About KatKaterina Taylor, a Kansas Native and the daughter of a successful entrepreneur is a 15-year veteran in the financial services industry. An entrepreneur, and community advocate. She also served as vice president for SunTrust Bank, now Truist Bank, from 2003-2012. During her time at SunTrust she successfully designed and executed business growth and development strategies and created and facilitated training programs for more than 500 regional and local bank associates and executive.
Taylor became the first woman president and CEO of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce in the Chamber’s 81-year history in 2014. The chamber’s core focus was to work with businesses across Georgia’s 4th largest county and metro Atlanta, focusing on business growth, economic and workforce development, community outreach, education initiatives, business and public advocacy and Entrepreneurship. In 2016-2018 Taylor served as Chair for the DeKalb Thrives Steering Committee, DeKalb Thrives was the county’s five year strategic plan to improve the business climate, enhance quality of place, and revitalize commercial corridors and employment centers in DeKalb. Her work around DeKalb Thrives was successfully completed in 2018 and helped spur a new five-year strategy around public private partnerships. In September 2019 Taylor was appointed by Atlanta’s 60th Mayor, Mayor Kiesha Lance Bottoms, to lead the WorkSource Atlanta Agency. WorkSource Atlanta is the workforce development agency of the City of Atlanta, housed under the office of the Mayor. The agency is focused on creating equitable employment opportunities, providing training in high skill high demand jobs, and ensuring livable wages and economic mobility. Taylor believes her new role will have generational impacts for years to come. Actively engaged in the community, Taylor served on the board of directors for United Way of Greater, CDC Federal Credit Union, and served as Chair of the Next Generation Board for Citizens Trust Bank. Taylor is a member of Junior League, a board member of Emory University Board of Visitors and New Life Community Center. Taylor is a proud woman of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership DeKalb, and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. She is a proud New Leaders Council Fellow and Regional Leadership Institute graduate. Taylor has been honored and recognized by both the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend Magazine as a top 40 under 40, and Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential African American Women in Metro Atlanta. Kennesaw State Siegel Leadership Institute honored her with their 2017 Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award and in 2014 the Atlanta Tribune named her a History Maker. In 2019 Taylor was honored with the title Most Notable Georgian by Georgia Trend and received the Woman of Excellence Award. Taylor has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree in Marketing from Texas Wesleyan University and an MBA in Finance from Argosy University. Affectionately, known as Kat, Taylor lives on the westside of Atlanta in historic Grove Park with her pet Pom Mr. President. |
Kat Taylor, President & CEO of DeKalb Chamber,Georgia Aquarium 2016
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