H. Lamar Willis

Education

Morehouse College, BA Urban Studies
Carnegie Mellon University – MS Management & Policy Analysis
Boston College Law School - JD

Experience

Researcher, RAND Corporation – Drug Policy Research Center
Consultant, Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group (Deloitte Consulting)
Attorney, Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed – Real Estate
Attorney, Federal Aviation Administration

1. What experiences or other qualifications make you the best candidate for this position?

The job of a councilperson calls for the continuous development and analysis of public policy. It calls for excellent management skills and vision. My background compliments all of this and more. As the youngest of three children reared by a single mother in Atlanta, I can appreciate and address the need for more affordable housing. Nevertheless, I also understand the need for sustained economic development in the city and the region

2. What are three of the most important issues facing the city of Atlanta?

a. Public Safety - With the unfortunate occurrences of September 11th, Public Safety is the most important issue facing Atlanta and should force us all to ponder the following questions: Does Atlanta have a plan in place for a disaster of similar scale? If not, how do we put one in place? How would the City fare if we were to lose a similar number of public safety officers? This question causes me even more concern when coupled with the fact that the City is already short 200-400 police officers.