So, you know, we understood that our culture had nothing to do with which party you are affiliated with. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. A study by ESPN and FiveThirtyEight in October 2020 showed Blank is a bipartisan contributor to political campaignsbut contributed more to Democratic candidates from 2012 to 2020. ATLANTA - Falcons team owner Arthur Blank has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the team's final game of the regular season. Why Is Doc Jensen Still So Obsessed With His Long-Disproven COVID Claims? You can do whatever you choose to do. /BitsPerComponent 8 Left to right: Dennis Ross, Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, Pat Farrah, Ron Brill. It's good to be different, said Blank, but he said it's the intolerance of some that worries him about the future. /Length 7 0 R %PDF-1.4 (Airlines resisting vaccination mandates for passengers are another prime example of failure of true leadership.) >> Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with businessman Arthur Blank about gun regulation and philanthropy. Why Should Tim Walz Even Bother Debating Scott Jensen? Over the next two years (2021-2023), we will create an inclusive relationship with and among these grantees to share ideas, best practices, lessons and challenges. A Handful of Things I Could Not Care Less About, Matt Birk: Rape Victims Are Playing the Rape Card?, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. The documentary will premiere exclusively Nov. 23, 2020 at 8 p.m.on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Also watchRISING UP: A Westside Story,a documentary film by David Lewis Productions that gives viewers a detailed look into the ideation, construction, and impact of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the city of Atlanta. I mean, everybody's standing for an hour-and-a-half and they just don't sit down. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. He released a statement five days after Gov. If executed improperly, this stadium could continue a long line of broken promises for this blighted community. Nationality: United States Executive summary: Co-Founder of Home Depot. We need to recognize those truths. 12, Blank has been married three times. Home Depot cofounder, Arthur Blank, is a longtime Democratic supporter and donated $250,000 to committees supporting Joe Biden between July and September in 2020, Forbes reported. Yet the team continues to unite Atlantans during the ups and downs. So in this case, we were coming back from a game after the team had played in St. Louis against the old St. Louis Rams theyre now in L.A. and instead of riding in the front of the plane with the coaches and managers, I sat in the back with the players. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. We Have Every Reason To Expect a Lot More from the NFL, no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out. What I Learned Over One Cup of Coffee Yesterday Morning, You Want to Laugh at Liz Truss and The Brits. "And I'm not 100 years old I'm getting there, but I'm not but the things I see and deal with are just inherently not what's made this country great. And so from there, since the 2001- 2002 season, we've only had three games that were not sold out during the season. So that's really what it was about. The league has recently been running in-game PSAs pushing cancer and mental health awareness screenings, etc. We've broken every season ticket record per game. American professional sports owners have contributed nearly $47 million in federal elections since 2015, according to research by ESPN in partnership with FiveThirtyEight, including $10 million. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. I would suggest, for anybody in business, that you listen to who you're serving. Mercedes-Benz Stadium aims to be the first stadium to receive LEED Platinum certification. endobj There are nearly one million Latinos in Georgia, with one of the fastest growth rates of the Latino population in the nation. And in fact, one of her famous expressions was: You do the right things for the right reasons and live with the consequences of them. And I'm trying to build that into my life as well. . GALEO engages in advocacy, creates opportunities for engagement and networking, and develops leadership skills for Latino community members. I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. stream All Rights Reserved. /Width 625 Link Copied! Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr I, like almost everyone else, had already started celebrating at halftime. Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. During the past year, GALEO staff and volunteers have participated in events at food banks, churches, and schools, where they provide information while assisting with free COVID-19 testing and food distribution. Given its footprint, we have good rights to expect a lot more from this monolith. I mean, people were throwing tea off those boats because they were protesting, you know. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. How? Stop making people feel so fearful. Both John Lewis John, just a month before he passed away and Andy Young have said to me that we do have to recognize that things are better than they used to be. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. 9, Blank is a strong supporter of the Democratic Party. And I think this should be addressed out of respect and out of listening.". Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. It Now Actually Matters, a Lot. 2010-2023 Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. In our case, the fans, customers, guests or grantees, whatever the case may be, you're going to find out the ultimate truth of what you need to do to build a business response to issues, spot opportunities, deal with problems, whatever it may be. We believe the right to vote is sacred and should be protected, so that we can have an active and engaged citizenry that participates in our democracy year-round, not just during presidential election cycles. Kimball previously served as the vice president of network support at Teach for All. But we both said, you know, if we ever had to compete with Handy Dan that was the most successful conventional chain of home improvement center stores in the country at that time it would be with a large, no frills, downmarket store. Brian and Arthur welcomed their daughter Blake into the world via Arthur's sister Aoife, who acted as a surrogate for the couple, back in September -- with Brian previously teasing the documentary before Blake's arrival. Blank, who is Jewish, also addressed the administration's failure to recognize the losses suffered by the Jewish people during the Holocaust. One where guys like the Vikings' Mark and Zygi Wilf and Arthur (Home Depot) Blank of the Atlanta Falcons come off as comparatively rational. Good Company is billed as a visionary road-map for creating successful businesses. /CA 1.0 1 0 obj And so he carries a weight of authority that somebody who's just called a suit and comes in and talks to them and doesn't quite feel the same, same way. It's the customers. Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. When I left [Home Depot] in 2001, [it] was the second largest retailer in the world, second only to Wal-Mart. Georgia businessman Arthur Blank joins with voting groups on Democracy Class Atlanta The Jolt: Arthur Blank teams with voting groups to forge 'Democracy Class Atlanta' Caption Credit:. With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? But go ahead and do it, if that's what you want. So we did it. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. Atlanta Falcons vNew Orleans Saints Owner Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Flacons reacts before a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. I've always believed that the circumstances around me might change, but these core values, which we discuss in the book, they're not mine, they really belong to all of us. So, I think the great political leaders and the great spiritual leaders, in my view, have always, always opened up their arms and included everybody. And being a good listener, it's an art form that we all can possess. And next thing I know, he was sitting on his knees and with a gun to his head. Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. that those rights were not being fully reflected in our society today. "I think one of the things that is wrong with America today that we can work on and become better at is that we need to become better listeners to each other and we need to be better about understanding where people are coming from," Blank said. Blank retired as Home Depot's co-chairman in. So I would just cut him some slack. My suspicion is that while Dungy and Tirico and dozens if not hundreds of other NFL leaders may have been surprised by Grudens racist imagery, they arent as unfamiliar with his other boys club stupidity. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. Paul, are you there? It's hard to believe. He's committed to his wife now, his children. We expect to learn a great deal from these groups and have that learning inform our strategy on voting access and civic participation in Georgia and beyond. 4, Blank purchased the NFLs Atlanta Falcons for more than $540 million shortly after stepping down as CEO of Home Depot. /Subtype /Image 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. But you want your core values to be the same, ideally. He came out of the prison system as a changed person for the positive, not for the negative. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. I mean, you write a book like this, it's really getting into kind of the political arena. So we designed our stadium to accommodate not just for the Atlanta Falcons and National Football League football American football but soccer as well. And Blanks role in this project extends beyond the stadium. When you find common solutions that work for everybody and [are] respectful of everybody to represent the best of you. We Present You Trumps Deposition, More or Less Verbatim. Founded in 2010 as the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC), the organization became part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation in 2014. During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. With Labels, Listen to Affected Populations, Not Activists, As With Alcohol, Mitigation, Not Prohibition, Is the Answer, It Seems Democrats Are Blundering Badly (Again) with Their All-Abortion, All-the-Time Campaign. Like all stories meant to inspire, he takes some knocks. The perceived linebetween politics and sports further blurred when Major League Baseball's union chief said players are ready to discuss moving the 2021 MLB All-Star Game out of Truist Park. In 1978, they co-founded the home-improvement retailer The Home Depot, with the help of merchandising expert Pat Farrah and New York investment banker Ken Langone who assembled a group of investors. Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) mission is to ensure elections are secure, voters have confidence in election outcomes and democracy thrives as civic engagement grows. I stayed in touch with him to some degree when he was in prison. "So, you know, I love him. But We Aint Seen Nuthin Yet. They survived. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. Political Donations: Blank has largely donated to Democratic causes, most notably: $32,400 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2013; $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in '08; and. I look at my six children, Batch 1, Batch 2, and, you know, they go from age 19 to age 52, if I have it right. I have many friends who are no longer fervent Braves supporters. