Yellow Jackets Named Among Most Influential Georgians

Eleven Yellow Jackets are among Georgia Trend’s 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2025 for their efforts to create positive change throughout the state. Among the honorees, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was chosen as the “Georgian of the Year.”  

Brian Blake, EE 1994 – President, Georgia State University  

Georgia State is set to embark on a transformational period under Blake’s leadership. An $80 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation — the largest award in the university’s 111-year history — will fund nine projects designed to “reinvigorate and reimagine” the campus experience by creating a college town environment in downtown Atlanta.  

Ángel Cabrera, M.S. PSY 1993, Ph.D. PSY 1995 – President, Georgia Institute of Technology   

Under Cabrera’s leadership, the Institute welcomed the largest incoming class in its history in the fall, with 5,300 students, and is considered the nation’s fastest-growing public university. Georgia Tech contributed a record $5.3 billion to the state economy in the last fiscal year — the most of any institution in the University System of Georgia. Along with the College of Lifetime Learning’s 2024 launch, Cabrera announced a refresh of the Institute’s strategic plan, focusing on four “Big Bets” to expand its impact in the coming decade.    

Lisa Cupid, ME 2000 – Chair, Cobb County Board of Supervisors   

Entering her second term as chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, Cupid tells Georgia Trend that she hopes to broaden procurement opportunities for businesses owned by underrepresented groups, women, and service-disabled veterans in Cobb County. As the county continues to grow, her priorities are improving housing, public safety, and sustainability.   

Andre Dickens, ChE 1998 – Mayor, City of Atlanta – 2025 Georgian of the Year 

The mayor credits his time as a Yellow Jacket for preparing him for his career in public service. “It was rigorous, and I didn’t give up. There is never a day, even sitting in the mayor’s seat, that I’m like, ‘This is bigger than we can manage; the problem is too hard to solve.’” Income inequality and housing continue to top the first-term mayor’s priority list, along with improving public transportation. In 2024, Dickens won the Maynard H. Jackson Community Impact Award from 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.                                                                                                     

Roderick McLean, M.S. EE 1993 – Vice President and General Manager, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions, Lockheed Martin  

As the vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility and Maritime Missions division, McLean oversees 6,000 employees at three of the company’s primary aircraft production facilities. In 2024, his team delivered the 2,700th C-130 Hercules tactical airliner, which has been made in Marietta for 70 years. He serves on the Metro Atlanta Chamber Board of Directors and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council.    

Jannine Miller, MBA 2013 – Executive Director, SRTA, GRTA, and Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority  

Selected to lead the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, and the State Road and Tollway Authority in 2023, Miller has overseen the early stages of a $4 billion project to construct and operate 16 miles of express lanes on GA 400. Construction is slated to begin in the second half of 2025 and be completed in 2031.   

Valerie Montgomery Rice, Chem 1983 – President and Dean, Morehouse School of Medicine   

Rice has led the Morehouse School of Medicine for the past decade and recently secured the largest gift in the school’s history — a $175 million donation from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Rice is committed to the creation and advancement of health equity, and during her tenure, the number of Morehouse's M.D. candidates has doubled.    

Honorary Degrees:  

Ed Bastian, HON Ph.D. 2024 – CEO, Delta Airlines  

In the same year that the Delta CEO delivered the Commencement address to Georgia Tech undergraduates and was awarded an honorary degree from the Institute, Bastian won the Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics from the Bernstein Center for Leadership — exemplifying the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical decision-making.   

Raphael Bostic, HON Ph.D. 2022 – President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta  

Leading the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Bostic is responsible for its monetary policy, bank supervision and regulation, and payment services. He serves on the Federal Open Market Committee, the monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve System. 

James Quincey, HON Ph.D. 2020 – Chair and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company  

For his efforts to transform Coca-Cola into “a total beverage company” and continued work in the community, Quincey was awarded the 2024 Yale Legend in Leadership Award.    

Chris Womack, HON Ph.D. 2023 – President, CEO, and Chair, Southern Company  

In 2024, Southern Company completed its expansion project at Plant Vogtle, making it the nation's largest generator of clean energy. Responding to the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, the power company mobilized over 20,000 personnel across the country to restore power and critical infrastructure for customers. Womack was honored by the Anti-Defamation League for his work with the Metro Atlanta Chamber to address the city’s challenges.