The Metro Atlanta Chamber, which represents more than 4,000 member companies that employ nearly one million workers in the region, today announced that Hala Moddelmog has been elected President by the MAC Executive Committee. She will take office on Jan. 6, 2014.

Moddelmog replaces Sam A. Williams who announced his retirement in June after 17 years as MAC President.

"I am honored to join the Metro Atlanta Chamber," said Moddelmog. "Atlanta is uniquely positioned for success with its diverse economy, global access, abundant talent and low costs of business and lifestyle. I am looking forward to joining my colleagues on the MAC team, our board members and volunteers, as we build on a strong foundation of excellence and success to create and retain jobs, foster growth and prosperity, and promote metro Atlanta as the premier place to live, work and play."

Moddelmog, a Georgia native, has extensive experience leading successful, high performance organizations. From 2010 to 2013, she served as Arby's Restaurant Group President where she led the divestiture from public company to private ownership in a deal valued at more than $400 million.

From 2006 to 2009, Moddelmog led Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the global grassroots network working to eradicate breast cancer, as president and chief executive officer. She was the first woman in corporate America to lead an international QSR brand (quick service restaurant) in 1995 when she was named president of Church's Chicken, a division of Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises at the time. She subsequently led Church's to record sales and profit performance.

Moddelmog was selected following an extensive search led by the MAC executive committee, with more than 250 individuals receiving consideration during the process.

"There is an abundance of leadership talent in the Atlanta region," said Paul Bowers, 2013 chair of the MAC board of directors and president and CEO of Georgia Power. "However, Hala's 33 years of leadership in the for- and non-profit sectors along with proven track records in marketing and brand management, fundraising and development and leading operations in franchise networks make her the ideal choice. Moreover, her passion for Atlanta and her 2 collaborative spirit make her uniquely qualified to build on past success to move the Metro Atlanta Chamber forward."

Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines and chair of the MAC board for 2014, said "Hala is an experienced business executive and a proven leader. As a Georgia native, she not only understands the region and the state, but her experience on both national and international stages will serve to continue positioning metro Atlanta in the global arena."

"Hala is an excellent choice to lead MAC into the future," said Sam A. Williams, MAC President. "She understands the critical nature of our work and has been a job creator her entire career. Even more important, Hala has a passion for our region has been an advocate on many issues critical to our success. I look forward to working with her during the transition."

Moddelmog has served on multiple boards: public, private, advisory and non-profit, including director of AMERIGROUP Corporation. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Georgia Southern University.

Moddelmog earned a M.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Georgia and a B.A. in English from Georgia Southern University. She has attended executive education programs atHarvard University and Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and has received the National Association of Corporate Directors' (NACD) certification.

The MAC Executive Committee also announced today that Cousins Properties Incorporated CEOLawrence L. "Larry" Gellerstedt III, has been named MAC's 2015 chair-elect and SunTrust Banks, Inc.'s Atlanta and Georgia Division President & CEO E. Jenner Wood III has been named 2016 chair-elect. Gellerstedt will follow Richard Anderson, president and CEO of Delta Air Lines, who officially takes the reins Dec. 3, 2013, as the incoming 2014 MAC chair. Each chair serves a one-year term.

"With this leadership team in place, MAC is ready to take on the challenges our region is facing in the next few years," added Bowers. "Larry Gellerstedt and Jenner Wood – leaders of Cousins Properties and SunTrust Banks, two landmark Atlanta brands with a storied history and imprint on our community – serving at the helm will ensure that MAC will continue fulfilling its mission of growing jobs and helping Atlanta thrive."