Yellow Jackets Featured Among Most Influential Georgians

For their leadership across various industries and positive contributions to their communities, 12 Georgia Tech alumni are among Georgia Trend’s 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2026.  

Brian Blake, EE 1994 – President, Georgia State University   

Guided by his BluePrint to 2033, Blake recently announced that 16 of the plan’s 20 initiatives are underway, including work on the new Panther Quad and Campus Greenway expansion on the Atlanta campus. Georgia State recently received an $80 million donation from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation — the largest in the university’s history. 

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

Under Cabrera’s leadership, Georgia Tech has become the state's largest university. With record enrollment, campaign fundraising, and research expenditures, Tech is delivering on the president’s Big Bets strategy. A $100 million bequest from alumnus John Durstine in September 2025 is the largest in Tech history and will transform the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.  

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

First elected in 2020, the second-term chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners declared her “unwavering commitment to forward motion” in a 2025 address that highlighted economic growth, improving equity, and the expansion of critical resources in Cobb County.  

Andre Dickens, ChE 1998 – Mayor, City of Atlanta  

Reelected to a second term as Atlanta’s mayor, Dickens has led the city since 2021, establishing positive working relationships with state leadership, reducing violent crime rates, and building affordable housing. Under his leadership, the city achieved an AAA bond rating, the highest in the city’s history.  

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

McLean is the vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility and Maritime Missions division and site general manager of the company’s 5,000-employee Marietta facility. The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, built at the facility, was named the winner of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Georgia competition.   

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

Since 2023, Miller has led the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, and the State Road and Tollway Authority. Her team continues to work toward easing congestion around metro Atlanta, including 16 miles of planned express lanes on GA 400, expected to be completed in 2031. 

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

Rice has led the Morehouse School of Medicine since 2014, and under her leadership, the number of Morehouse's M.D. candidates has doubled. She has also worked to expand access to education with regional medical campuses in Albany and Columbus. In 2025, Rice was elected to the Georgia Power board of directors. 

Honorary:  

Ed Bastian, HON Ph.D. 2024 – CEO, Delta Air Lines   

As the CEO of metro Atlanta’s largest private employer, Bastian was named the 2025 Tony Jannus Award recipient by the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society.  The award is given annually to individuals who have made major and lasting contributions to the commercial aviation industry. 

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

As president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta since 2017, Bostic has beenresponsible for overseeing monetary policy, bank supervision, and payment services. He will retire at the end of his term in February.  He also 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   

After serving as Coca-Cola’s CEO since 2017, Quincey announced his intention to step down in December. He will remain with the beverage giant as its executive chairman after reshaping the company’s strategy and adding more than 10 billion-dollar brands during his tenure as CEO.  

Carole Tomé, HON Ph.D. 2025 – CEO, UPS 

In 2025, Tomé began leading the company through what she called the “most significant strategic shift in the company’s history,” while helping customers navigate the most“profound shift in trade policy in a century.” 

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

Womack leads the energy provider that serves over 9 million customers. In 2025, he was awarded the title of Georgia Trustee by the Georgia Historical Society — the highest honor the state can confer.