Ex-Atlanta Police Officer Accused Of Killing Lyft Driver, Claims Was Being Kidnapped
Koby Minor claimed the Lyft driver was trying to recruit him into a gay fraternity.
A former police officer in Atlanta has been arrested for allegedly killing his Lyft driver. Koby Minor claims the man was trying to kidnap him.
The Union City Police Department arrested Minor on May 15 for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Reginald Folks. Further investigation revealed that Minor was on paid administrative leave when police responded to the shooting. He had been with Atlanta Police since 2018, according to WSB-TV.
“At the time of his arrest in Union City, Minor was on unpaid administrative leave after being arrested in Milton, GA, in December 2023,” stated the Atlanta Police. “Minor was relieved of his department-issued firearm upon being placed on unpaid administrative leave. Since that time, the firearm has remained in the custody of the APD.”
Per the police report obtained by the news outlet, Minor became suspicious of the driver and asked to leave the vehicle after hearing him speak in a foreign language. After trying to exit the car, Minor shot at Folks as the driver reached into the back seat. He then broke the window to get out of the car after shooting multiple times. A witness shared that Minor believes Folks attempted to kidnap him for recruitment into a gay fraternity.
In light of the incident, Lyft released a statement to USA Today, effectively banning Minor’s account.
“Our hearts are with Mr. Folks’ loved ones as they confront this unspeakable tragedy, and we have reached out to offer our support during this difficult time,” shared the company’s spokesperson. “We stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation and have permanently banned the rider’s account from the Lyft community.”
The 35-year-old and his family moved to the area where he was attending school at Clark Atlanta University. His mother remembers him as a “friendly guy” to those who knew him.
[I’m] very proud of the man he became. Everywhere I went, people met him and enjoyed him. He always ran into people that he knew,” Marchelle Folks expressed to 11Alive. “He was a friendly guy, very social. Reggie was pretty much the life of the party.”
As for Minor, his charges also include aggravated assault and murder. He resigned from the Atlanta police immediately following his arrest.
Scholarships across the public universities and colleges in Texas remain in limbo.
The academic futures of diverse students are in jeopardy as the Texas DEI ban puts 131 scholarships on hold.
The Memorial Scholarship was created to help Black female athletes pursue sports while in college. The scholarship honors the short-lived lives of Devin Oliver and her classmate Aubree Butts. The young women were basketball players at Texas A&M University at Commerce killed in a car crash. The scholarship honors their lives and legacy. The Memorial Scholarship was created to empower the next generation of women athletes. However, the scholarship may soon cease to exist.
Oliver’s father, Richard, wanted the scholarship to help girls just like his daughter.
“I appreciated the fact that that scholarship was targeted specifically for that demographic type — Black female athlete, and particularly basketball — because that’s who my daughter was,” Oliver told The Dallas Morning News.
The Texas DEI ban leaves multiple scholarships in limbo, with the majority designated for Texas A&M. The scholarships are being frozen or modified to fit the new law, Senate Bill 17. Since going into effect on Jan. 1, the ban has halted all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across public universities in Texas.
While the law remains vague, with its main focus on initiatives on campus, it has impacted scholarships upon its passing. The bill’s author, State Sen. Brandon Creighton, released a statement on the “real progress” made for higher education in Texas.
“Since implementation of SB 17, Texas colleges and universities have made real progress to return their institutions to the mission of innovation and education and throughout the process, many institutions are eliminating inefficiencies and redundant expenditures — which could include programs or scholarships that have been eliminated or changed…The law makes clear that taxpayer funds should not be spent conferring special benefits based on race, color, or ethnicity,” the Republican lawmaker wrote.
The legislation follows a trend of anti-DEI efforts across the country. States like Florida and North Carolina have also passed laws and policies that either roll back or eliminate DEI programs. As Texas students continue to feel the effects of this ban, students nationwide are also seeing the crackdown on initiatives that uplift diversity in education.
