Tuesday, Sep 12, 2023 7:00 PM

Location:
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
441 John Lewis Freedom Parkway, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30307

The Chattahoochee’s riverkeeper shares over twenty years of river conservation stories.

"For over a decade, Sally Bethea rocked the city with her fearless and principled leadership of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and insistence that the city and the people of Atlanta take notice, and then action, to correct pollution in the river. She taught me, and many others who were skeptical, the importance of civic advocacy in solving what seem like intractable problems. Sally offers the experience we need to preserve and protect the planet."—Shirley Franklin, former mayor of the City of Atlanta

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and A Cappella Books welcome author Sally Sierer Bethea for a discussion of her book, "Keeping the Chattahoochee: Reviving and Defending a Great Southern River." The author will appear in conversation with former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin.

This event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the venue. Masks are optional.

About the Book

Sally Sierer Bethea was one of the first women in America to become a “riverkeeper”—a vocal defender of a specific waterway who holds polluters accountable. In "Keeping the Chattahoochee," she tells stories that range from joyous and funny to frustrating—even alarming—to illustrate what it takes to save an endangered river. Her tales are triggered by the regular walks she takes through a forest to the Chattahoochee over the course of a year, finding solace and kinship in nature.

For two decades, Bethea worked to restore the neglected Chattahoochee, which provides drinking water and recreation to millions of people, habitat for wildlife, and water for industries and farms as it cuts through the heart of the Deep South. Pairing natural and political history with reflective writing, she draws readers into her watershed and her memories. Bethea’s passion for the natural world—and for defending it with a strong, informed voice animates this instructive memoir. Offering lessons on how to fight for our fundamental right to clean water, Bethea and her colleagues take on powerful corporate and government polluters. They strengthen environmental policies and educate children, reviving the great river from a century of misuse.

About the Author

Sally Sierer Bethea is the retired founding director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. She served as executive director and riverkeeper for two decades and continues to assist Chattahoochee Riverkeeper as a senior advisor. Bethea also publishes a monthly column, Above the Waterline, in Atlanta Intown. She lives and writes in midtown Atlanta.

About the Conversation Partner

Shirley Clarke Franklin is the former mayor of the City of Atlanta (2002-2010). She held key executive positions in the administrations of Mayor Maynard Jackson and Mayor Andrew Young and was responsible for the day to day operations and the development of public policy and strategy of the City of Atlanta prior to serving as mayor. Franklin’s executive experience includes 5 years with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and 10 years as Executive Chairman of Purpose Built Communities. Her business experience includes service on the Board of Directors of Delta Air Lines and the Mueller Water Products. As a board member, Franklin has served on the Compensation, Audit and Environment, Health and Safety Committees and participated in the strategic planning of the companies.

Two decades ago Franklin formed Clarke-Franklin & Associates, Inc., a management and strategy consulting company. Her clients have included non profit organizations, trade associations and corporations primarily in Georgia. To this work Franklin brings knowledge of and extensive experience as a leader and executive in the areas of strategic planning, project management and implementation, public policy, minority, female and small business enterprise, community engagement and government relations and communications. Starting her professional career as a entry level team member at the U S Department of Labor Office of Contract Compliance in the 1960’s, in subsequent years Franklin has led organizations to achieve recording setting minority and female business enterprise goals for the dozens of city of Atlanta projects,the Atlanta Committee of the Olympic Games and the Atlanta Streetcar. The program achievement levels have ranged from 20% to the mid 40% levels. During her term in
office as mayor the MFBE achievement levels on billions of dollars of water, parks and public work and airport design and construction projects routinely were at the 40% level setting national records for participation. These levels were achieved successfully with little to no controversy or legal entanglements.

Franklin’s civic engagement spans 5 decades, primarily in Atlanta and Georgia. Franklin served on the national board of the American Institute of Architects. Currently, Franklin serves on the boards of the CDC Foundation, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, National Association for Public Charter Schools and the Volcker Alliance.
Since her youth, Franklin has been involved in non-partisan and Democratic politics from community organizing to fundraising and political strategy. She served as the deputy campaign manager for the Andrew Young for Mayor Campaign and as the chair or as a member of the transition teams of Mayor Maynard Jackson, Mayor Andrew Young and Governor Roy Barnes. Franklin has held numerous Democratic National Committee positions including as one of four Vice Chairs of the historic 2008 Democratic Party Convention and the Co-Chair of the DNC Platform Committee in 2016.

Franklin is known for her integrity, management experience and collaborative approach to leadership.