As its members gather once again for dinner and dancing Feb. 22, this year’s winter gala of the Atlanta Council on International Relations carries special significance: recognizing the achievements of outgoing president Robert Kennedy.
Dr. Kennedy stepped down in January after a 10-year tenure at the helm of the 70-year-old organization, which focuses on the intersection of international affairs and global security issues.
Mark Pierson, well-known as a mainstay of Atlanta’s chamber of commerce and consular community, has taken over the role of president.
Mr. Pierson has served as a founder, board member or adviser to many of Atlanta’s binational chambers of commerce, and he has served on the board of directors and as diplomatic liaison for the council for many years, leading the organization’s Diplomatic Dialogue programs.
Holding a master’s of international economic affairs from the University of Kentucky, Mr. Pierson has led the university’s alumni club in Atlanta since 2018. His international experience includes stints as a student in India, a volunteer in Kenya and a teacher on U.S. Navy ships, including during the Iran hostage crisis. He also spent two years living in Bangkok and Hong Kong.
“I came to Atlanta in 1984 to be part of a rising international city, and it truly has become one of the great cities of the world. As president I will help ACIR to play an even more vital role Atlanta’s international community,” said Mr. Pierson in a news release.
The new president has put his stamp on many international organizations in Atlanta, having served as a trustee of Georgia Council for International Visitors, a founder of the Chilean-American Chamber and Netherlands-American chambers, and on the boards of the Australian and Indonesian chambers, as well as past president of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber, among other appointments.
ACIR, as it’s known, is an independent nonprofit but keeps close ties with Georgia Tech, whose Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and Center for International Business Education and Research are strategic partners.
The organization hosts monthly luncheons for members, often at the Capital City Club, in addition to the evening receptions with diplomats posted in Atlanta, the most recent of which featured Irish Consul General Frank Groome.
“Mark Pierson is the right person at the right time to lead this organization. We believe his strong leadership experience will help to focus the council’s efforts in meeting current and future challenges, and build on our past accomplishments,” Dr. Kennedy said in a release.
An accomplished scholar, Dr. Kennedy served more than 20 years as a professor at Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School and was chosen as professor emeritus upon his retirement. He holds a Ph.D. from Georgetown University. Among his many prior roles, he served as director of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany; deputy commandant at the NATO Defense College in Rome and Dwight D. Eisenhower Professor of National Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College.
Mr. Pierson can be reached at mpierson@atlantacir.org.
See upcoming programs and learn more about membership at www.atlantacir.org.
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