Atlanta's Leading Ladies Share New Year's Resolutions
January 14, 2008
It's a new year, and with a new year comes New Year's resolutions.
Atlanta Woman magazine decided to ask some of Atlanta's leading ladies what their New
Year's resolutions are for 2008.
Monica Pearson
WSB-TV News Anchor
"My three resolutions are to, one, get back to my daily Bible readings and meditation IN THE
MORNINGS to start my days off right. Two, to get back to being
me ... regular scheduling of my manicures, pedicures, facial and hair and increasing my
time with my personal trainer, Carla Fields, to three days a week, rather than two. And three, to
get more sleep by having a regular time to get up 8:30 a.m. and go to sleep by 1 a.m."
Monica Pearson is WSB-TV's 5, 6, and 11 p.m. Action News anchor. She joined the Channel 2 staff
in August, 1975. Pearson is a graduate of The University of Louisville graduate and was a
reporter with The Louisville Times for five years. In 1969 she participated in the Summer Program
for Minority Groups, later called The Michelle Clark Fellowship, at the Graduate School of
Journalism, Columbia University, New York. She worked in public relations for Brown-Forman
Distillers before joined WHAS-TV in Louisville as a reporter and anchor for three years.
She's received 28 local and southern regional Emmy Awards. She also has received an honorary
Doctorate of Humane Letters from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) in 1986 and
another from Oglethorpe University in 2007.
Shirley Franklin
Mayor of the City of Atlanta
"My New Year's resolutions are to exercise, eat well and be heart healthy."
In 2001 Mayor Shirley Franklin was elected into office even though it was the first time she was a candidate for public office. She is 58th Mayor of the City of Atlanta. She became the first female mayor of Atlanta and the first African American woman to serve as mayor of a major southern city. In 2005, Time Magazine named her one of the top five mayors in the country; she is ranked among the top ten mayors in the world by the World Mayor internet organization and has been named one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News and World Report and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Mayor Franklin earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Howard University and was awarded her Masters of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kathy Cox
Superintendent of Public Schools for Georgia
"My New Year's resolutions are to exercise, eat out less and teach my son, Alex, how to cook!"
Since taking the Superintendent's office in January 2003, Kathy has set her sights firmly on improving student achievement, believing that all of Georgia's children deserve a high-quality public education no matter where they live. Kathy earned both the Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Political Science from Emory University. Kathy has worked in education for nearly two decades. Her experience includes 15 years as public school teacher in Fayette County. She brought the voice of teachers, parents and students to the state legislature for two terms, 1999-2003.
Sara González
President and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GHCC)
"I quit making resolutions, personally and professionally, a long time ago. I don't plan things to well. For me, I don't like to make that kind of commitment and feel like I have to do something, especially when life changes to much. Who knows what's going to happen?"
Sara González became GHCC's president nine years ago. The GHCC has grown in both membership and endowment, from 175 members in 1996 to 1,000 members in 2002. Under her leadership, the GHCC offers resources, information, support services and networking opportunities to their members and continues to hold the most successful Gala and awards banquet in its history, and the GHCC was also the host of the 2001 United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Convention and Business Expo.
MaChelle Joseph
Coach for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Women's Basketball Team
"My new year resolutions are to be more positive with myself when I face challenges and to take potential 'problems' and use them as opportunities to better myself and our women's basketball program!"
MaChelle Joseph was appointment as head coach on May 19 2003. Overall, Joseph's career as an assistant coach spanned 11 years in three of the nation's top women's basketball conferences, with successful stops at Auburn of the Southeastern Conference as well as Purdue and Illinois of the Big Ten preceding her Atlantic Coast Conference stint. In 15 seasons as a collegiate player and assistant coach, Joseph was a part of programs that produced winning records in every year but one, and reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times. Joseph graduated from Purdue in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in movement and sports science.
Jovita Moore
WSB-TV Anchor/Reporter
"Lose weight!!! And, laugh more often!!"
Jovita Moore anchors the daily newscast of Channel 2 Action News from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Moore joined WSB-TV in 1998. Before moving to Atlanta, Jovita worked as weekend anchor/reporter at WMC-TV in Memphis, TN. Moore began her career as a reporter at KFSM-TV in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1990 but is a native New Yorker. She earned a Master's Degree in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in literature, from Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont.
