Buckhead Coalition chair: “I’ve never seen us as aligned with city leadership as we are right now”

Eric Tanenblatt has advised top politicians and led public policy issues for a global law firm.

Now, he will chair the Buckhead Coalition, an influential nonprofit of elite executives who advocate for the upscale Atlanta neighborhood. His two-year term begins this month. He takes over from Juanita Baranco, former chair and chief operating officer of The Baran Co. LLC

“Our mission is really to improve the quality of life in Buckhead for the businesses, residents and visitors,” said Tanenblatt, a New York native who’s lived in Buckhead for 30-plus years.

From his home at The Charles condo building in the Buckhead Village, Tanenblatt looks out onto Charlie Loudermilk Park, named for the businessman and philanthropist who founded the Buckhead Coalition.

For Tanenblatt, it’s a daily reminder of the Buckhead Coalition’s impact over the past 35 years, from years ago lobbying for Ga. 400 to carve through its commercial district to raising funds to help launch the Atlanta Police Foundation. It also created the Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID), a self-taxing group of commercial property owners that’s raised millions for infrastructure projects.

Tanenblatt has decades of political experience. Currently, he’s the global chair of public policy and regulation for law firm Dentons. He’s also served in the administrations of three U.S. presidents, as chief of staff for former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, and as an advisor to the late U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, according to his online bio.

“Eric has extensive experience in assessing and promoting policy,” said Jim Durrett, president of the Buckhead Coalition and executive director of the Buckhead CID. “We have a new public policy committee, and Eric’s experience and wisdom will play a very large role in that committee’s effectiveness.”

Buckhead Coalition priorities
Tanenblatt said the Buckhead Coalition will remain focused on public safety, city services, zoning and other quality-of-life issues. It will also keep an eye on the Buckhead cityhood movement, which it opposes. Last year, for example, the coalition paid for a study that laid out the financial impact on Atlanta if Buckhead were to secede.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if it came back up, but I just don’t sense the same urgency in the community,” Tanenblatt said of the cityhood movement. He cited improved crime stats. Although the number of murders was up in 2022, overall serious crime was down 13% in Atlanta Police Zone 2, which covers Buckhead, according to data from the police department.

Tanenblatt credited Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.

“He’s demonstrated that he recognizes people in the community were concerned and has taken real action,” he said. That included opening a new police precinct in the Buckhead Village. “I’ve never seen us as aligned with city leadership as we are right now.”

Founded in 1988, the Buckhead Coalition today has 125 members, a who’s who list of Atlanta. That includes Carol Tomé, CEO of UPS; Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber; David Cummings, CEO of Atlanta Tech Village; Kevin Brown, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare; Matt Bronfman, principal and CEO of Jamestown L.P.; and Colin Connolly, president and CEO of Cousins Properties.

Former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, who died in March 2022 and was long known as the “Mayor of Buckhead,” led the Coalition from its inception until his retirement in 2020. Durrett became Massell’s successor, merging the group with the Buckhead CID and aligning it more closely with booster organizations including the Midtown Alliance and Central Atlanta Progress.

The Buckhead Coalition in 2021 went through a rebranding, with a new logo and mission statement. Its members, which previously were more secretive, were listed on its website. Today, these executives are driving the direction of the organization, Tanenblatt said.

“We have some of the most prominent business leaders in Buckhead, and they are part of the Buckhead Coalition,” he said. “We have a really good view and perspective of what’s happening around the country and around the globe.”

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