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. Hopefully we'll get back in the playoffs, but not as well as the first three years. NOW WATCH: We combined Trump and Biden's separate town halls so you can watch an actual debate between the presidential candidates, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. Its also part memoir of how his ethics evolved from watching his father run a neighborhood pharmacy in Queens, New York, to launching multi-billion dollar ventures. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. And then he worked in the laundry. Like many other enormous corporations the NFL, selling a slick, bristling mix of testosterone and patriotism, ducks away from anything with a whiff of political conflict. I went to a small business school outside of Boston called Babson College I would always sit in the front because I always wanted to pay attention and learn. ,> U#kw1%dHT6qZq]9Ki o The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. Proceeds from sales of Good Companygo to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. I mean, you know, all those things. In a statement released on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Twitter account, attributed to Blank, he said Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation leadership conveyed his sentiment directly to state officials in recent weeks. In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. But I know that his essence, at his heart and his soul, is a really good person that cares deeply about humanity. Bernardo Little . It's not trying influence, but trying to share philosophies of life and stories and thoughts about a certain set of values, which really transcend business, nonprofit, as well as the political arena. ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday afternoon he believes voting should be made "easier, not harder for every eligible citizen" and his business and non-profit partners plan to support efforts to advance voting access. But its the NFL itself that should be held to greater account and responsibility than it ever is. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. I think back when I lived in a neighborhood, you know, a small neighborhood, when my mother and dad were alive, we all took care of each other. So it was good. /SM 0.02 "People are coming from different places, which is okay, but it's not okay when they're disrespectful; it's not okay when they're not kind. Blank allowed the previous front office to make shortsighted moves that still are costing the. Bernie has great values and Bernie cares deeply not only about our faith, but about giving back. He just opened the door. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. He owns the team, after all. The Westside also suffers from severe flooding problems, and the stadium has a 1.1 million gallon storm vault underground to trap and reuse their rain water, and help prevent flooding. However, the Atlanta Falcons new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, may foster a new era of stadium construction and community engagement. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. The 79-year-old co-founder of Atlanta-based The Home Depot . Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. Currently, over 200 Westside residents are working on the stadiums construction and the foundation has funded, among other things, Westside Works to help residents find employment and learn job training skills. Owner, Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. We sit down with New York Times theater critic Jesse Green to discuss Rodgers' autobiography, Shy. Sadly, sometimes these young men and women get involved in that cycle and they never get out of it. In a time when more than half of Americans are dissatisfied with the state of our democracy, the most powerful way to demonstrate and have our voices heard is through the vote. February 4, 2021 4:12 pm ET. The Home Depot co-founder, Arthur Blank, candidly shares details of an impromptu meeting in an airport hangar when he was asked to step down, the company's short-term mistake of replacing him. Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill, which includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run. Arthur Blank enjoys one of his favorite hobbies at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, one of three guest ranches owned by Blank Family of Businesses. He said, All of that really gave me time not only for redemption, but more importantly, for reflection. And he said, I really realized that I had done a lot of good things in my life putting aside and playing ball. 7) Stop feeding fear and anger every day. "I know what he cares about and he cares about a lot of the same things that I care about.". We had a different leader [Robert Nardelli ] in place that was eventually replaced. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Our frontline associates and all those businesses come next. Falcons owner Arthur Blank made a $15 million donation on Tuesday to The Cooper Institute, run by its founder Dr. Kenneth Cooper, a friend of Blank's and a strong proponent of preventive medicine. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB But Blank regularly speaks on business school campuses, where future leaders and executives tell him they are anxious about the environment, the wealth gap, racial and gender inequities, and a litany of examples of corporate malfeasance. 9. He and an associate, Bernie Marcus, began experimenting with product discounts in one Handy Dan outlet and observed positive effects of decreasing costs as a percentage of sales and an increase in customer volume.