Plumber On Social Media Dating Show Claims, ‘All This Clout Chasing’ Got Him Fired
A plumber has lost his job after appearing on a YouTube dating show where he faced backlash after degrading a lineup of women.
A licensed plumber lost his job after appearing on a YouTube dating show, where he faced backlash after bantering with a lineup of women.
The professional plumber named “veryy_handsome” on Instagram took to the platform on Monday, June 17, to reveal his unemployment due to the internet dating show he appeared in last week. According to the Instagram user, the criticism he received due to the show appearance caused the company he worked for to receive bad reviews, prompting his termination.
“All this clout chasing got me fired from work,” he wrote. “Man I really love plumbing and I’m good at it and they got that taken away from me.”
According to the axed plumber, after appearing on the YouTube dating show, critics “called the company 500xs and are messing up business.”
“This is what I get for dealing with low value women 😭 i’m hurt behind this fr this is what kept me out the streets 💔,” he wrote in the caption.
In his comments section, the plumber received messages of support from many who felt the termination was unwarranted. Some further criticized his behavior on the dating show but agreed it wasn’t enough to cause him to lose his job.
“I hate how he acted, on the show definitely not cool, but to call his job and get him fired is some bs this his livelihood, I just think you dnt mess with how someone eats ijs,” one person wrote.
“The fact they did this much digging to find your job is dangerous… it’s the downside of standing on what you stand on in this “cancel culture” era… you did nothing wrong and I pray you can start your own business!” added someone else.
The plumber is facing backlash because of his appearance on Arlette Amuli’s YouTube dating show “Pop The Balloon or Find Love.” Published on Wednesday, June 12, the show sees one male go through a lineup of women who opt to either pop the balloon or potentially strike a match with the prospect.
The plumber was on the defense with most of the women who popped the balloon, with one clip showing him going back and forth with one woman about her arm hair.
A second clip went viral, showing one woman returning the shade to the plumber in an exchange that quickly escalated. Many agreed with the woman’s assessment of the situation and blasted the plumber for his attitude toward the lineup of women.
“He deserved every bit of that. His attitude was insane. Them other girls were letting him get away with too much disrespect,” one person wrote.
“This man shows you how to respectfully disrepect someone “you’re not even qualified queen,'” added someone else.
The plumber has since launched a GoFundMe and a t-shirt line with his now signature line, “You not qualified.” From the looks of it, he plans to ride his newfound internet fame until he finds a new job.
Protect Your Assets: Here’s What Black Americans Should Insure
A great need in Black communities: the importance of having life insurance.
A simple scroll across Facebook, and we’re bound to see one each month: a GoFundMe funeral campaign. These grassroots fundraisers provide emergent relief for families to bury loved ones, but the frequency of such campaigns during a time of immense grief speaks to a greater need in Black communities: the importance of having life insurance.
“Life insurance is one of the things where we are chronically underinsured. We’re not having the conversations about what mom, dad, grandma, grandpa have in terms of their policies, but we find out too late that there’s not money available there,” said Omari Aarons-Martin, executive director and chief operating officer for National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA), the oldest and largest organization supporting Black professionals across the insurance industry.
“There are situations like getting life insurance policies as soon as you have a child and getting them covered right away.”
So, when considering coverage, what should Black Americans insure and why?
“Black Americans should utilize insurance to build a robust financial safety net, protecting themselves and their families from unexpected financial hardships and contributing to long-term economic stability and empowerment,” stated Ryan L. Smith, executive vice president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the nation’s only remaining Black-owned and Black-founded insurance company.
Why is Insurance Important?
When it comes to insurance, the concept of coverage is embraced by many, but it causes concern or raises questions for others, particularly in the Black American community.
“There’s a serious trust gap that exists between Black Americans and—not just the insurance industry—but the financial services industry at large,” said Aarons-Martin.
