The 2012 MS Leadership Class Honorary Chairman is long-time Atlanta business leader Tom Bell.
|
Bell currently serves as Chairman of Mesa Capital Partners, a real estate investment company organized to pursue distressed real estate investment in the wake of the recession. Prior to Mesa Capital Partners, Bell retired as Chairman and CEO of Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) in July 2009. During his tenure at Cousins Properties, he was named Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Executive Committee in January 2001, President and CEO in January 2002, and Chairman of the Board in December 2006. During his 40 year career, Bell has developed a wealth of experience in corporate management, governance and leadership in both the public and private sector. Prior to his work at Cousins, he spent 10 years at Young & Rubicam Inc. (NYSE: YNR), a global advertising and marketing communications firm, retiring as Chairman and CEO when it merged with WPP. |
|
Currently, Bell serves on the boards of Regal Entertainment Group, AGL Resources Inc., Norfolk Southern Corporation, Emory University, Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also served as the 2005 Chairman for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the 2010-2011 Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he presently serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee.
“We are honored Tom Bell has accepted the invitation to be the 2012 MS Leadership Class Honorary Chairman,” said Roy Rangel, President of the Georgia Chapter. “This leadership program is a great opportunity for participants to work hard toward a cause while also learning valuable business lessons. With Mr. Bell’s involvement, we can be sure another group of men and women will move forward as outstanding leaders in our community.”
The purpose of the 2012 MS Leadership Class is to partner with well known and highly respected members of the business community and provide an opportunity for leaders to support the National MS Society. Class leaders will raise awareness of and funds for Multiple Sclerosis research. The leadership’s engine is the talent the class will unleash to fuel creativity and innovation in support of the organization’s mission. Additionally, each member will engage in and develop new professional networking opportunities.
Class graduates will be honored with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s coveted MS Leadership Award, an honor reserved for a distinguished group of men and women aspiring to greater achievements in their field and making significant contributions in their community. Graduates also receive prominent recognition in the Atlanta Business Chronicle at the completion of their commitment.
The National MS Society has seen dramatic shifts in the fundraising and nonprofit marketing landscapes. The introduction of social media, mobile fundraising and popular digital mediums have shifted the way the world communicates, interacts and gives to charity. “We believe that the MS Leadership Class provides a unique and personal opportunity for business men and women to receive “how-to” training essential for success and advancement to leadership roles in their businesses and community,” said Bill Holley, Partner at Parker, Hudson, Rainer, Dobbs Law Firm and Board Chair for the Georgia Chapter.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society - Georgia Chapter:
Multiple sclerosis stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. The National MS Society believes that moving is not just something you can or can’t do, but rather who you are. This is why we
sponsor events like Bike MS and Walk MS — to raise funding for the care and research needed to keep people with MS moving — while moving the world closer to a future free of MS.
All funds for this work are raised privately. Along with hundreds of volunteers, the Chapter raises more than $3 million annually from events such as the Bike MS: Cox Atlanta Ride, the Bike MS: Deloitte Atlanta to Athens Ride, and the Walk MS series throughout the state. The funds support a wide range of programs and services and national research to stop MS. Eighty-five cents of every dollar raised goes directly to local programs and research. The Georgia Chapter helps clients through direct financial assistance, respite care, transportation, MS centers, self-help groups and peer counseling, community information and referrals, education, chapter publications, and recreational and social programs. On the healthcare front, the Georgia Chapter conducts in-service training for healthcare professionals to advance their knowledge of MS.