Cities Summit 2019

Josh is the CEO of Clarim Media where he oversees the overall strategic direction of the organization as well as works closely with the management teams of the individual portfolio companies to build scalable products and services.

Prior to Clarim, Josh served as CEO of Techonomy Media, which was sold to Clarim Holdings in 2018. At Techonomy, Josh spent 8 years driving sustainable business growth through strategic partnerships and new product development. He built Techonomy to be one of the leading media companies covering technology and it’s impact on business and society.

Josh holds a MBA from Boston University and a BA from Brandeis University.

Brian Kemp is a husband, father, businessman, and public servant. On November 6, 2018, he was elected as Georgia’s 83rd Governor, earning more votes than any gubernatorial candidate in state history.

Governor Kemp built his first business – Kemp Development and Construction Company – with a pick-up truck and a shovel. Over thirty years later, he is a successful entrepreneur with businesses and investments in banking, farming, timber, manufacturing, and real estate.

Kemp served on the Board of Suncrest Stone in Tifton, as a Founding Director of First Madison Bank, and on the St. Mary’s Hospital Board in Athens. From the backhoe to the Board Room, Governor Kemp understands how to successfully create jobs, grow companies, recruit start-ups, and make deals on the international stage while also providing opportunities for hundreds of hardworking Georgians.

Out of frustration with government, Brian Kemp ran for public office in the early 2000s.

In the State Senate, Kemp was instrumental in fighting to cut fees, taxes, and mandates on job creators and Georgia families. As Secretary of State, Kemp utilized technology and innovation to cut bureaucratic red tape, slash spending, and streamline government.

As Governor, Brian Kemp will fight to make Georgia #1 for small business through regulatory reform. He will ensure that all parts of our state – including rural Georgia – have opportunities to grow and thrive. Kemp will fundamentally reform state government, keep our families safe, and always put hardworking Georgians first.

Kemp, 55, is married to the former Marty Argo of Athens. They are the proud parents of three daughters – Jarrett, Lucy, and Amy Porter – and are active members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

Sally Librera is the Senior Vice President for Subways at MTA New York City Transit, where she leads North America’s largest rail transit operation.  Sally assumed the role in May of 2018, overseeing a team of 30,000 employees in the safe and efficient delivery of 24/7 train service through New York City – moving 5.6M riders over nearly 700 miles of track and 493 stations each day.  Sally manages all aspects of daily operations, strategic planning, and performance improvement initiatives for the organization.  She proudly leads a dedicated and talented Subways team that achieved a 40% reduction in systemwide train delays over the past year.

Prior to leading Subways, Sally served as the Vice President and Chief Officer for Staten Island Railway, as well as the Vice President and Chief Officer for Subways Operations Support, where she led key functions, including rail operations, customer service, employee safety, asset management, and workforce development.  Sally also held the position of Chief Officer, Operations Training, where she directed a team in the development and delivery of technical training across Subways disciplines.

Early in her career, Sally was a public high school math teacher at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School in San Francisco, and served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Portland, Oregon.  Sally earned Masters’ Degrees in Transportation Engineering and Urban Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and completed her undergraduate degree in Labor Relations at Cornell University.

Sally and her husband Jeff are the proud parents of three boys, ages 8, 10 and 12.

Barry Matherly was named CEO and President of Detroit’s brand new regional economic development organization, the Detroit Regional Partnership, in 2019. Matherly is responsible for designing the non-profit organization from the ground up, developing regional partnerships, and garnering community support in order to stimulate the economy throughout Southeast Michigan. In addition, Matherly is keeping the organization laser focused on marketing the opportunities to out-of-state and international companies to attract investments and jobs to the 11-county region.

For the past 25 years, Matherly has been gaining leadership experience and driving initiatives on a city, county, regional, and university level. He served as the past Chair of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest economic development association in the world. He is also a member of its Economic Development Research Partners thinktank. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and is an institute instructor.

Matherly completed his bachelor’s degree at James Madison University and holds a master’s degree from Virginia Tech University. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and a recipient of the Robert B. Cassell Leadership Award.