“And so, with most consumers, they don’t really separate out ‘insurance’ from ‘the bank’ in terms of thinking about their overall financial portfolio, so we know there’s a lack of access and a lack of education; both in terms of the physical experience of being able to walk in and talk to someone in an insurance office in your community.”
LIMRA, a life insurance industry research organization, found in its 2024 Insurance Barometer Study that the greatest need for life insurance is among households earning less than $50,000 per year, Hispanic Americans, Black Americans, millennials, Gen Z, and women. According to LIMRA’s research, 31% of Black Americans believe that life insurance is only for final expenses, and 66% say that is the primary reason they own life insurance. Only 48% of the general population say the same.
Nationwide’s Life Insurance Business President Holly Snyder said, “The perception of life insurance could result in Black Americans not purchasing enough coverage to provide income replacement or enable wealth transfer.”
“If you pass away, no one will ever replace your energy, your spirit, the joy you bring to your loved ones. However, your income is replaceable if proper planning is in place,” Snyder told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“If you make $50,000 a year, for example, you will provide $1.5 million of income to your household over the course of a 30-year career. That amount of money provides housing, clothing, food, and education to your loved ones, and not having income places a huge financial strain on them if the worst-case scenario happens. And term life is affordable, especially for people in their 20s and 30s.”
What We Should Insure
We often think of home, auto, renter’s, or even pet insurance policies, but a robust insurance coverage plan, according to Smith at Atlanta Life, should include:
Life Insurance
“Life insurance can also be utilized as a wealth-building and transfer tool,” Smith said.
“Like any wealth-building tool, getting started as early as possible is best. Just as parents can pass wealth to their children through real estate, so can they do with life insurance, often at a fraction of the monthly cost of homeownership.”
This coverage typically comes in the form of employer-paid and employee-paid/voluntary benefits offered as group life insurance. Supplemental Life Insurance can provide additional coverage beyond a basic life insurance policy, offering more comprehensive financial protection.
“When talking about life events, we commonly see the life insurance purchase around the time people are getting married, having kids, or buying a home,” said Snyder with Nationwide.
“We also see a much-needed discussion for long-term care insurance called the 40/70 talk –- which encourages you to have the long-term care discussion either when you are 40 or when your parent reaches the age of 70.”
Healthcare
“Medical expenses are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.,” Smith said. “Health insurance is meant to provide coverage for medical care in the form of preventative care and diagnosis and cover the cost of unexpected expenses related to injury and acute and chronic illnesses.”
Supplemental health coverages are designed to help fill gaps in coverage, and long-term care insurance covers expenses such as those for nursing homes or in-home care, which are not typically covered by health insurance or Medicare.
Annuities and Retirement
“Annuities can be a valuable part of a comprehensive retirement strategy, providing financial security, income stability, and other benefits tailored to individual needs and goals,” Smith said.
For Business Owners
“Protecting the assets and income potential of the business is just as important as protecting the assets and income potential for an individual to preserve and transfer generational wealth,” Smith said. He added that most Black-owned businesses are categorized as small- to medium-sized enterprises and often have less than 100 employees, requiring a foundational basket of insurance policies: General Liability, Professional Liability, Worker’s Compensation, and Business Income Insurance. Aarons-Martin added that cyber insurance may be needed to protect data such as social security numbers or credit card information.
“Additionally, as Black business owners look to grow their enterprises, the ability to hire talent, retain talent, and build a high-performing team is heavily influenced by incentives and employee benefits,” Smith said, noting a business should consider offering employees Health, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and Disability insurances; Long Term Care; Absence & Leave; Dental & Vision; and Supplemental Health Insurance.
How to Insure
In securing coverage, Aarons-Martin said his organization, NAAIA, encourages Black Americans to work with a Black insurance agent. Independent agents can write and look for policies and get you the best rates from a variety of different companies, while captive agents work for well-known national or global companies and only sell products through that particular organization. Folks can contact NAAIA to link with one of their 24 chapters to help find an agent, or the Association of African American Financial Advisors provides a list of financial advisors.
