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March 2007
Regional Housing Data Center Pushes On
Nkosi accepts position to help rebuild NOLA
Loan offers hope for continued progress in Stone Mountain
Staff Spotlight: Zenovia Palmer
Making the Case: The Next Generation
MICI bids farewell to Myles Green Smith
ANDP publishes 2006 Annual Report
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 Retiring
Georgia Power executive provided invaluable support
MICI bids farewell to volunteer Myles Green Smith
In 1998, ANDP held conversations with concerned citizens about the
region’s ability to create an appropriate amount of attainable
housing. Half a dozen leaders of Atlanta’s private sector agreed
that the time was right to make a business case that highlighted how
the lack of affordable housing impacts us all. What was borne out of
these conversations was the Mixed Income Communities Initiative
(MICI). Eight years later, MICI is saying goodbye to one of its
founding committee members, Myles Green Smith - who is retiring from
his Senior Urban Affairs Advisor role with Georgia Power.
Smith has never seen participation in MICI as an obligation to serve
a local nonprofit. In fact, he believes that it is good business for
corporate citizens to be involved with affordable housing issues.
“It’s really in a company’s best interest to support an initiative
like this. MICI deals with housing that is affordable to a variety
of people with varying income levels. If more affordable housing
were located in job centers, then employees could live closer to
their jobs. As a result, they wouldn’t have to sit in traffic, they
could save money, and they would be more alert on the job. These are
all advantages for employers,” Smith says.
Smith feels that in the last eight years MICI has contributed
significantly to the regional and national dialogue on affordable
housing. “In addition to creating and distributing an important
report on Atlanta’s affordable housing concerns, I believe MICI was
instrumental in encouraging the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce to
tackle the issue of affordable workforce housing as well.”
ANDP President & CEO John O’Callaghan applauds Smith’s
contributions, “We are deeply appreciative of the support of time
and financial resources from Myles Smith and Georgia Power. Both
Myles and Georgia Power have played integral roles in increasing
awareness of the affordable housing issue in Atlanta.”
Sharon Gay, partner with McKenna Long & Aldridge, ANDP board member
and current chair of MICI explains that affordable housing advocacy,
Georgia Power, and the Atlanta community will lose a significant
partner and a dedicated citizen. “Myles is not someone easily
replaced. His career path with Georgia Power and his active
leadership in community efforts like MICI are a testament to his
genuine concern for our City and his fellow man. We will miss his
involvement in MICI but wish him well on his retirement.”
When asked about his parting words for those who will continue to
work with MICI, Myles advises his colleagues to “Keep up the good
work. It’s not anywhere near done. There’s so much left to do. But
we knew when we started that this would not be a quick win. We knew
this was a long term initiative that would require quite a bit of
energy behind it – for quite a long time. We knew then, and still
understand, that getting these important messages to the general
public, elected officials and other audiences requires time and
patience.”
Myles’ encouragement to continue the important work of MICI has not
fallen on deaf ears; MICI will publish Making the Case: The Next
Generation in Spring 2007.
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