34th Annual Buckhead Coalition Luncheon renews energy, mission

Collaboration Key to Continued Progress.

A Message From Buckhead Coalition Chair Eric Tanenblatt.

I shared recently some markers of progress Buckhead achieved over the last few years—things that impact the well-being of our families, like enhanced public safety and municipal services—but I must confess some hesitancy.

Success can breed complacency, and Buckhead has been very successful.

Any worries we’d rest on our laurels quickly evaporated once I took in the energy and enthusiasm at the 34th Annual Buckhead Coalition Luncheon last month. Hundreds of business, civic, and elected leaders in one room with one mission: ensure Buckhead remains the jewel of the South.

Creeping out of the pandemic, virtually every major American city and enclave suffered higher crime rates. In this regard, at least, Buckhead was like everyone else. But the Coalition and its city and state partners got in front of the crisis through visibly increased enforcement. Thanks in part to the new Buckhead Village police precinct, the launch of the Buckhead Safety Alliance, and increased participation in the Connect Atlanta camera network, Buckhead has led the city in crime reduction over the past three years. This achievement validates the public-private partnership model of the Buckhead Coalition. We owe an enormous gratitude to our uniformed heroes across every department and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum in particular.

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I was so pleased that Atlanta’s mayor, Andre Dickens, spoke at the luncheon in a signal of the city’s continued commitment to Buckhead and our mutual goals.

The mayor thanked the Coalition for its leadership role in the community and for bringing people together, noting that Atlanta is a “group project” and that our partnerships with the APD and the Georgia State Patrol are critical in making the city safer. He affirmed his commitment to public safety and shared that homicides citywide had fallen 21 percent and a remarkable 37 percent here in Buckhead. “We’re proud of the progress that we have made together,” Mayor Dickens said.

The mayor also emphasized his support for the HUB404 Park and briefed the crowd on the progress of repaving our streets and filling the potholes.

I thank Mayor Dickens for his ongoing presence and faithful dedication to our community. Buckhead Coalition President Jim Durrett and I meet directly with the mayor and his leadership team every quarter to discuss issues impacting Buckhead.

I was also pleased that Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns joined us at the luncheon, applauding our efforts to make Buckhead safe. Speaker Burns praised Mayor Dickens and his willingness to work with state officials to tackle public safety, noting that the drop in violent crime was “extremely promising.” We applaud the Speaker for his efforts to secure the resources for the new Georgia State Patrol Post to be built on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion.

Dozens of elected officials of both parties, including city council members, county officials, and state legislators, attended the luncheon. But it bears repeating that a Democratic mayor of Atlanta and a Republican Speaker of the House were of one mind when it came to Buckhead, proving once again that the Buckhead Coalition is Georgia’s greatest public-private convening authority.

I was delighted that so many members attended, and I was honored to introduce our 11 new members. Thank you all for your commitment to Buckhead and Atlanta.

Eric Tanenblatt
Buckhead Coalition Chair