You can also start in your circle.
“There’s someone you know who works in the insurance industry, so start with them and ask them for recommendations based on what you need,” Aarons-Martin said of industry members in churches, civic and Divine 9 organizations, and friend groups.
To solve a longer-term need, Snyder said Nationwide is one of the founding members of FARE -– the Financial Alliance for Racial Equity–-created to solve the discrepancy in financial professionals in the Black community.
Nationwide has several educational campaigns in the market “to help Black Americans make informed coverage decisions. For those without a financial professional (often younger), we offer an online quote and application for term life insurance that is easy, quick, and affordable,” said Snyder. Nationwide also offers a library of resources to explain various insurance topics in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and they have a bilingual phone representative who offers free consultations and the ability to purchase policies in Spanish as well.
Whether you’re seeking coverage for the first time or have had coverage for many years, experts advise routinely checking on the status of your policies.
“The same as when we go to the doctor and have a checkup, you also should get an insurance checkup with your insurance agent,” said Aarons-Martin, noting many policies renew annually or bi-annually. “It’s never too early, and it’s never too late to think about your coverage or make sure you get covered.”
U.S. Surgeon General Calls For Warning Labels On Social Media Platforms
Murthy’s call is reflective of a broader movement for the government to more tightly regulate technology companies and social media where it concerns the mental health of its teenage users.
Vivek H. Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, called for warning labels on social media platforms in an op-ed on June 17 for The New York Times. Murthy’s call is reflective of a broader movement for the government to more tightly regulate technology companies and social media where it concerns the mental health of its teenage users.
As the Washington Post reported, Murthy’s argument centers around research that indicates that adolescents who spend a lot of time on social media platforms are more at risk of anxiety and depression and testimony from young people themselves who say that social media has negatively impacted their body image.
As Murthy told the outlet, “What we need…is something clear that people can see regularly when they use social media that tells them, frankly, what we now know as a public health and medical establishment.”
In April, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt told The New Yorker that he believes social media companies are harming children, particularly teenage girls. Haidt also pointed to what he described as an arbitrary lowering of the digital age of consent from 16 to 13. “The way that regulation works in the United States—Congress did only two things, and both of them ended up being terrible.”
Haidt continued, “The first was the COPPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The question there was how old you have to be before you can give away personal data, and a company can monetize your data without your parent’s knowledge or consent. Representative Ed Markey—now he’s Senator Markey—was a lead author on the bill, and he thought, after consultation, sixteen. Sixteen is the age at which you get your driver’s license; you’re a little more independent. But various lobbyists united to push it down to thirteen, and there is zero enforcement.”
According to Murthy’s op-ed, Congress is positioned as a key cog in protecting children from technology companies. Children’s online safety advocates like Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, caution that Murthy’s warning labels proposal does no good unless there are reforms that affect technology companies. “It’s the overall online media business model requiring regulation, including antitrust, market governance rules, consumer protection policies, privacy laws that really limit tactics, and public funding for content. Warning labels are illusory safeguard without serious reforms.” Chester wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Technology companies, however, are fighting against regulation, mostly through the tech trade association NetChoice, which counts Amazon, Meta, and Google among its members. NetChoice, as the Post reports, is responsible for leading attempts to stop states from reining in technology companies. Carl Szabo, the group’s vice president and general counsel, told the Post that parents should regulate their children’s use of social media platforms. “Parents and guardians are the most appropriately situated to handle these unique needs of their children — not the government or tech companies.”
Meanwhile, Murthy closed his argument for making social media safer for young people by referencing how the government mandated safety belts in response to unsafe vehicles. “Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability.”
Murthy concluded, “The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children. Students like Tina and mothers like Lori do not want to be told that change takes time, that the issue is too complicated or that the status quo is too hard to alter. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children’s well-being is at stake.”
