Shirley Franklin

From Freepedia

Shirley Clarke Franklin (born May 10 1945) is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the current mayor of Atlanta, Georgia since January 7 2002. The 58th mayor of Atlanta, she was the first female to hold the post and became the first black woman to be elected mayor of any major southern city. Franklin is the fourth black mayor of Atlanta, the latest in a line of African-American mayors that stretches back to 1973.

Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Franklin received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Howard University, and earned her master of arts degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Her election as mayor was her first ever run for public office, but she had previously served as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for Mayor Maynard Jackson and was subsequently named Chief Administrative Officer and City Manager for Mayor Andrew Young. Franklin succeeded Bill Campbell after winning the 2001 city-wide election with 50% of the vote, defeating several candidates including Democrat Rob Pitts who received 33%.

In 2005, Franklin was named one of the five best big-city American mayors by TIME Magazine (Press Release). On July 4th, she also ran in Atlanta's Peachtree Road Race for the third time.