ATLANTA – Longtime activist and civic leader Ingrid Saunders Jones is retiring from Coca-Cola after 30 years of notable service with the company, officials announced this week.
Jones, senior vice president of Global Community Connections and chair of the Coca-Cola Foundation, will retire on June 1. Former Atlanta City Council president and Grady Health Foundation president Lisa Borders will assume both roles, effective May 1.As a testament to her longtime leadership, Jones has received many honors from organizations ranging from the National Urban League and the Jackie Robinson Foundation to the Executive Leadership Council, National Women’s Research Alliance and the YWCA of Atlanta, officials said.
Under her leadership, officials said, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded more than $500 million to thousands of community organizations worldwide.
Her community and leadership accomplishments include chairing several notable national and local organizations, such as the United Way of Metro Atlanta, the Woodruff Arts Center, National Black Arts Festival, and The Carter Center Board of Advisors.
She also serves or has served on the board of Clark Atlanta University, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Ohio State University President’s Council on Women, Girl Scouts of the USA, The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation.
“Ingrid’s contributions to our company and the communities we serve worldwide cannot be overstated,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company. “Simply put, she has been the heart and soul of Coca-Cola in the community for three decades.
Jones, who also chairs the National Council of Negro Women, said she is proud to have served the Atlanta and global communities for more than three decades.
“Over the past 30 years, I have been grateful to work for a company that commits the talent and time of its employees and its philanthropic dollars to issues and organizations that empower and enhance the lives of others,” she said.
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By Kalin Thomas
Special to the NNPA from The Atlanta Voice