Bishop Lamor Whitehead Given 9-Year Prison Sentence
The 45-year-old bishop was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000.
Lamor Whitehead, known as the “Bling Bishop,” wasfoundguilty in March of wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, attempted extortion, and making false statements to federal law enforcement agents. Whitehead was given a nine-year sentence in federal prison on June 17.
In a written statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners. He lied to federal agents, and again to the Court at his trial. Today’s sentence puts an end to Whitehead’s various schemes and reflects this Office’s commitment to bring accountability to those who abuse their positions of trust.”
The 45-year-old bishop is also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000.
Whitehead was found guilty on March 11 after prosecutors proved the pastor of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn scammed the retirement savings of one church member, attempted to extort a businessman, and committed loan fraud.
Prosecutors stated that the bishop persuaded one of his church members to invest about $90,000 of her retirement savings with him after promising to use the funds to help her buy a home. Whitehead allegedly spent the money on luxury items and personal expenses. Once the parishioner demanded the money back, Whitehead evaded her inquiries.
Whithead’s crimes included the extortion of a businessman for $5,000. After the success of the extortion, he attempted to extort the person for $500,000. Whitehead framed this extortion as a loan while promising him a stake in real estate transactions. The disgraced bishop levered his relationship with Mayor Eric Adams to deceive his victims.
Whitehead also submitted a fraudulent application for a $250,000 business loan. The bishop produced doctored bank statements claiming millions of dollars in bank assets and hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly revenue.
After Whitehead was convicted, his attorney, Dawn Florio, stated the verdict would be appealed.
African Ancestry Offers Juneteenth Special To Find One’s Roots
African Ancestry's co-founder Dr. Gina Paige speaks to BLACK ENTERPRISE about the company's holistic work to help Black people find their roots.
Finding one’s roots can be a challenge, especially when one’s history was not deemed important until the 19th century. Thankfully, the work of African Ancestry can help those across the Black diaspora source their heritage and instill pride in knowing exactly where they come from.
Their home ancestry DNA kits uses their vast African genetic sequence database, comprised of over 30,000 samples, to trace one’s background. To African Ancestry, knowledge is power, and the power of knowing one’s history has now been unearthed for those of African descent.
Founded in 2003 by Dr. Rick Kittles and Dr. Gina Paige, African Ancestry has helped over 1 million people trace their maternal and paternal lineage while providing safety and security with one’s genetic history.
Ahead of Juneteenth’s nationwide celebration and call to action for freedom, BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke to Paige about this holistic restoration to Black people globally. Moreover, African Ancestry is offering new customers a special Juneteenth offer to discover more through their DNA.
Explain African Ancestry’s story. How did this company come to fruition? Where do you first see the need?
My co-founder [Kittles] is a geneticist, and he worked on the African Burial Ground project in lower Manhattan. He was part of the team of researchers from Howard University. His job was to determine the ancestry of the bones. When you talk about demand, when the community found out he could identify where in Africa these bones were from, they wanted to know, too. Then came these requests from the living to find out their present-day African country and ethnic group. He and I partnered, and I commercialized his research to make it available for everyone.
What are the wellness and healing benefits of having a fully realized identity through these means?
You can’t know who you are unless you know where you’re from. And we’re the only group of people in this country that don’t point to a country and a group of people for ancestry. I say this a lot: we’re the original victims of identity theft. When our ancestors were stolen, we lost our names, languages, and the freedom to honor our ancestors. When we think about identity theft today, when someone steals who you are, you really can’t function. You can’t live your life the way you want to live it. When you find out where you’re from, what we’ve seen is that people have an automatic sense of pride and place. And with this sense of belonging and peace, now you’re rooted and transformed in many ways.
So, how does this DNA kit work? What is the difference between genetic ancestry tracing and genealogy? How do they work together in this way?
