Dr. Georgianne Thomas
Candidate for Atlanta City Council
District 11
P.O. Box 11137 | Atlanta, Georgia 30310
Dear Community and Business Leaders,
My name is Georgianne Thomas and I am a candidate for Atlanta City Council District 11. Please allow me to share how long I have been fighting for our communities and why I am seeking to serve the citizens of Atlanta.
I am the Executive Producer of the award-winning, independent documentary, “Foot Soldiers: Class of 1964,” a film that tells my story and that of my classmates in the Class of 1964 at Spelman College who participated in the largest coordinated, series of civil rights protests in Atlanta’s history as college freshmen. Our bold activism is an Atlanta story that helped changed the world, and laid the foundation for the growth and development of the City of Atlanta.
My work in the Atlanta community is steeped in commitment, dedication, and love for this city. I am the former Chair of Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) –S, The NPU system was established by Mayor Maynard Jackson in 1974 to provide an opportunity for citizens to participate actively in the Comprehensive Development Plan now called the Atlanta Strategic Action Plan.
In addition to my work as the Chair of NPU-S, I served as the Vice Chair of the Atlanta Planning Advisory Board (APAB) for the NPU System. I co-founded and named the APAB Institute, which awarded certificates to citizens who attended workshops and seminars to help them understand the functions of city government. We followed the University of Georgia Fanning Institute for Citizens Input. The APAB Institute was my brainchild because the NPU meetings did not allow enough opportunity for detailed discussions by citizens who wanted to express ideas and concerns. Serving as Chair of NPU-S and as the Vice Chair of APAB, afforded me the grassroots experience, visionary input, and familiarity with city services, plans, and proposals needed to prepare me for my role as your next Atlanta City Council member.
I am proud of my educational achievements, both for me and my daughter. I have an earned doctorate from Clark Atlanta University in Humanities, with a concentration in French; a Master’s Degree in Education from Georgia State University, with a concentration in Supervision and Curriculum in Education; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French from Spelman College, where I became a “foot soldier.” As a divorced mother, I am proud to have raised Reverend Alvelyn Sanders, a pastor and an award-winning media professional, who wrote, produced, and directed “Foot Soldiers: Class of 1964.” She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, and graduate degrees from Clark Atlanta University, and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.
I am exceptionally honored and proud to have been a Mayoral Appointee to the Atlanta Sister Cities Commission as its Chair. What is significant about this position is that under my leadership, Sister Cities, Inc. (SCI, Inc.) held its International Convention here; the first and only time the convention has been in Atlanta, Georgia. I was honored to be elected to serve on the International Board of Directors, and I received a Distinguished Honors Award from SCI, Inc. while on this Board. The row of international flags that hang in Atlanta City Hall from the Sister Cities countries were installed under my leadership. Prior to my appointed position as Chair of the Atlanta Sister Cities Program, I served as the founding Chair of the Atlanta–Cotonou Sister Cities Program.
Additionally, I helped initiate the Atlanta Commission on Women. The Commission became inactive some years after my tenure ended. I find that distressful in light of the many issues facing women and girls, especially the issue of sex trafficking in Atlanta.
My experiences as a public school teacher, a current college professor, a former Atlanta City Court Domestic Violence Manager, as well as the Manager for the 911ACRS System that was installed in the former City Hall East, complements my managerial experience with the City of Atlanta. I am a proud retiree from Delta Air Lines, Inc. Local Training Department. I am honored to be the recipient of multiple awards and commendations, which include the Phoenix Award, several Atlanta City Council Proclamations, and two resolutions to be presented by the Georgia State Senate and the Georgia State House of Representatives in March 2017. This, too, has prepared me to take on the challenge of being an Atlanta City Council Member.
The awards and accolades for my life’s work are impressive, but for me it was a part of what I should be doing for humanity and for my fellow citizens. I am most interested in what can get done for my community in 2017. According to the residents of District 11, the priority issues are crime prevention, overall safety, and the status of schools in the district if they are closed and the buildings are left empty, which leads back to crime and safety. The issue of crime is not only a hot bed for the residents who live in single-dwelling, subdivisions, but it is a concern for our seniors as well. Many of them are frightened, and choosing to remain behind locked dwellings, which does not offer them a retirement, restful, and gentle way of life for their senior years.
JOBS NOT JAIL has been my mantra. Many of the youth charged with crime in our community, actually are our neighbors – they live in our community, too. In essence, they have too much time on their hands. It does not help that their hard working parents are too busy trying to work to keep them in a certain lifestyle that they do not see their own children. Neighbors need to know their neighbors, front/back and side to side. I offer the Three Cs for community enrichment: COOPERATE, COLLABORATE, and to CREATE employment to hire the youth of our community.
It is a new day and a new time in America. I want to maintain our community, and fight against crime by offering JOBS NOT JAIL. I want to go back to basics and focus on economic development in local communities. We offered employment to our neighbors. We created strong communities.
All we need for District 11 to thrive again is for you to help me win this election and bring back the love for this community. My purpose for running is to offer myself as the change agent for JOBS NOT JAIL and BRINGING BACK THE PRIDE. Tourism is on my agenda for bringing dollars to our stores and shops, which will improve the economy and provide more employment for our residents. We are sitting on a Gold Mine in District 11, and many of you know it.
Join me as we mine this gold and BRING BACK THE PRIDE.
November 7, 2017
I need your financial help. If you or your organization can send a donation to my campaign, I will be grateful for your support. I am committed to this community and the progress of its people.
I may be reached at 678.827.9807 for all campaign related issues, questions, or concerns. My email address is candidatedrgeorgiannethomas@gmail.com.
I need your support:
- Through your donation to the campaign. Please make checks payable to Georgianne Thomas for Atlanta City Council District 11, P.O. Box 11137 Atlanta, GA 30310.
- As a volunteer to call voters.
- To host a meet and greet in your neighborhood.
- Place a campaign sign in your yard.
- Volunteer to walk the District and ask for the vote for me.
- Through speaking positively to others about the beauty of our community, and encouraging young professionals to consider many of the well-built older homes still available in this District for purchase.
I humbly beseech you to pray for favor for this campaign. I am on a mission to serve our community with love and pride. Together, we can make a difference.
Fighting for change; maintaining our communities.
Dr. Georgianne Thomas
Please listen to the Mother’s Day message from Dr. Georgianne Thomas: