Meet Alex
Office Location
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave SW
Suite 2900
Atlanta, GA 30303-3584
(404) 330-6049 (O); (404) 658-6073 (F)
awan@atlantaga.gov
Committee Assignments
City Utilities
Finance Executive (Vice-Chair)
Zoning (Vice-Chair)
Staff
Sheila Parrott
Thomas Jung
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave SW
Suite 2900
Atlanta, GA 30303-3584
(404) 330-6049 (O); (404) 658-6073 (F)
awan@atlantaga.gov
Committee Assignments
City Utilities
Finance Executive (Vice-Chair)
Zoning (Vice-Chair)
Staff
Sheila Parrott
Thomas Jung
Councilmember Alex Wan has been proudly serving as a Council member since 2010. Educated at Georgia Institute of Technology, he earned a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering there in 1988. In 1993, he went on to attend the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance. Since then, he also attended the Minority Business Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2001.
After attending Georgia Tech, Councilmember Wan began his career with the Prudential Investment Corporation’s Corporate Finance Group in Newark, New Jersey from 1988-1989. In 1990, he relocated to Atlanta and joined Prudential’s Real Estate and Acquisitions team as an Investment Analyst. From 1993-2009 he served as President of Optima, Inc., an architecture-engineering consulting firm. From 2009-2012, he has served as Director of Development for Jerusalem House, Inc., one of Atlanta’s oldest housing providers to homeless and low income families affected by HIV/AIDS. Since 2012, Alex serves as the Director of Development for Emory University Libraries.
Councilmember Wan’s public service hardly began with his election as the representative of District 6 in 2010. Two causes that have always been particularly close to his heart are disadvantaged children and the community affected by largely invasive illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Councilmember Wan is a man who lends his talent and time to eradicating these illnesses and easing the burden on the families and children affected by them.
As early as 1994 Councilmember Wan began showing his passion for helping others when he volunteered with Project Open Hand, which provides meals for those living with a chronic disease. From 1995-1997 Councilmember Wan served as the Board Secretary for Our House, Inc., a daycare center for homeless children. From 1997-2003 Councilmember Wan served on the Joining Hearts Host Committee which produces an important fundraiser for people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2003, Councilmember Wan formed For the Kid in All of Us, Inc., which hosts an annual toy and school supply drives for socio-economically disadvantaged children in Georgia.
He began working with Leadership DeKalb, serving twice as Board Secretary (1995-1997 and 2002-2003), and Chair-Elect (1998) and Chair (1999). In 2003, he served Leadership Atlanta as part of Asian Latino Task Force and the Program Committee. In addition to all of the above memberships, he has been an active member of many Asian leadership groups including but not limited to: National Association of Chinese Americans, Asian American Heritage Foundation, and the Asian America Coalition Board of Directors.
Councilmember Wan has been presented with numerous awards for his service including: Outstanding Federal Club Co-Chair Team of a Large Federal Club, Human Rights Campaign (2008), Georgia Asian Times “25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia (2007, 2010-2011)”, and Best Up & Coming Activist, Southern Voice Best of Gay Atlanta (2004). Georgia Trend Magazine’s “Forty Under 40” named him as a rising star in 1997. In 2005, he was given the Philip Rush Award by YouthPride for his exemplary support of youth in Georgia.
Wide breadth of long-time community service
Accessible leader, neighbor, friend
After attending Georgia Tech, Councilmember Wan began his career with the Prudential Investment Corporation’s Corporate Finance Group in Newark, New Jersey from 1988-1989. In 1990, he relocated to Atlanta and joined Prudential’s Real Estate and Acquisitions team as an Investment Analyst. From 1993-2009 he served as President of Optima, Inc., an architecture-engineering consulting firm. From 2009-2012, he has served as Director of Development for Jerusalem House, Inc., one of Atlanta’s oldest housing providers to homeless and low income families affected by HIV/AIDS. Since 2012, Alex serves as the Director of Development for Emory University Libraries.
Councilmember Wan’s public service hardly began with his election as the representative of District 6 in 2010. Two causes that have always been particularly close to his heart are disadvantaged children and the community affected by largely invasive illnesses such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Councilmember Wan is a man who lends his talent and time to eradicating these illnesses and easing the burden on the families and children affected by them.
As early as 1994 Councilmember Wan began showing his passion for helping others when he volunteered with Project Open Hand, which provides meals for those living with a chronic disease. From 1995-1997 Councilmember Wan served as the Board Secretary for Our House, Inc., a daycare center for homeless children. From 1997-2003 Councilmember Wan served on the Joining Hearts Host Committee which produces an important fundraiser for people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2003, Councilmember Wan formed For the Kid in All of Us, Inc., which hosts an annual toy and school supply drives for socio-economically disadvantaged children in Georgia.
He began working with Leadership DeKalb, serving twice as Board Secretary (1995-1997 and 2002-2003), and Chair-Elect (1998) and Chair (1999). In 2003, he served Leadership Atlanta as part of Asian Latino Task Force and the Program Committee. In addition to all of the above memberships, he has been an active member of many Asian leadership groups including but not limited to: National Association of Chinese Americans, Asian American Heritage Foundation, and the Asian America Coalition Board of Directors.
Councilmember Wan has been presented with numerous awards for his service including: Outstanding Federal Club Co-Chair Team of a Large Federal Club, Human Rights Campaign (2008), Georgia Asian Times “25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia (2007, 2010-2011)”, and Best Up & Coming Activist, Southern Voice Best of Gay Atlanta (2004). Georgia Trend Magazine’s “Forty Under 40” named him as a rising star in 1997. In 2005, he was given the Philip Rush Award by YouthPride for his exemplary support of youth in Georgia.
Wide breadth of long-time community service
- Member of the Morningside Lenox Park Neighborhood Association; 15+ year Morningside resident
- Morningside Lenox Park Association Business Liaison for 2008
- Graduate of Leadership Atlanta and Leadership DeKalb, and chaired the latter
- Serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Development Authority (Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair)
- Former Atlanta Volunteer Chair and Atlanta Federal Club (donor circle) Co-Chair for the Human Rights Campaign
- Founded and served as the first president of an all-volunteer non-profit benefiting socio-economically disadvantaged children
- On the board of the Asian American Heritage Foundation
- Previously served on the Insurance Commissioner’s Better Georgia Executive Round Table and the Governor’s Small Business Advisory Council
Accessible leader, neighbor, friend
- The temperament you want in a trusted leader – a natural listener and consensus-builder who builds strong effective relationships and speaks his mind concisely
- Raised in Atlanta from the age of three (Morningside homeowner for 19 years)
- Many accolades, including Georgia Trend Magazine’s “Forty Under 40” and the Georgia Asian Times “25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia”
- A fitness enthusiast who is a certified SCUBA diver, and has completed marathons and half marathons
Photos by Dan Lax.
