Douglas R. Hooker, known better by his colleagues as Doug, has been an exemplary leader in the Atlanta region for over two decades. Serving today as the executive director at the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Doug has spearheaded countless projects benefiting people within the Atlanta community, and he’s worked to share his successes with regional leaders throughout the country in the process. These successes along with the extraordinary leadership abilities that Doug possesses, NARC is pleased to recognize Doug as a recipient of the 2021 NARC President’s Award.
During his time at ARC, Doug has been both a strong leader in his own community and an active voice for regional councils throughout the country. Perhaps the best example of these qualities is the “Regional Councils for the 21st Century” effort, which worked to help regional councils evolve to meet the challenges of the future. In practice, this initiative facilitated discussions with regional council colleagues and elected officials while also bringing in expert assistance and thought-provoking exercises and readings to help regional leaders understand their roles in the community. This effort helped to ensure that Doug’s exemplary qualities will live on in future generations of regional leaders.
Doug has also been a strong advocate for racial equity in regional planning. While at ARC, he pioneered a joint project with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) aiming to promote racial equity through a six-part conversation series for regional council directors. Each conversation focused on a different aspect of racial equity and allowed participants to learn, share best practices, and support one another both regionally and nationally. Further, it led to the creation of a resource guide for regional agencies aimed at fostering racial reconciliation and conversations between board members, community leaders, and staff. Though this project, Doug demonstrated the power of regional cooperation in confronting even the most prescient issues in our society today.
Within the Atlanta region, Doug has worked in countless roles that made the community better off. To name a few, he’s served on the boards of Leadership Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Civic League, the Regional Business Coalition Board, Georgians for Passenger Rail, and many, many more. He also serves on the NARC Executive Directors’ Council and helped virtually host the 2021 annual conference on behalf of ARC.
Doug is recognized in regional organizations throughout the country as a brilliant leader and champion for regionalism. He embodies much of NARC’s mission and is thus a perfect fit for this award.