The convocation will be held on Friday, October 5, at 10:10 a.m., in FAMU’s Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium. The free event will include performances by the Marching “100” and the FAMU Cheerleaders and presentations by students and returning alumni.
Bottoms, who shares her FAMU pride whenever possible, is celebrated for her commitment to Atlanta’s progress as a global business hub. Both during her years of service as a city council member and now as the leader of the city, she has developed and implemented numerous initiatives that have put the spotlight on Atlanta as a national model for equity, resilience and inclusion.
She has made international headlines for using her voice to underscore the importance of local, state and national issues, such as affordable costs of living, public health and safety, transportation, education, criminal justice reform, social justice, and economic and workforce development.
Bottoms was designated a “Woman to Watch in 2018” by Viacom’s BET Network. She has also been heralded by Atlanta Magazine, Georgia Trend Magazine and POLITICO, which listed her as “the most prominent Black female executive in the South – and one of the few in the entire country.” Most recently, she was featured on the cover of Ebony Magazine for the 2018 political issue alongside Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. The October-November issue of Ebony Magazine will hit shelves on Tuesday, October 16.
A lifelong public servant, Bottoms previously served as a lawyer, judge and executive director of the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority.
A resident of Southwest Atlanta, she is married to Dereck W. Bottoms. They have four children – Lance, Langston, Lennox and Lincoln. She earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication.