Atlanta, Georgia – Mayor Andre Dickens expressed heartfelt gratitude as he announced the upcoming departure of Chief of Staff Odie Donald, who will soon take on a new role as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Richmond, Virginia. Donald has been working for the Dickens administration since January 2022. He will formally leave his job in Atlanta on July 7, 2025.
As part of his job, Donald was a key player in the Mayor’s Office, giving advice on important policy decisions and serving as a key link between City Hall and both the public and private sectors in Atlanta. Donald was in charge of a number of important departments, including External Affairs, Cultural Affairs, and Diversity and Inclusion. He had a key role in defining the administration’s most high-profile projects.
Mayor Dickens said that Donald had done a lot of wonderful things, like helping to stop the Buckhead cityhood movement in 2022, which was a heated campaign that may have broken up Atlanta’s city limits. Dickens additionally elaborated on how Donald helped start the Department of Labor and Employment assistance in 2023. This department’s goal is to raise pay standards and provide job assistance for frontline workers…