It’s been two years since then Mayor-elect Andre Dickens first met with the powerhouse civic group of leaders — the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP).

Based on the turnout at ACP’s December meeting on Dec. 8 at the headquarters of King & Spalding, Mayor Dickens’ relationship with Atlanta’s business and civic leaders is as strong as that of any mayor since Shirley Franklin, who founded the group in 2003.

“Today was great because everybody was there. I mean, just about everybody was there,” Dickens said in an interview after the meeting. “What’s good about it is they are extremely engaged. They were volleying and lobbying ideas with suggestions and challenges as well as how they can help.”

Over the years, ACP has been the best barometer of how a mayor can lay out his or her agenda and how well he or she can work with Atlanta’s leadership.

For example, the meeting last Friday included Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, UPS CEO Carol Tomé, Georgia State University President Brian Blake, Emory University President Greg Fenves, Spelman College President Helene Gayle, Clark Atlanta University President George French and all but five of the impressive list of ACP members. (link)

“It’s part of the special sauce of Atlanta,” said Colin Connolly, CEO of Cousins Properties and the 2023 chair of ACP. “What makes Atlanta unique is the political, business, educational, healthcare and civic communities all coming together to support our city and help the mayor and his team continue to propel Atlanta.”

During his year, Connolly instituted a new ACP event – board dinners on the night before the ACP morning meeting, as a way to strengthen the relationships between CEOs and Atlanta’s…