Mueller Water Products Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of products and services that are used in the transmission and distribution of drinking water and in water treatment facilities, announced that Shirley Franklin, former mayor of Atlanta, was elected to its board of directors.
Franklin served as mayor of Atlanta from 2002 to 2010. In 2005, Time magazine named her one of the five best big-city American mayors, and she was included in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Leaders of 2005." The recognition came, in part, from Franklin's efforts to rebuild Atlanta's water infrastructure, an $3.8 billion initiative that has been recognized as a model for leadership and fiscal responsibility. According to Mueller, Franklin has often said she is proud to be known as Atlanta's "sewer mayor."
"As the nation confronts the challenges associated with repairing or rebuilding our aging water infrastructure, we are delighted to have a person of Mayor Franklin's stature and with her level of experience join our board of directors," said Gregory E. Hyland, chairman, president and CEO of Mueller. "Her thorough understanding of the needs and operations of the public sector will prove invaluable as we seek to grow our business."
Prior to being elected mayor, Franklin served the city in various executive positions, culminating in her service as the city's chief officer for operations. Franklin served as an executive with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. She received the 2005 Profile in Courage award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation for her work in restoring Atlanta's fiscal responsibility and efforts to rebuild the city's water infrastructure.
Franklin has served on a special task force for the Department of Homeland Security and currently serves on the board of directors of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. In addition, she is the co-chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission on Homelessness, co-chair of the board of directors of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and senior advisor to the Alliance for Digital Equality. Since January 2010, Franklin has held the William and Camille Cosby Endowed Chair at Spelman College in Atlanta.
Franklin received her bachelor's degree in sociology from Howard University and a master's degree, also in sociology, from the University of Pennsylvania.
Source: Mueller Water Products Inc.
