Katie Kirkpatrick is an environmental engineer by training, but she now leads one of the most influential business groups in Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

The chamber’s board is a “Who’s Who” of CEOs of the region’s most prominent companies and institutions, from Delta Air Lines, UPS and Mercedes-Benz USA to Emory University, Piedmont Healthcare and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Kirkpatrick reports to them and the chamber’s members, representing the business community’s interests. She’s tasked with driving economic development and pushing for broad improvements in areas such as education and public transit , on behalf of the region’s business leaders.

It’s an expansive job that is as complex as Atlanta’s economy itself.

Kirkpatrick spent a few minutes with AJC Her+Sto

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