BoardWalk Consulting Leading CEO Search for Downtown Atlanta Inc.
June 16, 2026 – BoardWalk Consulting has been tapped by Downtown Atlanta Inc. (DAI) to lead in its search for a CEO. The search is being led by Sam Pettway, Crystal Stephens, and Patti Kish. The organization is seeking a leader who can help define what the next generation of Downtown Atlanta will become. This is a leadership opportunity of unusual scale and significance. Downtown is experiencing real momentum and catalytic investment. It is also confronting the realities facing many major urban centers: changing office patterns, public safety and quality-of-life concerns, visible homelessness, aging infrastructure, inactive ground floors, fragmented street life and the need to make downtown feel safe, active, livable and welcoming every day.
DAI seeks a strategist, convener, advocate, diplomat, resource builder, steward and civic champion. The successful candidate will inherit a platform with deep history, experienced staff, engaged board leadership, important public and private relationships, and a legacy of major civic impact. The charge now is to honor that legacy without being bound by it; to translate civic aspiration into action; and to inspire property owners, corporate leaders, elected officials, public agencies, philanthropic partners, neighborhood voices and anchor institutions to commit financial resources, political capital and operational support to a focused Downtown agenda.
Downtown Atlanta Inc. seeks a civic leader of exceptional caliber. The successful candidate will bring the presence, judgment and credibility to lead in rooms with CEOs, elected officials, developers, university presidents, philanthropists, neighborhood leaders, agency heads, residents and small-business owners – and the humility and stamina to understand what is happening on the street.
This person will be a builder of coalitions and a driver of results, according to the job specification. They will be politically sophisticated but not narrowly political; visionary but not abstract; diplomatic but not passive; optimistic but not naive. They will have the courage to say hard things clearly to City Hall, service providers, property owners, corporate leaders and sometimes the board, while maintaining the trust needed to move work forward.
Downtown Atlanta Inc. is the new public-facing identity for two established organizations, Central Atlanta Progress and Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and their related civic and place-based efforts. Together, these entities serve as the chief advocate, convener, steward and champion for Downtown Atlanta.
Related: BoardWalk Consulting Assists Trust for Public Land with CFO Search
BoardWalk Consulting, based in Atlanta, is a national executive search firm that recruits CEOs and senior leadership for mission-driven non-profit organizations. Founded in 2002, the firm leads executive searches for clients from across the non-profit sector with global, national, regional, and local missions. Many of the firm’s team members have previously served as non-profit executives, grant makers, and board leaders. BoardWalk Consulting is also an active partner in Panorama, the global network of independent executive search firms.
30-Year Search Veteran
BoardWalk Consulting was founded by Mr. Pettway, a 30-year search veteran. Over his career in executive search, he has worked with hundreds of board members and leadership teams with entities ranging from start-ups to mature multinationals in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Since founding BoardWalk in 2002, Mr. Pettway has served clients as varied as international relief agencies, national foundations, regional trade associations, and local agencies in dozens of markets.
BoardWalk Consulting Selected by Atlanta Ballet for Executive Director Search
BoardWalk Consulting was recently tapped by Atlanta Ballet to lead in its search for an executive director. The executive director will lead Atlanta Ballet’s administrative and business functions in alignment with the organization’s mission and values, while partnering closely with the artistic director and board of trustees. This next lead will guide the institution through a pivotal period of renewal, ensuring alignment between mission, strategy, resources, and long-term vision, particularly as the organization approaches its Centennial. They will lead the organization toward long-term financial stability through disciplined planning, budgeting, forecasting, and revenue strategy, with an emphasis on diversified funding sources.
Ms. Stephens is managing director and CEO. Over the past 13 years, Ms. Stephens has led many of the firm’s most complex and high-profile searches, earning the trust of such national organizations as Earthjustice, ACLU, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Trust for Public Land, and Year Up United. Her impact in Atlanta is evidenced in the leadership of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Gateway Center, and the Betty & Davis Fitzgerald Foundation. Ms. Stephens joined BoardWalk in 2012, bringing extensive sales, marketing, and recruiting experience with top-tier organizations such as IBM.
Ms. Kish, director of research, works closely with search consultants to develop and implement research strategies and proactively recruit senior level executives into non-profit leadership roles. Prior to joining BoardWalk Consulting in 2015, she led full life-cycle talent acquisition for a national search firm that specialized in C-suite executive search for consumer products organizations. She began her career with EDS (now HP) where she spent several years managing the entire talent acquisition organization for the southeast region. A career recruiter, Ms. Kish has placed CEOs, presidents, executive directors, and CFOs for organizations with national and global impact.
Related: BoardWalk Consulting Tapped By Greenpeace USA for Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
