GA Trend releases its Atlanta-dominated annual list of 100 Most Influential Georgians (Marietta: appointed, live)

[Born 2 Roll]

Norcross-based Georgia Trend magazine has released its annual list of "100 Most Influential Georgians."

Despite being named "Georgia Trend," the publication is very (if not almost exclusively) Atlanta-centric in its magazine coverage.

Of course, like almost anything and everything else in urban Georgia, the list is almost completely dominated by metro Atlanta figures.

Of the list of 100 Georgians recognized for their level of influence on public life in the state, 72 are from metro Atlanta.

100 Most Influential Georgians: Visionary Forces (Georgia Trend magazine)


Georgia Trend also supplements its annual list of 100 Most Influential Georgians with a "Notable Georgians" list of least 50 more figures who have made an impact on the lives of Georgia residents.

This year Georgia Trend included 51 people on its Notable Georgians list, 40 of which are from metro Atlanta.

2020 Notable Georgians (Georgia Trend magazine)

[markjames68]

Surprised Kelly Loeffler isn’t on the list. I know she won’t be sworn in until tomorrow but with her business, sport and now political influence I’d have thought she would be listed.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by markjames68

Surprised Kelly Loeffler isn’t on the list. I know she won’t be sworn in until tomorrow but with her business, sport and now political influence I’d have thought she would be listed.

That's a good point about Georgia's newly-appointed junior U.S. senator, Kelly Loeffler.

I guess that they probably must be thinking that the jury is still out (way out) on Loeffler, with her basically having to survive through at least 3 bruising election cycles (the special election jungle primary in November 2020, a GOP primary in early-mid 2022 and the November 2022 general election) and possibly 2 runoffs to win election to a full 6-year term in Johnny Isakson's U.S. Senate seat.

If Loeffler can survive that beyond-brutal gauntlet of multiple election campaigns and savage political attacks from both her right and her left over the next 22-24 months, then more onlookers and observers (like a Georgia Trend magazine, etc.) likely may be willing to recognize her as an influential Georgian in public life.

Some observers potentially might also be hesitant to recognize Loeffler as an influential Georgian because there is a very strong perception (whether rightfully or wrongfully) that she has basically purchased that U.S. Senate seat.

At this point it seems to be far from certain that Loeffler will even be received well enough by the Georgia voting public to survive in Isakson's seat past November 2020, much less to a full 6-year term after November 2022.

… Which is probably why she was not named to that list... They want to wait and see if the public accepts or rejects her as a U.S. Senator.

[Born 2 Roll]

Six people on Georgia Trend magazine’s 2020 list of “100 Influential Georgians” have ties to Gwinnett County. A 7th Gwinnett County resident was recognized on Georgia Trend's "Notable Georgians" list.

Gwinnettians make it onto Georgia Trend's influential, notable Georgians lists (Gwinnett Daily Post)

[Born 2 Roll]

And speaking of lists of influential people, the Marietta Daily Journal's "Cobb Life" magazine published their own list in their January 2020 issue called "The Cobb Life List: 20 Under 40" of 20 successful Cobb County residents under the age of 40...

The Cobb Life List: 20 Under 40 (Cobb Life magazine/Marietta Daily Journal)

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

That's a good point about Georgia's newly-appointed junior U.S. senator, Kelly Loeffler.

I guess that they probably must be thinking that the jury is still out (way out) on Loeffler, with her basically having to survive through at least 3 bruising election cycles (the special election jungle primary in November 2020, a GOP primary in early-mid 2022 and the November 2022 general election) and possibly 2 runoffs to win election to a full 6-year term in Johnny Isakson's U.S. Senate seat.

If Loeffler can survive that beyond-brutal gauntlet of multiple election campaigns and savage political attacks from both her right and her left over the next 22-24 months, then more onlookers and observers (like a Georgia Trend magazine, etc.) likely may be willing to recognize her as an influential Georgian in public life.

Some observers potentially might also be hesitant to recognize Loeffler as an influential Georgian because there is a very strong perception (whether rightfully or wrongfully) that she has basically purchased that U.S. Senate seat.

At this point it seems to be far from certain that Loeffler will even be received well enough by the Georgia voting public to survive in Isakson's seat past November 2020, much less to a full 6-year term after November 2022.

… Which is probably why she was not named to that list... They want to wait and see if the public accepts or rejects her as a U.S. Senator.

Whether the jury is out on her or not she wields considerable power and influence for most of 2020.

Stacey Abrams is on the list. I understand why she qualifies (based on her Fair Fight initiative) but Kelly is not only an incoming Senator but a CEO and co-owner of a pro basketball team.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by markjames68

Whether the jury is out on her or not she wields considerable power and influence for most of 2020.

Stacey Abrams is on the list. I understand why she qualifies (based on her Fair Fight initiative) but Kelly is not only an incoming Senator but a CEO and co-owner of a pro basketball team.

I agree.

I also think that she potentially might have had a better chance of being put on at least the "Notable Georgians" list (if not the "100 Most Influential Georgians" list) if she was not running for Johnny Isakson's U.S. Senate seat. Heck, I'm not certain, but I think that Loeffler potentially might have been placed on one of Georgia Trend's annual influence lists in the past before her somewhat controversial run for the U.S. Senate.

But her run for that seat and all of the controversy and uncertainty around it probably might have made the publishers of Georgia Trend magazine hesitant to put her on those 2020 influence lists.

For one thing, the publishers of the magazine probably did not want to give the appearance of influencing the outcome of the Senate election.

Georgia Trend likely was understandably afraid that both Democrats and pro-Doug Collins conservative Republicans probably would have been quick to throw the allegation that Georgia Trend was trying to influence the outcome of the election had they put Loeffler on their influence lists... So Georgia Trend most likely just chose to stay completely away from that politically sensitive situation and I don't blame them.