Those interacting with the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs regularly likely will not be surprised by his choice to lead the department.
Mayor Andre Dickens on Thursday officially installed Paulina Guzman, who has operated as the interim director for four months, as the office’s new director.
“Atlanta is an international city, and the Office of International & Immigrant Affairs is one of the most essential elements in maintaining our cultural and economic strength in the global community,” said Mayor Dickens in a news release. “This team needs strong leadership, which is what Paulina Guzman brings to this role. Her background in international affairs, knowledge and love for Atlanta makes her the ideal leader to help us continue to make this a city of opportunity for all.”
Ms. Guzman started at the office as global engagement officer in 2018, where she worked often on educational outreach initiatives, and moved up to deputy director in 2021. She then took up the post as interim in January when former director Vanessa Ibarra stepped down to spend more time with her son.
In 2023, the office hosted a foreign delegation on average every three days, totaling 120 from 55 countries, according to its annual report. Ms. Guzman was intimately involved in coordinating many of these visits. So far this year, the office has hosted 16 delegations, with one recent example being the Atlanta Phambili business delegation from South Africa led by U.S. Ambassador Reuben Brigety.
The office, which also handles Atlanta’s sister city relationships, recently participated in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of its tie-up with Lagos, Nigeria, which is being marked by an artist fellowship resulting in Nigerian works being displayed on the Atlanta Beltline.
On the immigrant affairs side, Ms. Guzman’s department was awarded $6.8 million from the United Way to support newly arriving migrants being brought to Atlanta from the southern U.S. border.
Before joining the city, Ms. Guzman was membership relations manager for the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. She serves as a board member of the Atlanta Global Studies Center External Advisory Board and Georgia State University Robinson College of Business International Advisory Board.
Ms. Guzman earned a Master of Science in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Economics from Georgia State University.
See the city’s full news release here
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