Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that Chief of Staff Marva Lewis will transition from City Hall at the end of Q1 2019.
Lewis, who suspended her corporate career in 2017 to serve as campaign manager for then-candidate Bottoms, will be leaving City Hall to return to the private sector.
“Marva Lewis has been and remains a trusted advisor. Her leadership guided our Administration through a successful first year and I am excited to see what her future holds,” said Mayor Bottoms. “Upon entering City Hall, Marva promised us one year. During that time, her focus on driving results, executing our vision and building strong relationships both internally and externally helped ensure that we have the right people and priorities in place to effectively govern. One year later, she has fulfilled her promise and I will always be grateful for both her service and her friendship.”
Lewis will remain in her current role through March 2019, working closely with Mayor Bottoms to ensure a smooth transition, along with the successful execution of Super Bowl LIII, the 2019 State of the City meeting, and priority initiatives.
In her role as Chief of Staff, Lewis is one of the highest-ranking advisors to the Mayor, overseeing top personnel, policy and legislative matters. Since assuming the position in January 2018, Lewis has provided strategic leadership and organizational direction resulting in:
- The development and implementation of strategic priorities anchored in the Mayor’s vision for an affordable, resilient and equitable city
- The recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of best-in-class executives to serve in the Mayor’s Cabinet
- The unanimous passage of the City’s FY2019 budget by the Atlanta City Council
- The passage of the historic Gulch redevelopment plan, including the development of historic public and private partnerships to ensure economic development and broad, meaningful public benefit
- The launch of the 100,000 Opportunity Youth Initiative in partnership with Starbucks to drive workforce development and community engagement
- The transfer of 44 real estate deeds to Atlanta Public Schools
- The recommitment to a Citywide culture of ethics, transparency and collaboration
Lewis has also overseen key City functions including external affairs, international relations, immigrant affairs, communications, human trafficking elimination, human services, constituent services, cultural affairs, film and entertainment, and special events.
Lewis earned a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Francis Marian University. Prior to joining the City, she worked for Cousins Properties and Equifax. She currently serves on the Board of the Metro Atlanta Red Cross and the McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority Board. She is a member of the Leadership Atlanta class of 2017, and is participating in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Development Program.
“Serving the City of Atlanta has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Lewis. “From the first time I met Mayor Bottoms, I knew she was the right woman to lead Atlanta into the future. Now, stakeholders engage daily with the leader I met years ago, and the Administration is successfully realizing the Mayor’s vision for One Atlanta. I will forever treasure my time on the campaign, during the mayoral transition, and ultimately as Chief of Staff of this great city. I look forward to the new opportunities that the new year will bring.”
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