GP: So genealogy is the research of a person’s family history using written and oral records. You pass down family stories, information kept in family bibles, marriage, and birth records, censuses, etc. Those are genealogical tools to help you recreate the lives of those who came before you. Genetic ancestry tracing is the research of this family history through biology, using DNA. Just like written records giving us information, there’s information inside of our DNA. Whether it’s your height, weight, personality, or shape of your nose, that’s all data. And that ancestry is in your DNA. They work together, specifically for Black people, to build a bridge between where your paper trail stops and where your ancestry was prior to the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking more to this, can you give us a breakdown of how single-lineage African ancestry tracing works?
We each inherit 50% of our DNA from our mother and father. But you also inherited a little bit of DNA from your mother that didn’t mix with anything from your father called mitochondrial (mt)DNA. It is maternally-inherited, so passed from mother to child, and represents one lineage of your family tree. It all stems from the mothers of your history, and it does not change, even over thousands of years. So we can take your mtDNA, or your mothers’ or siblings’, and we look for matching mtDNA from elsewhere in the world. If you are looking for African Ancestry, you have the best chance of finding it when you have the most African DNA to compare it to. That’s what we do, and we have the largest database of African DNA in the industry.
As we approach Juneteenth, can you speak on the significance of this holiday with the work you do?
GP: You know, Juneteenth is the celebration of the enslaved people in Texas learning of their freedom. And we know that once people got their freedom, they then looked for family members. They reconnected their families to build new lives. African Ancestry functions in the same way. We’re celebrating your ability to reconnect with your ancestors in Africa. In honor of Juneteenth, we’re offering 10% off all of our test kits and our entire site. We want to make it easier for people to take advantage of this opportunity. We’re the only company that doesn’t sell or share our customers’ DNA either because we don’t want fear to be the reason you don’t find your roots. It only takes one test for a family line to find the answer, as everyone shares the same maternal lineage. It is a family project where everyone benefits from the results.
The announcement came from the Trump campaign on June 15, shortly before the four-time indicted businessman made an appearance at a Blacks For Trump rally at the 180 Church. As word of Kilpatrick’s endorsement circulated across social media, users were not too surprised by the news.
Kilpatrick made headlines after he was sentenced to 28 years in prison for public corruption. After serving close to eight years behind bars, his sentence was pardoned by Trump in 2021. He has been quoted expressing gratitude for the former president and was seen attending a Trump rally in Saginaw County, Michigan, in March 2024.
“I can never thank President Trump enough for what he’s done for me and my family by giving me freedom,” he told Detroit News. “But I believe this election and the issues involved are personal to every family and every person in America.”
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick rolled out as part of the Black Americans for Trump coalition just now pic.twitter.com/JmnHhKI6Kf
After the Trump campaign launched the Black Americans for Trump coalition in the Motor City, social media users labeled Kilpatrick and Trump’s collaboration as “The Criminal Coalition.”
Another user highlighted how Detroit residents feel about Kilpatrick after everything he did to the city under his reign. “The real people of Detroit have nothing but hate and disdain for Kwame Kilpatrick,” @bartgirl24 wrote. “He stole millions from the city and will never be forgiven.”
The real people of Detroit have nothing but hate and disdain for Kwame Kilpatrick. He stole millions from the city and will never be forgiven.
While the endorsement for the convicted GOP candidate is solid, Kilpatrick declined to announce who he will be voting for in November, though it won’t be for President Joe Biden.
Kilpatrick served Motown as a Democrat from 2002 to 2008. He resigned amid a gripping city hall scandal resulting in his conviction in federal court in a corruption scandal.
Blagojevich, a former contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, was convicted of corruption but was released from prison after Trump commuted his sentence in 2020. Trump also issued support for Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was indicted, along with his wife ,Imelda, on charges of accepting close to $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank in May 2024.
The indictment claimed the Cuellars used the money to finance credit card payments, taxes, car payments, dining, and shopping including a $12,000 custom gown.
