ARC’s Regional Leadership Institute is an eye-opening experience. Just ask Richard Taylor.
Taylor, a managing partner at ARRC Capital with years of experience in investment banking and private equity, is a 2022 RLI alumni. He says RLI has had a lasting impact, encouraging him to step out of his comfort zone and get more involved in community and regional issues.
Taylor received a 2023 Regional Excellence Award from ARC for 12 Hundred Studios, an innovative affordable housing development in Atlanta’s historic Hunter Hills neighborhood.
Taylor sat down with ARC communications staffer Sheryl Merritt to talk about his RLI journey.
NOTE: ARC is accepting applications to the 2024 RLI class through April 11, 2024. Learn more.
My experience in RLI was like no other leadership program I’ve been a part of. Access to a broad swath of individuals from across the metro region gave me a unique perspective on issues other areas are facing. We can so easily wind up focusing just on the City of Atlanta.
How did/does RLI inform your work?
RLI had a profound impact on my work. It encouraged me to get involved civically – joining neighborhood association and NPU meetings to be a more informed citizen. This also helped reinforce the necessity of affordable housing in our region.
Did RLI influence you to apply for the Regional Excellence Award?
It influenced me in every way. You are around high-achieving individuals who are winning awards and holding high positions. You push yourself. I didn’t even know that certain positions and awards were out there. I thought about my project and knew it could compete with other projects. 12 Hundred Studios checked all the boxes, so I applied.
Why should a person apply to participate RLI?
The structure of the program being so condensed, you get a chance to bond with your classmates in a way that other leadership programs just don’t permit. To this day, we regularly message in our group chat. You’ll quickly find out that there’s not an event or meeting room that doesn’t have at least one RLI alum in it.
What’s Next ATL, produced by the Atlanta Regional Commission, is a community resource that explores how metro Atlanta is growing and changing, and how the region is addressing its most pressing challenges.
