Atlanta (January 30, 2013) – On January 17, 2013 Heather Rocker tendered her resignation as CEO/Executive Director of Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta.  The board and staff of the organization thank her for her service. 

Gloria R. Reese has been named interim CEO/Executive Director of Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta.  Gloria has served on the board of directors of Girls Incorporated since 2010, chairing the Fund Development committee and serving on the Executive Committee since 2011. With her appointment as interim director, she will vacate her board position.

Gloria retired from AT&T in October, 2012, where she held the position of Vice President-Planning for Customer Information Services, Business & Home Solutions Division of AT&T. In this role, she was responsible for long range strategy for CIS.  Before assuming her current position, Gloria was Vice President- CIS Operations for AT&T /BellSouth. Her experiences are varied:  She held the position of Vice President and General Manager for Consumer Markets (Sales and Service) in North and South Carolina for five years, and as Vice President responsible for voice, data and systems planning, design and management for call center applications for sales, ordering and billing for a complex multi-state operation for 6 years. Gloria has held various positions in Complex Business Sales, Diversity Management, and Leadership Development and Training. She has been a featured speaker for various for- profit and non- profit organizations, delivering leadership development workshops, and telemarketing and sales programs.  

Gloria has a long history of service in the not for profit community.  She currently serves on the Audit committee for The Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta; is a past member of Women In Technology International (WITI), Atlanta Women in Business, and ICAE. She has served on the Board of Trustees for Winston Salem State University (her alma mater), and for both the Charlotte Housing Authority and the Atlanta Housing Authority Scholarship Program.  She strongly believes in the support of community programs, such as Aspire, an AT&T Program focused on positively impacting the dropout rate, March of Dimes, and the United Way.  She is a long term supporter of UNCF, helping sponsor the AT&T UNCF Employee Giving Campaign which has raised more than $1.4 million dollars for scholarships over the last 10 years. 

Gloria has been honored with numerous awards including Who’s Who in Black Atlanta; YMCA Women of Distinction; ABWA Woman of the Year; the Circle of Excellence, and the MLK Medal of Appreciation. She was a 2011 nominee for the Turknett Leadership Character Award.  She was an advisor to three AT&T employee resource groups: Community Network, OxyGEN and Women of AT&T. She has devoted herself to giving back, and has been repeatedly recognized for her work as mentor and coach.  

About Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta

 Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta provides life-changing programs that help girls achieve academically, lead healthy lifestyles, manage money, navigate media messages, and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. As such, Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta has positioned itself as a leading organization that addresses the needs of girls in grades K-12 who seek safe and creative programs to improve their life outcomes. Girls Inc.’s mission is to inspire all girls to be strong (healthy), smart (educated) and bold (independent). You can learn more about our program atwww.girlsincatl.org or follow us on Twitter @GirlsIncATL.