Commercial property owners of the Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID) elected Stephen Gentry to the Cumberland CID Board of Directors at a Caucus of Electors Thursday morning. Gentry filled an open post created by the retirement of Vice Chair Connie Engel from the Board.
Gentry represents Genuine Parts Company (GPC) located in the Wildwood Office Complex. A Fortune 200 global distributor of automotive and industrial parts, GPC serves customers from a network of more than 10,000 locations across North America, Europe, and Australasia with approximately 58,000 employees in 17 countries.
“It is an honor to be elected to serve on the Cumberland CID’s Board of Directors,” said Gentry. “I am proud to join this 35-year successful organization which has helped transform Cumberland into an economic powerhouse. There is no greater place in the metro region to live, own a business, work, and visit all while enjoying the many unique assets Cumberland has to offer. I look forward to continuing the mission and goals of the Cumberland CID.”
Board members Chris McCoy, Cumberland Mall/Brookfield Properties, Bob Voyles, Seven Oaks Company, and Mike Plant, Braves Development Company, were reelected to the Board.
Connie Engel was first elected to the Board in 2000 as a representative of Childress Klein Properties. As a partner, Engel is highly regarded for her experience in the commercial real estate industry and has built deep relationships in the Cumberland community. Throughout her service on the Board, Engel was instrumental in helping navigate the success of landmark infrastructure projects for the region including the Akers Mill Ramp, Windy Hill Widening and Diverging Diamond Interchange, U.S. 41 (Cobb Parkway) Widening, the Akers Mill and Bob Callan Trails, and more.
Stephen Gentry joined GPC as Senior Director in 2018 and served in several finance roles prior to his promotion to Vice President in 2022. In his current role, Gentry leads financial shared services, corporate finance, technical accounting, and financial reporting, among other things. Prior to joining GPC, Gentry served as Senior Director – International Accounting Research at The Coca-Cola Company and Director of Financial Reporting at Aaron’s, Inc. Gentry began his career in 2002 at EY, working in their audit and assurance practice and rising to the level of senior manager, primarily serving large, multinational public companies in manufacturing and distribution. While at EY, Gentry participated in a three-year residency program in EY’s national accounting office in New York, focusing on accounting for complex transactions.
About Cumberland CID
The Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID), Georgia’s first CID, is one of the nation’s premier models of public-private collaboration. More than 190 Commercial property owners pay additional property taxes, and the CID leverages these funds to advance key projects for increased access, better connectivity, and a more vibrant character throughout the Cumberland area. Each year, the CID creates more value for the community by initiating and leading enhancements to make Cumberland a more attractive place to operate a business, to work, and to live. Today, Cumberland has a $23.6 billion annual impact on Georgia’s economy. Cumberland is home to leading companies including The Home Depot, Papa Johns, TKE, Comcast, Genuine Parts Company, and more. To learn more about the Cumberland CID go to cumberlandcid.org.
