Cortney English

Chief Policy Officer & Senior Advisor to the Mayor at City of Atlanta

Speaker

Courtney English believes in leaving thing better than he found him. An Atlanta native, English was the youngest person to hold city-wide office in Atlanta’s history, first elected to the Atlanta Board of Education at age 24. In 2014 at age 28, he was elected unanimously by his colleagues to serve as that board’s chairman—the youngest in the history of the school system. During his tenure in the board, he raised teacher pay, increased classroom spending, increased the graduation rate from 51% to a record high of 79%, and sent more students off to college.

A former classroom teacher who understands that healthy communities were needed to support students and their families, he went on to work for a non-profit affordable housing developer where he helped create and refurbish thousands of affordable housing units throughout metro Atlanta, including the addition of wrap-around services to support those

residents the surrounding communities.

During the height of the 2020 Covid Housing Crisis, English served as director of community development for affordable housing nonprofit Star-C, raising $11M to help more than 4,000 economically impacted Atlanta residents stave off eviction, while helping the city and surrounding communities expand access to affordable housing, reduce tenant transiency, and improve student education through innovative programs, partnerships, fundraising, and growth.

Today, English serves as Chief Policy Officer and Senior Advisor to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, where his policy portfolio includes some of Atlanta’s most pressing public challenges, including affordable housing, economic development, youth engagement, and closing Atlanta's long-standing equity gaps.

English earned Bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College with a focus on political science and his Master of Arts degree in organizational psychology and leadership from Columbia University. He has served as a public speaker, sharing insights and perspectives on ambitious topics including global engagement, learning preparedness, neighborhood advocacy, public-private partnerships, and strategic policy development. He has been invited to participate in a variety of national conferences and educational forums including Harvard University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Emory University.

English is a pioneer in building partnerships and creating solutions. Raised in Atlanta’s West End, he readily credits his mom for his community-driven spirit. Her unconditional love and exemplary work ethic serve as guideposts in helping him develop others, young people, and emerging leaders alike. Courtney English is a devoted husband to his wife Kelly, who is better than he is at pretty much everything.