Katie Kirkpatrick

Katie Kirkpatrick is the president and CEO of the 165-year-old Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). Kirkpatrick is known for her public policy prowess, courageous leadership and more than fifteen years of purpose-driven impact through her work at MAC.

Previously MAC’s chief policy officer, Kirkpatrick served as the link between the metro Atlanta business community and local, state, and national governments. She also galvanized the Public Policy team’s priorities in business climate, talent development and education, infrastructure, and thriving community. As president and CEO, she led the adoption of a new framework for the Chamber, focusing on the three strategic imperatives of economy, talent, and community. She also catalyzed the chamber’s historic ATL Action for Racial Equity initiative – a long-term effort that leverages the power of the region’s business community to advance racial equity.

Kirkpatrick joined MAC in 2007 as vice president of environmental affairs, previously serving in numerous roles directly related to environmental policy and water-related issues. Kirkpatrick later served as MAC’s senior vice president for business higher education, leading the execution of key initiatives strengthening the region’s higher education and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Before joining MAC, she served as director of environmental engineering for Gold Kist, Inc., with responsibilities in regulatory compliance, treatment system design, strategic planning, and more.

Kirkpatrick currently serves on the GRACE Commission, comprised of public officials, law enforcement, businesses, and nonprofit organizations committed to ending human trafficking in Georgia and the City of Atlanta. She sits on the board of Central Atlanta Progress and is an executive committee member of Learn4Life – an initiative working to advance educational outcomes for students in metro Atlanta. Kirkpatrick is also Chair of the Atlanta Track Club Foundation and a current member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, the Buckhead Coalition, and the International Women’s Forum.

In 2023, Kirkpatrick was named one of Georgia Trend magazine’s 100 Most Influential Georgians and one of Atlanta Magazine’s Atlanta 500, ranking top leaders in the region. She was also recognized as one of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta’s 2023 Academy of Women Achievers and was named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “22 to watch in 2022.”

A proud graduate of Auburn University, Kirkpatrick is a registered professional engineer in several states and a member of the school’s 100+ Women Strong group of successful female engineering alumnae as well as the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council – a group of alumni working to support the vision and goals of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Kirkpatrick is an alumna of Leadership Atlanta, a program designed to propel established leaders to further serve their communities. She is also a member of the American Heart Association’s Heart of Atlanta Gala leadership team and a member of the Momentum Advisory Collective, which is working to expand Café Momentum’s transformative internship program for justice-involved youth.

Kirkpatrick lives in Atlanta with her husband, Dow, and has two sons, one currently a student at the University of Georgia and the youngest at The Lovett School, where she can be found with her camera or working the concession stand at a baseball game.