2001 Executive Roundtable

The first Nonprofit Executive Roundtable was held at the Commerce Club in downtown Atlanta on May 22, 2001. The event included a small number of high-level nonprofit leaders, many of whom had been interviewed prior to the Roundtable about their perceptions of the most critical challenges facing the sector. Dr. David Van Slyke provided the welcome and opening remarks, and Dean Roy Bahl introduced the Nonprofit Studies Program.

Discussion Topics

Based on interviews of nonprofit leaders in Atlanta conducted by Nonprofit Studies Program researchers, the Roundtable discussion focused on what were identified as three major human resource challenges facing nonprofit organizations:

Attracting and keeping top talent

Merit pay and other incentive structures

Recruitment, retention, and attrition on the Board of Directors

Information gleaned from the interviews was shared with Roundtable participants, and there followed a discussion of approaches to each of these concerns. The Roundtable concluded with brief remarks by Dr. Michael Mescon on leadership in nonprofit organizations.

Participants

David Allison
Atlanta Business Chronicle

Karen Beavor
Georgia Center for Nonprofits

Roy Bahl
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

Arthur Brooks
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

Imani Constance
Burnett Southeastern Council of Foundations

Martha Ferguson
American Red Cross

Sally Fowler
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

Sherry Frank
The American Jewish Committee Southeast Area Office

Robert Franklin
Interdenominational Theological Center

Douglas Halleen
American Heart Association

Sid Kirschner
Northside Hospital

Martin Lehfeldt
Southeastern Council of Foundations

Mike Mescon
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

Mark O’Connell
United Way

John O’Kane
Coxe Curry and Associates

Alicia Philipp
Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

William Schwartz
OffitBank

Dave Sjoquist
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

John Thomas
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

David Van Slyke
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, GSU

Pat Willis
Bell South Foundation