Seven AYSPS Alumni Among 100 Most Influential in Georgia

ATLANTA — Georgia Trend recently named Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS) alumnus Andre Dickens (M.P.A. ’13) the 2025 Georgian of the Year. With Dickens, a record six additional AYSPS alumni were named to the magazine’s annual Georgia 100, a list of the most influential and notable leaders across the state. This year they join Georgia State University President M. Brian Blake and Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

The 100 Most Influential Georgian honorees are acknowledged as leaders who make a positive impact on the state and “represent the best qualities the state has to offer.” The AYSPS alumni so honored are:

• Andre Dickens, Mayor of Atlanta
• Lisa Cupid (J.D./M.P.A. ’12), Chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners
• Greg Dozier (B.S. ’93, MBA ’03), Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia
• Jannine M. Miller (M.P.A. ’02), Executive Director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority

Those recognized as Notable Georgians have made significant impacts on the state over the years. The AYSPS alumni so honored are:

• Samir Abdullahi (M.P.P. ’10), Director of Select Fulton
• Ann L. Hanlon (M.P.A. ’04), Executive Director of Perimeter Community Improvement Districts
• Terreta Rodgers (M.P.A. ’95), Head of Community Affairs, Atlanta Region for Amazon

Ambassador Andrew Young, who was recognized by Georgia Trend as a “living legend” in 2023, was inducted into the magazine’s Most Influential Hall of Fame in 2003.

“We are immensely proud of our alumni being recognized among Georgia’s 100 Most Influential leaders,” Dean Thomas J. Vicino said. “Their contributions to public service, governance and innovation embody the mission of the Andrew Young School. This recognition underscores the transformative power of education in shaping leaders who positively impact our communities across the state of Georgia and beyond.”

Blake, the university’s eighth president, was honored for the record number of applications for admission to the fall 2023 class, exceeding $200 million in sponsored research and securing more than $55 million in public support for a new research tower.

Georgia Trend chooses its annual list of influential and notable Georgians after a multiple-month selection process. Its honorees are considered integral to helping Georgia residents through education, innovation, job creation and civic, business and nonprofit leadership.