ATLANTA — When Atlanta native Odie Donald II (B.A. ’03, MBA ’12) was playing Division I basketball, he never thought his career path would lead him to government service. Now, a little more than 18 months after becoming chief of staff to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (M.P.A. ’13), he said he couldn’t have written his life story any better.
As a child, Donald remembers his mother would come home from work and take him and his brother to her evening classes at Georgia State, where she earned a degree in criminal justice.
After graduating from Douglass High School in Atlanta, Donald was a 6-foot-8 basketball standout at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and then at Georgia State. But a series of knee injuries sidelined his playing career for good. After deciding to go in a different direction, but struggling to find his way in a tight job market, Donald launched his own marketing firm. For nearly a year and a half, it was tough to maintain a stable income.
“I was couch surfing and in between work,” Donald said. “At one point I was living in my car, staying with family and friends and having to tough it out.”
So, he focused on academics, returning to Georgia State to earn a B.A. in history in 2003. Eventually, he found his footing in government service, holding positions focused on workforce development with the City of Savannah, the District of Columbia and eventually serving as the county administrator of Augusta-Richmond County. He was also the City of South Fulton’s first city manager, where he was credited with eliminating a $25 million deficit while doubling revenues and setting the long-term direction of the city.
Now, as chief of staff for the City of Atlanta, Donald is responsible for providing advice and guidance to the mayor on a host of operational, legislative and policy issues. He has helped the city bolster its revenues, stabilize its workforce and navigate its direction post-COVID. Donald has also helped create the city’s first-ever Department of Labor, already creating more than 3,000 summer opportunities for young Atlantans in hopes of reducing crime and providing mentorship.
As part of the city’s Year of the Youth initiative, Donald is also responsible for granting scholarships to students who can’t afford to pursue a college degree or technical certification. Through the program, the city has donated approximately $44,000 to Atlanta youth in need.
Donald, who earned an Executive MBA from Georgia State in 2012, said he’s grateful his journey has come full circle and that he’s able to positively impact a community that helped influence his upbringing.
“There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t have a full-circle moment,” Donald said. “Growing up in Atlanta and now serving people who grew up like me is something I could only dream of.
“I encourage our team to deliver the highest level of service possible because I’ve been on the other side. I know what it feels like when they don’t.”
—Photo by Raven Schley