August 22, 2025 12:15 pm

Speaker - W. Imara Canady, Hammonds House MuseumAdd Guest

Currently serving as National Director for Communications & Community Engagement for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the world’s largest, non-profit, HIV/AIDS service and advocacy organization and Chair, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC), W. Imara Canady, referred to as the “all around go to guy” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a highly respected executive leader, nationally known for building partnerships and collaborations that have a sustainable community impact.  Prior to his current role, Imara served as the Area Development Director for the Atlanta Regional Office of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), where his portfolio included over-seeing the community engagement and fundraising operations in South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, annually raising over $2.5 million dollars, in support of the office’s multi-million-dollar goal to achieve the organization’s mission of assisting students to get to and through college. Prior to UNCF, he was Vice-President of Programming and Strategic Partnerships for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, where, as part of the institution’s executive leadership team, he created and developed the Center’s national programmatic infrastructure and foundation. Known as a “connector and bridge-builder” he worked with the national Board of Directors, CEO and Executive Vice-President, cultivating global relationships and building collaborations that connected the center’s vision and mission with a broad array of local, national and international cultural, academic and community organizations and institutions, that led to the successful execution of the institutions historic groundbreaking in June 2012 and the framework for the Center’s current impactful programs and initiatives.

Imara returned to Atlanta in 2009, joining the staff of the Center, having spent time in Chicago, at the Chicago Community Trust, the nation’s second oldest community philanthropic organization, as 1 of 6 fellows, from a national candidate pool of 300 candidates, in a newly launched, arts and culture management fellowship program. As a part of this nationally acclaimed program, Imara worked with the Presidents/CEO’s and executive staff of Chicago’s leading cultural institutions developing strategic and impactful individualized community and government relations strategies, while also managing grant funding from a $15 million art and culture budget. Before his time in Chicago, Imara had an impressive 15-year career in government that has taken him from Atlanta City Hall to The White House.

His career in government began in the late 90’s when he served as Special Projects Coordinator for former Atlanta Mayor William Campbell, where he developed and managed youth programs and initiatives for the city, including the establishment of the Youth Ambassador Force for the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Mayor’s Collegiate and Youth Councils, and working with the United Way executive leadership on the development of Atlanta’s Promise, a local response to General Colin’s Powell successful national youth program, America’s Promise. Immediately following his time with Mayor Campbell, he worked for the Office of Vice-President Al Gore and then as Budget Manager for Gore’s 2000 Presidential campaign, managing a multi-million-dollar budget and over-seeing the campaign’s national event strategy. Prior to moving to Chicago, he was a key aide to Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin serving as Special Assistant to the Mayor/Special Events Director, after leading her communications and brand strategy as Communications Director/Press Secretary for her successful historical election in 2001.

During his tenure in city government, Imara had many accomplishments including revamping the City’s special event permitting process, which resulted in a yearly increase in revenue generation of over a quarter of a million dollars, while decreasing the negative impact on community residents. He assisted former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin in the successful multi-million-dollar fund-raising effort to secure the city’s purchase of the historic papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He worked with the State of Georgia and developed the preliminary process of the city’s current structure for supporting film projects, thus increasing the number of films, movie and television projects secured to shoot in Atlanta and the increase in production studios being opened in the metro area.

Given his visionary leadership skills, he has been a part of the leadership team of many key initiatives, including the Brand Atlanta marketing campaign, the blue-ribbon committee that conceptualized the Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Diversity Committee, inaugural advisory board member and current board chair for the BronzeLens Film Festival and the founding organizing committee for the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. Through his leadership, vision and ability to develop win-win partnerships and collaborations, he led the charge in attracting national entertainment related business to Atlanta, including the VIBE Music Festival, the Soul Train Music Awards, the BET Hip-Hop Awards and many others, and was recently honored to work with Oprah Winfrey and the OWN Network team around the international launch and execution of the week-long series BELIEF.

Imara has a strong passion for art and culture, that is exhibited through his previous work as a consultant for the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, a staff member with the Theatre and Dance Programs for the 1996 Cultural Olympiad of the Centennial Olympic Games, his many years of service to the National Black Arts Festival, the High Museum of Art Community Outreach committee and as ViceChair for the Fulton County Arts Council. His service to his community is personified by his impressive fund-raising skills and engagement partnerships for many non-profit organizations as well as his previous and current membership on many boards including the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (where he serves as Immediate Past Board President), National Center for Civil and Human Rights, American Red Cross Minority Recruitment Board, AID Atlanta, Alliance Theatre’s Advisory Board, Horizon Theatre Company Board, Georgia Perimeter College, Fund for Southern Communities, Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute for Human Rights, National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, GA State University National Alumni Board, The Breman, Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta Advisory Board, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, Atlanta Regional Commissions Education Committee and as Board Chair for the Future Foundation, BronzeLens Film Festival  and Hammonds House Museum and Galleries. He is a member and former co-chair of the Black-Jewish Coalition of the American Jewish Committee – Atlanta Chapter, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, 2018 Class of the Atlanta Regional Commissions Regional Leadership Institute, 2007 Class of Leadership Atlanta, 2005 Class of the MAACC Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta, the 1999 Class of the United Way Volunteer Involvement Program (V.I.P.), Legacy Life Member of the National Council of Negro Women, Life Member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, having been a founding member of the chapter at Atlanta Metropolitan College. He has been featured in an array of national and regional media outlets including The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Saporta Report, Encore Magazine, the Jewish Georgian, Upscale Magazine, Atlanta Magazine, WSB-TV, The Atlanta Tribune and Georgia Trend. He has received numerous awards and honors including being chosen as 1 of the 150 Future Leaders of America, an International Game Changer by the internationally acclaimed organization People to People, an Outstanding Atlantan in 2002, a National Comrade Awardee from the National Black HERstory Conference, a ‘Man of Distinction” by Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, a “Person to Know” by Atlanta Magazine, one of GA Trend’s “best and brightest” 40 Under 40, an award-winning director for the film, “A New Day In Mississippi” and as executive producer for the broadcast presentation of “All Boy’s Aren’t Blue” and a multi-year National Association of Black Journalist Salute to Excellence and Emmy award winner and/or nominated television producer for his work on the weekly public affairs program, In Contact.  He was honored to serve as Co-Chair and Executive Producer for the inaugural events for Atlanta’s 61st Mayor, the Honorable Andre Dickens and as a current co-chair for his re-election campaign.

Imara was raised and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He received an Associate’s Degree in Journalism from Atlanta Metropolitan College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations and Broadcast Journalism from Georgia State University.   An active member of the Baha’i’ Faith, Imara lives his life in accordance to a quote from the Holy Writings which states “that service to humanity is like service to the Kingdom of God."

Rotary Club of Atlanta West End
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center*
800 Spring St NW
Atlanta, GA 30308