played a crucial role in other public-private partnerships. Through his leadership, the business community developed a partnership with Gov. Sonny Perdue and Mayor Shirley Franklin to tackle the $3.2 billion sewer improvements for metro Atlanta. MAC also led the effort to save Grady Memorial Hospital from closure, resulting in $300 million of private sector pledges to the new Grady nonprofit board.
Sam’s work was recognized by Georgia Trend in its list of "Georgia's Most Influential Leaders" consistently for more than 20 years. He was inducted in 2008 into the Georgia State University Business Hall of Fame.
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