Atlanta Spotlight | Dawn Luke

By Staff Writer Atlanta Trend

• Feb 01, 2018

Dawn Luke is the new chief operating officer of Invest Atlanta. Invest Atlanta is the economic development arm of the city of Atlanta. As a longtime employee of Invest Atlanta and member of its Executive Team, Ms. Luke brings substantial knowledge of Invest Atlanta and all facets of the agency’s operations to the position. In her new role, Ms. Luke will oversee Invest Atlanta’s finance, information technology, human resources and investment services departments, and continue to support Invest Atlanta’s community development programs.

“I could not be more proud to announce Dawn Luke as our new COO,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “She is a proven leader and a passionate advocate for community development and affordable housing. I look forward to working alongside her as we strive to make Invest Atlanta more efficient, responsive and innovative than ever before.”

With more than 20 years of experience at Invest Atlanta and the Urban Residential Finance Authority, she is an expert in housing development, finance, neighborhood investment and other areas of community development. Ms. Luke previously served as Invest Atlanta’s senior vice president of Community Development and was responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction in the successful execution of a shared vision of comprehensive community development, quality affordable housing, and economic growth in the City of Atlanta’s 10 Tax Allocation Districts (TADs).

Before that, she was Managing Director of Housing Finance for five years overseeing the successful implementation of over $250 million in pivotal affordable housing programs which served to provide viable housing solutions for Atlanta’s workforce, seniors, disabled and individuals confronted with homelessness. During her tenure with Invest Atlanta, Ms. Luke also managed and operated a multifamily and single-family housing bond portfolio of approximately $1.6 billion and more than 20,000 units of housing.

“It is an honor and privilege to accept this position,” said Dawn Luke. “Over the years, I have seen Invest Atlanta grow into one of the premier organizations of its kind in the world, thanks in large part to our talented and dedicated staff. Under the leadership of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Dr. Klementich, our organization will continue to play a key role in fostering growth, equity and inclusion in Atlanta. I cannot wait to get started in this role.”

Ms. Luke earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Spelman College and a MBA in International Business from Georgia State University. She currently serves as President Emeritus of the board of directors of Georgia Sustainable Committee Alliance, Chairwoman of the Southwest Atlanta Partnership board of directors, an active member of the board of directors for the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA), the Atlanta Land Trust as well as Partners for Prosperity.