Past Experience & Education

• President and CEO, Greater Richmond Partnership
• Management, Fortune 500 Company
• Internship, United States Department of Commerce
• Bachelor’s Degree, James Madison University
• Master’s Degree, Virginia Tech University
• Economic Development Institute Graduate, University of Oklahoma

Notable Achievements & Community Involvement

• Executive Board, Economic Development Institute, University of Oklahoma
• Past Chairman of the Board, International Economic Development Council (IEDC)
• Instructor, Economic Development Institute, University of Oklahoma
• Designated as a Fellow Member and Honorary Life Member by IEDC
• Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum
• Robert B. Cassell Leadership Award Winner
• Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs, Alumni Hall of Fame 2019
• Named one of the 40 Leaders Under 40 (2002) by the Charlotte Business Journal
• Recognized as a North Carolina Main Street Champion

Lynn McBee is a seventh-generation Texan and Great, Great, Great, Great-Granddaughter of Emily Austin, sister to Stephen F. Austin, The Father of Texas.

She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.  She has worked as a biochemist and in business development with a privately held Biotech firm for 26 years.   In January of 2014 she was named the Chief Executive Officer of Young Women’s Preparatory Network.

Lynn is best known for her leadership roles in the Dallas community and for her philanthropic endeavors. Currently, she is Chairman of the Board of the Bridge Homeless Shelter; Chairman of the Board of The Dallas Opera; Chairman Emeritus and Life Member of the Board of the Visiting Nurse Association; Chairman of the Board of The Family Place Foundation; AT&T Performing Arts Center Board of Directors; The Salvation Army Board of Directors; The Trinity Park Conservancy Board;  The University of Texas College of Natural Sciences Board; Texas Ballet Theater Board of Governors; Dallas County Community College District Foundation Executive Board; Dedman College Executive Board at Southern Methodist University; the Dallas Women’s Foundation Advisory Board; Chi Omega Foundation National Trustee; Letot Center Foundation Trustee; Children’s Medical Center Foundation Trustee; Texas Historical Commission Board and the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum Board. She is past Chairman of the Board of The Arts Community Alliance (TACA), the Dallas Historical Society Board of Trustees and the Dallas Film Society.

Lynn is a member of The Crystal Charity Ball, Charter 100, Dallas Woman’s Club and the Sweetheart Ball.  She is also a past President and Ball Chairman for the Junior League of Dallas and past Ball Chairman of the Cattle Baron’s Ball.

Additionally she is a graduate of Leadership Dallas and was a 2006 finalist for the Texas Trailblazer Award.  The Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce named Lynn one of “Five Outstanding Young Dallasites” for 2007.  Additionally, she won a 2007 NorthStar award for her leadership and work with TACA. She also received the 2008 “Rising Star” award given out by The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. She was the “Honored Philanthropist” at the 2008 Children’s Cancer Fund Luncheon. She was given the Diamond Award for outstanding volunteer service in June of 2011 by RSVP Calendar. In the fall of 2011, she was honored at the Presbyterian Foundation Luncheon with an “Each Moment Matters” Award, Leadership Dallas Hero Award for their 35^th Anniversary and with the “Real Women, Real Girls “Award from the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. She recently received the Partners for Children Award from Community Partners of Dallas and was named one of the “Ten Best Dressed” Women of Dallas for her work in the Community by The Crystal Charity Ball. She was honored as “Woman of the Year” by Les Femme Du Monde in 2014 and the Fashion Group International awarded her with “Arts Patron of the Year” in the fall of 2016.  In the fall of 2017 she received the Association of Fundraising Professionals Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award and was also honored with the Texas Trailblazer Award for her work with The Family Place.

Lynn is an avid runner, a former oboist, and a classically trained pianist. Lynn loves going to the movies and attending film festivals, running, spinning, traveling, reading, and spending time with her nieces. She has been married to her husband Allan for 18 years.

Valarie J. McCall is the Chief of Communications, Government & International Affairs for the City of Cleveland and Mayor Frank G. Jackson. McCall serves as the Jackson administration’s primary liaison to local and state government, federal agencies and international organizations. She also oversees the administration’s appointments to internal and external boards and commissions, and helps implement the Mayor’s policies to promote regional growth and cooperation. McCall also oversees the City of Cleveland’s communications strategy, media relations and brand identity.

McCall is the Mayor’s primary representative to several national organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities and the National Black Caucus of Local and Elected Officials. She is also past chair of theAmerican Public Transit Association’s Executive Committee (board member emeritus).

McCall serves on the board of several Cleveland-based organizations including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame andMuseum, Destination Cleveland, The Downtown Cleveland Improvement District, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Global Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and was the City lead for the 2016 Republican National Convention Host Committee. She is also on the board of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and served as the first African American female president – with a second term as chair in 2019. She was also a member of the 2014 GayGames Cleveland host committee.

