Katerina Kat Taylor

Katerina Taylor a Kansas Native and the daughter of a successful entrepreneur is a 15-year veteran in the financial services industry. An entrepreneur, and community advocate, she also served as vice president for SunTrust Bank, now Truist Bank, from 2003-2012. During her time at SunTrust she successfully designed and executed business growth and development strategies for more than 500 regional and local bank associates and executives.

Taylor became the first woman president and CEO of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce in the Chamber’s 81-year history in 2014. The chamber’s core focus was to work with businesses across Georgia’s 4th largest county and metro Atlanta, focusing on business growth, economic and workforce development, community outreach, education initiatives, business and public advocacy and entrepreneurship.

Taylor has keynoted for programs for some of the world’s largest brands including AT&T, Enterprise Holdings, Microsoft, NBA franchise Atlanta Hawks, Coca Cola, United Way of Greater Atlanta, DeKalb Lawyers Association, Centers for Disease Control, Alpha Kappa Alpha 110th Founders Day Celebration, National Black MBA Association, Commerce Club and many more.

In September 2019 Taylor was appointed by Atlanta’s 60th Mayor, Mayor Kiesha Lance Bottoms, to lead the WorkSource Atlanta Agency. WorkSource Atlanta is the workforce development agency of the City of Atlanta, housed under the office of the Mayor. Taylor manages an $8MM agency and is focused on creating equitable employment opportunities, providing training in high skill high demand jobs, and ensuring livable wages and economic mobility.

Taylor is now the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Nelson Mullins, an AM Law 100 National Law Firm.

Taylor is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta, Leadership DeKalb, and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.

Taylor has been honored and recognized by both the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend Magazine as a top 40 under 40, and Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential African American Women in Metro Atlanta. Kennesaw State Siegel Leadership Institute honored her with their 2017 Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award and in 2014 the Atlanta Tribune named her a History Maker. In 2019 Taylor was honored with the title Most Notable Georgian by Georgia Trend and also received the Woman of Excellence Award.

Taylor has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree in Marketing from Texas Wesleyan University and an MBA in Finance from Argosy University.

Affectionately, known as Kat, Taylor lives on the westside of Atlanta in historic Grove Park with her pet Pom Mr. President.