Andre Dickens
61st mayor of Atlanta
Assumed office
January 3, 2022
Preceded byKeisha Lance Bottoms
Member of the Atlanta City Council
from the at-large district
Post 3
In office
January 6, 2014 – January 3, 2022
Preceded byLamar Willis
Succeeded byKeisha Lance Bottoms
Personal details
Born
Andre Peter Dickens

(1974-06-17) June 17, 1974
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationGeorgia Institute of Technology (BS)
Georgia State University (MPA)
Signature
WebsiteGovernment website

Andre Peter Dickens (born June 17, 1974)[1] is an American politician and nonprofit executive who is the 61st and current mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.[2][3] He was a member of the Atlanta City Council and defeated council president Felicia Moore in the second round of Atlanta's 2021 mayoral election. He is the chief development officer at TechBridge, a nonprofit technology organization.[2] He served as the chairperson of the transportation committee and chaired on the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee.[4]

Personal life

Mayor Andre Dickens was the chief development officer for Tech Bridge; this non-profit offers affordable technology and business expertise to other nonprofits in underserved areas. In 2018, Dickens co-founded a Technology Career Program for the unemployed to be able to learn new tech skills and other IT training to take advantage of the booming tech jobs market. Mayor Andre Dickens also serves on the Georgia Tech Alumni Board, the Alumnus Leadership Atlanta, Diversity Leadership Atlanta, United Way VI, and Regional Leadership Institute. Dickens is also a Brother of Kappa Alpha Psi that he joined when attending Georgia Tech.[5]

Dickens is a deacon at the New Horizon Baptist Church in Northwest Atlanta. He has one daughter, Bailey.[6]

Early life and education

Dickens was born on June 17, 1974, in Atlanta. Raised by his mother Sylvia Dickens and stepfather who adopted him and his other two siblings at the age of 7.[7] While spending time with his step-father they often bonded over taking things apart and rebuilding them which birthed Dickens' passion for engineering.[8] He grew up in Southwest Atlanta, and attended Benjamin Elijah Mays High School[6] before enrolling at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he received his degree in Chemical Engineering in 1998.[9][10] Dickens received his Master's of Public Administration in Economic Development from Georgia State University.[11]

Early career

While enrolled at Georgia Tech, Andre Dickens began his professional career in 1994 as a part-time chemical engineer for BP-Amoco.[12] Immediately after getting his degree, the position at BP-Amoco became full-time. In 1999, Dickens was employed at DSM Engineering and Plastics where he was a sales engineer.[13] As a sales engineer, his contribution to the company were recognized as he was named the first Black salesman of the year.[14] After his time spent as a sales engineer at twenty-eight years old Dickens alongside his older sister co-founded City-Living Home Furnishing. The furnishing company was around for nine years from 2002 to 2011 and became a multi-million dollar business in only two locations. Unfortunately due to the housing crisis Dickens was unable to keep the company alive and in 2010 he filed for Chapter Seven bankruptcy.[14]

In 2013 Andre Dickens, was elected as an at-large City Council member. From 2014 to 2021 he mainly advocated for the improvement of Atlanta's public safety, the need for affordable housing, having programs for citizens, and creating more opportunities to students in Atlanta's Public School system.[15] One of his most important contributions to the city while on City Council was his sponsorship of legislation that made the minimum wage for city employees fifteen dollars an hour.[16] In addition to changing the minimum wage he created the Department of Transportation, the BeltLine Inclusionary Zoning which increased affordable housing in the area, and the Atlanta Youth Commission.[15]

Mayor of Atlanta

Dickens (fourth from right) and other newly elected mayors meet with President Joe Biden in December 2021

On February 25, 2022, Dickens lifted the indoor COVID-19 mask mandate in Atlanta, ending a near 2 year restriction on restaurants, hotels, and other venues.[17]

During his first year in office, Mayor Andre Dickens made one of Atlanta's largest-ever, single-housing investments, committing more than $100 million to new and updated housing. The Dickens administration continues to partner with and leverage tools such as inclusionary zoning to assist with this investment. In order to offer affordable housing alongside increasing interest rates, new developments in areas with major public interest such as Westside Park and the BeltLine will take precedence.[18]

Secretary of State Tony Blinken with Mayor Dickens in May 2023

Mayor Dickens' early accomplishments in office include the city's first-ever investment in early childhood education and the creation of a Nightlife Division to combat establishments with a history of violent crime.[18]

During Mayor Dickens' term, over $13 million in funding has been set aside to combat homelessness, with the help of the LIFT 2.0 homeless response plan. By the end of 2024, the City hopes to achieve its goal of providing 1,500 housing placements for impoverished families by collaborating with local government, corporations, nonprofits, and community members.[18]