McCall serves as the Jackson administration’s representative to the Ohio Municipal League, Cuyahoga County Mayor’s &Managers Association and the Northeast Ohio Mayors & Managers Association. She is also a member of the MaxineGoodman Levin College of Urban Affairs Visiting Committee, a former member of the Cleveland State University Center forNonprofit Policy & Practice advisory board and is a current member of the Cleveland State University (CSU) Center forPopulation Dynamics.

In addition to her domestic responsibilities, McCall represents the Jackson administration and the City of Cleveland overseas, including many of Cleveland’s sister cities. She is as a former panel member at the United Nations International Development Organization’s Conference on Urban Agglomerations and a former member of the Rouen Business School International Panel. McCall has traveled to Europe, meeting with leaders in the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece,Belgium, and Italy. She has also represented Cleveland in China and Japan. She is an American Council of Young PoliticalLeaders Fellow and an American Marshall Fellow.

Prior to her roles in the Jackson administration, McCall served as Cleveland City Council’s youngest City Clerk and Clerk of Council. As its chief administrative officer, she streamlined the legislation process, installed a strong management team and increased the efficiency of office operations.

McCall is also the City’s former Director of the Empowerment Zone, overseeing a more than $200 million budget. She successfully supervised the distribution of funds for job training and placement programs, as well as direct lending programs to assist neighborhood businesses.

McCall is a recipient of numerous accolades including the prestigious Cleveland State University Alumni Emerging Leadership Award, Ebony Magazine Young Leader of the Future award, Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 under 40 award, Kaleidoscope Magazines 40/40 Club, Rotary Club of Cleveland International Service award, Lifetime Achievement award from the Liberia Economic Development Initiative, U.S. Secret Service Appreciation award, Cleveland State University Young Public Administrator of the Year award, Smart Business Magazine Progressive Woman award, the Sales & Marketing Executives Distinguished Marketing and Sales award, and the Conference of Minority Transportation ‘Women Who Move the Nation’ award. She is also a member of the ‘Best Leadership Cleveland Class Ever’ and is theWoman of Color Foundation’s “STAR” Professional Woman of the Year.

McCall is the former host of “Government Affairs: A Closer Look” a public affairs television show about local community issues. She served as chairwoman of Mayor Jackson’s 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 inaugural committees, overseeing all planning aspects of the inaugural activities and ceremonies.

McCall held several jobs early in her career which helped prepare her for future positions. Her first was at McDonald’s where she learned the value of customer service, leadership, punctuality and preparedness.

McCall is a native Clevelander and a graduate of Martin Luther King Law & Public Services Magnet High School. Sheholds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University.The university awarded her with an honorary doctor of public service degree honoris causa (with all rights, privileges and honors).

McCall resides in the beautiful city of Cleveland, Ohio, USA with her dogs Kapono and Barack.

John J. (“Jay”) Neely, III currently serves as Vice President, Law & Public Affairs for Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. His Law responsibilities include management of the Legal Department, its lawyers and other personnel, and his Public Affairs responsibilities include management of State and Local Government Affairs and Community Relations.

Before joining Gulfstream in 1999, Neely was an attorney in the Atlanta office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP. He served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Dudley H. Bowen, Jr., U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia, Augusta.

Neely received a J.D. in 1992 from the University of Georgia School of Law, and a B.S. in 1989 from Vanderbilt University. He has been married to Courtney Parks Neely since 1993, and they have two children – Laura and John. He and his family attend the Community Bible Church.

Neely serves as Chairman, Georgia Department of Economic Development Board of Directors, and on the boards of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Telfair Museums Board of Trustees and the Savannah Area Chamber Board of Directors’ Executive Committee. He is the former past Chairman of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. In 2018, Neely was appointed by the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia to serve on the Search Committee for a new President of Georgia Southern University (over 18,000 students; third largest in Georgia). He has served on the Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees, as the Leadership Georgia Chairman of Selections and as President, Leadership Savannah Board of Directors.

Jean-Marc Pailhol has been named as Head of Allianz Global business partnerships as of June 1, 2019.

He began his career in 1989 at the “Banque Populaire Group” in which he worked for 15 years. After 3 years as Marketing Director, he joined the “internal audit department”. He was then appointed Strategy and Development Director for the South West region, before becoming in 2001, Retail Banking Group Director, responsible for the strategy and development of the Private individual sector.

Jean-Marc joined the Group La Poste, French postal operator in 2004, first as Commercial and Marketing Director for the financial services. He directly contributed to the creation of “La Banque Postale” the first French retail Bank, and became in 2006 Director of the Global Banking Activities of the Group La Poste.