Cueller has denied the allegations, and Trump jumped on his Truth Social site to express support, claiming the allegation ties into the opposition of some of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. “He was for Border Control, so they said, “Let’s use the FBI and DOJ to take him out!” This is the way they operate,” Trump wrote.
American Water Works Association Names Cheryl Porter As Organization’s First Black President
Porter's election not only ensures equitable clean water access, but also reflects the progress of Black women leaders.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has achieved a historic milestone by appointing Cheryl Porter as its new president. She is the first African American woman and person of color to hold this esteemed position in the organization’s 143-year existence.
“It is a tremendous honor having been elected President of the AWWA,” Porter said, according to the Michigan Chronicle, as she acknowledged her election as a testament to the resilience and excellence of Black women in the professional sphere. “As a product of Detroit Public Schools and the first Black person to serve in this role, the historical significance of this post is not lost on me.”
Porter brings extensive expertise from her role as chief operating officer of Water and Field Services at the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). In her AWWA presidency, she will apply a comprehensive understanding of water sector obstacles and the strategic vision to tackle them head-on. Key priorities include enhancing water quality, ensuring equitable clean water access, and preparedness for climate change impacts. Porter confirmed her commitment to her duties: “My focus will be on working with the passionate and committed individuals at AWWA to tackle the most pressing water issues and help ensure our communities are better protected in the face of climate change.”
Porter discussed the Safe Drinking Water Act in a June 11 post on AWWA’s X account. In recognition of its 50th anniversary, she informed followers that the legislation aims to “safeguard the public health and safety of all U.S. citizens.”
AWWA President-Elect Cheryl Porter (COO of @GLWaterMI) is passionate about the #SDWA.
— American Water Works Association (@awwa) June 12, 2024
Her tenure at AWWA has seen pivotal involvement, including roles with the Finance Committee as vice president, director-at-large on the Board, and a Michigan Section trustee.
“Cheryl brings to AWWA a wide range of experience, having superlative knowledge and skills from a technical, managerial, and business perspective,” said Joe Jacangelo, AWWA’s immediate past president. “Her foresight and vision will be instrumental in guiding our Association’s Water 2050 initiative and assuring success in meeting future water community challenges.”
Porter’s educational pedigree covers a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Michigan, an MBA with a Human Resources concentration from Madonna University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy’s Law School. She also holds certified Michigan operating credentials for water distribution (S-3) and Complete Treatment (F-1).
Jai Ferrell Named New CEO Of Girl Scouts Of Greater Atlanta
The Atlanta native will begin her position July 1.
The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta (GSGATL) has appointed Jai Ferrell, a fifth-generation Atlantan and former Girl Scout, as its new chief executive officer.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected as the next CEO for Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta,” Ferrell said in a press release. “This is the right time and place for me to bring my skills and talents to serve others.”
GSGATL consists of more than 23,000 Girl Scouts throughout 34 counties in the greater metropolitan Atlanta, northwest Georgia, and Polk County, Tennessee.
“Jai’s extensive experience and relevant connections to the metro Atlanta community and beyond were important factors in our decision,” search committee leader Susan L. Lazaro said. “We’re excited to see her support our mission while elevating the impact we have on the lives of girls across the entire area our council serves.”
Ferrell’s professional background spans leadership roles in entertainment television, consumer products, and sports for major brands like WarnerMedia, CNN, Major League Baseball, and BET Networks.
Most recently, she served as chief commercial/revenue officer for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world. She was named one of Atlanta Magazine‘s “500 Top Leaders” in 2024, 2023, and 2022, as well as a “Women Leading Travel & Hospitality Honoree” in 2023.
Ferrell has served as a board member for the Andrew & Walter Young YMCA while actively securing partnerships with institutions across Atlanta, Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton County Schools. She holds a bachelor’s from Spelman College, a master’s from Georgia State University, and in 2023, completed the Harvard Business School Executive Education program to earn a Certificate of Management Excellence.