In October 2022, Mayor Andre Dickens appointed Darin Schierbaum as Atlanta’s 26th Chief of Atlanta Police Department[19]

Dickens has supported the city's funding the construction of a controversial police and fire department training center, dubbed "Cop City" by environmentalists and community activists.[20] As of September 2023 activists had turned in more than 116,000 signatures in an effort to get a referendum on the ballot regarding the future of the planned training facility.[21] On 9/29/2023 Dickens’ administration posted all 116k unredacted signatures, essentially doxxing his own constituents.[22]

Electoral history

2021 Atlanta mayoral election[23][24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Felicia Moore 39,202 40.8
Nonpartisan Andre Dickens 22,153 23.0
Nonpartisan Kasim Reed 21,541 22.4
Nonpartisan Sharon Gay 6,578 6.8
Nonpartisan Antonio Brown 4,544 4.7
Nonpartisan Kenneth Hill 538 0.6
Nonpartisan Rebecca King 372 0.4
Nonpartisan Mark Hammad 343 0.4
Nonpartisan Kirsten Dunn 267 0.3
Nonpartisan Walter Reeves 162 0.2
Nonpartisan Glenn Wrightson 150 0.2
Nonpartisan Richard Wright 138 0.1
Nonpartisan Nolan English 98 0.1
Nonpartisan Roosevelt Searles III 72 0.1
Total votes 96,158 100.00

A member of the Democratic party, Andre Dickens first served for the Atlanta city council in 2013. In 2017, as an incumbent he ran unopposed in the general election for the At-Large Post 3 seat for city council.[25] After two terms on city council, Andre ran for mayor of Atlanta. Throughout his campaign he captured numerous endorsements ranging from state senators to local influential leaders in the community.[26] Dickens captured 23% of the vote in the general election to edge Kasim Reed for the second spot in the runoff race. Although Dickens did not win the 2021 Atlanta mayoral primary election (coming in second place), he won the following runoff election by a wide margin.[27]

2021 Atlanta mayoral election runoff
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Andre Dickens 50,071 63.7
Nonpartisan Felicia Moore 28,572 36.3
Total votes 78,643 100.00

References

  1. ↑ "Council Member Andre Dickens Elected Mayor of Atlanta". Politico. Associated Press. November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Fausset, Richard (November 30, 2021). "Andre Dickens, a Veteran City Council Member, Is Elected Mayor of Atlanta". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Gowins, Max (November 30, 2021). "Election Results: Atlanta Mayoral Runoff and a Massachusetts State House Special". Decision Desk HQ. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  4. ↑ "About". Andre Dickens. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ "About". Andre Dickens. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Wheatley, Thomas; Hurt, Emma (December 2, 2021). "Everything you wanted to know about Andre Dickens". Axios. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ Staff, WSBTV com News (December 4, 2021). "Coincidence? The last three mayors Atlanta has elected had mothers named Sylvia". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Andre Dickens: Mayoral election is for the 'soul of Atlanta'". ajc. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Chemical Engineering Alumnus Sworn In to Atlanta City Council". Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Georgia Tech. January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  10. ↑ Schilling, Erin (December 6, 2021). "Dickens' background in technology could propel tech sector's growth, leaders say". Atlanta Business Chronicle. American City Business Journals. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Inauguration Day: Andre Dickens officially sworn in as Atlanta's 61st mayor". WSB. Cox Media Group. January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Andre Dickens's schedule for SouthWiRED 2014". southwired2014.sched.com. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Andre Dickens's schedule for SouthWiRED 2014". southwired2014.sched.com. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Meet the Mayor | Atlanta, GA". www.atlantaga.gov. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Meet the Mayor | Atlanta, GA". www.atlantaga.gov. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  16. ↑ "About". Andre Dickens. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens ends city's indoor mask mandate". AJC. Cox Enterprises. March 5, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  18. 1 2 3 "Meet the Mayor | Atlanta, GA". www.atlantaga.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Press Releases | Atlanta, GA". www.atlantaga.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Atlanta City Council Approves Legislation For Controversial 'Cop City' Funding". Yahoo News. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  21. ↑ DeRienzo, Rob (September 11, 2023). "'Stop Cop City' activists turn in petition signatures to force vote on Atlanta's public safety training center". Fox.
  22. ↑ Ripley, Joe (August 29, 2023). "Outcry among Atlanta Public Safety Training Center referendum organizers after personal info posted with petitions". 11Alive.
  23. ↑ "2021 Atlanta Mayoral race results". WAGA-TV. November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  24. ↑ "2021 Atlanta Municipal Election Results". WABE. Associated Press. November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Andre Dickens". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Endorsements". Andre Dickens. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  27. ↑ "2021 Atlanta Municipal Election Results". WABE. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.