In 2008 he joined Corporate Values Associates in Paris as Partner. Jean-Marc led the FSI team for Europe, MENA and Africa.

From 2009 to 2015 Jean-Marc was a Member of the Board of Management of Allianz France as Head of Distribution and Head of Corporate, Midcorp and Commercial business.

In 2016 he was appointed as Head of Group Market Management and Distribution in Allianz SE in charge of Brand, Partnerships, Strategic Marketing and Distribution optimization for the Group Allianz.

He is well-known as an expert in Innovation, Marketing, Branding and Partnerships activation (he has negotiated and signed for Allianz the global deal with the IOC) and Retail distribution strategy and networks optimization in the financial sector.

Jean-Marc is Master of law and political science and a graduate from the French Business School ESSEC. He was awarded the “Legion d´honneur” by Emmanuel Macron in 2018.

John started his career in international logistics with United States Lines in 1984.

In 1988, he went to work for Maersk Line, the largest container shipping company in the world, where he held numerous management positions throughout the US in sales, line management, and operations.

He joined the Georgia Ports Authority as General Manager of Trade Development in 2006, with responsibility for ocean carrier and cargo sales and overseeing the US domestic and international sales staff.

In April 2010, he was named Director of Business Development and in March of 2019, International Marketing was added to his duties.

John is a graduate of Leadership Southeast Georgia, a member of the Propeller Club of Savannah, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of World Trade Center Savannah as Vice-Chairman.  He is also on the Steering Committee for the Georgia Logistics Summit, and is past Program Chair for the Georgia Foreign Trade conference.

A native of New Jersey, John graduated from Rutgers University. He has four children, and resides in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

As founding director of the Transit Tech Lab, Natalia works with technology innovators and leaders at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to help shape the future of transit in New York City. She joined the Transit Tech Lab from Parity Partners where she built the Parity Professional Program (P3), an organization of over 500 women in venture capital, private equity and technology across London, New York and San Francisco.

Previously, Natalia worked at Socialatom Ventures as head of platform and Government Affairs in Latin America. In that role she collaborated with governments across Latin America to develop policy and projects that created economic development for the region. Before that, she served as an analyst to the CFO of Citigroup in New York.

She is interested in ways to leverage technology as a tool that promotes access and equity. Natalia is a graduate of Columbia University and originally from Los Angeles, California, and Bogota, Colombia. She is based in New York City.

Steve helps clients accelerate their growth by leveraging analytics, digital, and agile execution to improve performance. He works with clients across sectors, with a focus on manufacturers, wholesalers, and logistics providers. In addition to his client work, he serves as managing partner for our Atlanta office.

Steve has particular expertise in helping organizations with large sales forces grow above the market by developing advanced analytics capabilities and transforming organizations. As a leader of the firm’s implementation capability for sales and marketing, he also helps clients execute and embed commercial changes across decentralized organizations.

Examples of his recent client work include the following:

• Leading a multiyear commercial transformation for a global distributor, delivering more than $500 million of incremental operating profit.
• Turning around a declining segment for a leading industrial company, delivering double-digit growth.
• Optimizing pricing and sales effectiveness for a logistics provider, expanding margins by more than 100 basis points while doubling volume growth.
• Helping a global industrial company optimize customer service, improving customer satisfaction while delivering cost savings.
• Leading portfolio optimization for a global manufacturer, resulting in multiple divestitures and acquisitions that helped move the company from bottom to top quartile shareholder returns.

In addition to his client work, Steve is active in the Atlanta community, serving on the executive committee and board of Directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce as well as Central Atlanta Progress.

Juliet currently serves as CEO for media brand Worth, responsible for leading its transformation from a print magazine to a content platform that focuses on ‘Worth beyond Wealth’ and inspires and informs an affluent, influential and successful community of individuals to be their best selves.

Juliet began her career as a management consultant, learning to code at IBM Business Consulting Services, before focusing on business strategy and organizational change, working with clients to solve complex business problems across a variety of sectors through the use of technology.

Her experience in this area took her to a role at Boxwood (now KPMG) where she worked as a senior consultant in strategy and business change, with a focus on the media and technology sector. After working as a consultant with Guardian News & Media on its print to digital strategy, in 2012 she was confirmed in a permanent role to lead strategy and operations for the Guardian Media Group’s commercial division based in London.

Juliet joined the Guardian’s executive committee in 2015 and, as chief delivery officer; was responsible for the strategic implementation of the global three year turnaround plan and subsequent transformation and growth for the Guardian’s US operation, relocating to New York in 2016.

