Katharine Kelley

About Katharine Kelley

Katharine Kelley is the CEO of the Buckhead Coalition and Buckhead CID. With a distinguished career of over 30 years in urban infill, mixed-use and residential development and civic leadership, Katharine brings a visionary approach to advancing Buckhead’s economic prosperity and role within the City of Atlanta. Before joining the Coalition and BCID, Katharine was the President of Green Street Properties, leading all development and consulting activities for the firm. Prior to that, she served as Executive Vice President of Development for Newport, leading the redevelopment of South Downtown, Atlanta. Katharine also served as the Managing Director, Development & Construction for Jamestown, overseeing the development and repositioning of Jamestown’s opportunistic investments in over 25 projects across a seven-state platform.Katharine has received repeated national recognition for creative, catalytic development and product innovation with consistently high-performing projects. Her work includes Atlanta major mixed-use projects such as Ponce City Market, South Downtown, Post Riverside (now MAA Riverside), and Glenwood Park, as well as neighborhood infill properties such as the renovation of the historic Manuel’s Tavern.Katharine received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. She serves on the Board of Directors of Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc.(NYSE: IVR) and is a Trustee and immediate past Chair of the Board of The Westminster Schools. Katharine previously served as President and Board member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, and Advisory Board member of the UNC Johnston Honors Program. She is a 2023 recipient of the Atlanta ULI ChangeMakers Award. Katharine and her husband Chad live in Atlanta and have three children.

Experience

1. Chief Executive Officer

   Buckhead Coalition

   Jan 2026 — Present · Atlanta, GA, US

Education

• Columbia University

  Master of Science, Real Estate Development

  1990 — 1991

• Harvard Business School

  MBA

  1991 — 1993

• University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill

  B.A., International Studies

  1982 — 1986

Skills

• Investment Properties
• Leadership
• Management
• Construction
• Contract Negotiation