She lives in Westchester with her husband and son, is a keen runner, yogi, and skier.

Mayor Todd Strange, City of Montgomery, Ala. was elected the 56th mayor of the city on March 10, 2009, and was sworn in on March 23, 2009.

Strange graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama and received a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Montevallo.

Prior to becoming mayor, Strange served as chairman of the Montgomery (Alabama) County Commission for nearly five years. He also served as former president, CEO and co-owner of Blount Strange Automotive Group where he managed hundreds of employees.

As former director of the Alabama Development of Commerce (formerly known as the Alabama Development Office), Strange collaborated efforts that brought major industries to Alabama, including the Hyundai Manufacturing Facility in Montgomery. He also served as former senior vice president of Administration, Blount International, Ltds., former president and CEO, Blount Development Corporation and several management roles with South Central Bell Company (now AT&T).

Strange’s extensive involvement in the community includes former chairman of the Capital City Club, former chair of Leadership Alabama and continues to serve on the Board and chairman of the Board of Trustees at University of Montevallo. He was also former chairman of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association, former president and campaign chairman for Montgomery Area United Way, former chairman of the Board of Directors for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Committee of 100, former president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation, former chairman of the Montgomery’s Riverfront Development Committee, and former President of Montgomery Kiwanis Club and Alabama National Fair. He also serves on the Executive Committee for the Alabama League of Municipalities.

Strange has received numerous awards and honors for his visionary and progressive leadership. His awards include Business and Professional Women Boss of the Year, March of Dimes’ River Region Citizen of the Year, AUM Outstanding Community Leader Award, and Time Magazine’s Quality Dealer Award for Alabama, as well as Alabama Director of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 2016 Public Service Award, Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Award, Alabama State Council on the Arts’ Legacy Award and Alabama Library Association Public Servant Award.

He is married to the former Linda Davis. They have two daughters, Jennifer Strange Crumpton and Elizabeth Strange Whitehead.

Aarti Tandon is the Co-Founder and CEO of Smart City Expo Atlanta (SCATL), the only U.S. edition of Smart City Expo World Congress from Fira Barcelona. SCATL is redefining what it means for a city to be “smart” with equity, prosperity, humanity, inclusion, and justice serving on par with blockchain, A.I., IoT, big data, and automation. SCATL focuses on social and economic mobility in addition to autonomous, shared, and electric mobility, intelligent infrastructure through the lens of social and equitable infrastructure, and the power of human and social capital in addition to venture capital.

Tandon served as the Executive Director of Smart Cities New York from 2017-2019 where she curated presidents, ministers, mayors, NGOs, CEOs, and top industry leaders for audiences of 2000+ people to harness the $1.6 trillion global smart city marketplace in an equitable and sustainable manner.

Tandon’s work is informed by her decades-long commitment to bringing diverse stakeholders together around social impact, criminal justice, and creating more inclusive economies. She spent over a decade representing clients ranging from Grammy nominated artists to emerging songwriters, filmmakers, publishers, producers, and more. She has overseen the tours of the world’s most famous Bollywood stars and organized high-level sports and entertainment delegations for the U.S. State Department in advance of the 2014 World Cup. She has consulted for new media platforms such as The Players’ Tribune, served as the Interim Executive Director of Blue Sphere Foundation, and served as a content producer of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers event for Empire Entertainment.

Having successfully campaigned President George W. Bush for the early release of a singer/songwriter serving time in prison – one of only 11 Commutations granted during President Bush’s eight years in office – Tandon is deeply committed to helping organizations use sports and entertainment platforms to advance social and criminal justice issues.

She is a Producer of Catching the Sun, a feature documentary on solar energy executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier, released by Netflix on Earth Day 2016. She is also a Co-Executive Producer of The Uncondemned, a feature documentary released by Abramorama in October 2016 about the historic Akayesu case and first ever conviction of rape as a crime of war. The film, supported by Global Citizen and other worldwide organizations, includes the title track, Smile, by Maya Jupiter and Grammy-nominated musician, Aloe Blacc. Most recently, she served as a Co-Producer of the feature documentary, Survivors Guide to Prison, executive produced by Susan Sarandon, Gina Belafonte, Adrian Grenier, and others committed to criminal justice issues.

Tandon is member of the Blockchain Commission for Sustainable Development, a member of the Leadership Council of Blue Sphere Foundation, and a board member of Project Liberation. She is a graduate of Emory University (B.A., International Studies) and the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law (J.D.).