Mike Carnathan is the Manager of the Research & Analytics Division at the Atlanta Regional Commission and is one of the founders of Neighborhood Nexus, which is a community intelligence system for the Atlanta region, providing data, tools and expertise as a catalyst to create opportunity for all of the region’s citizens.  The goal is to foster a data-driven decision-making culture in the Atlanta region and beyond.  Mike oversees the compilation of thousands of variables and indicators that tell the data story about the Atlanta region. And story-telling is key. One of Mike’s chief challenges is to help community groups tell their story better through a data-driven approach.  

 

Mike has worked with numerous community groups, including the Annie E Casey Foundation, Families First, United Way, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, along with a host of statewide and local education agencies and other community groups to help them better understand the neighborhoods in which they work.

 

In addition to being a data geek, Mike has a varied background that includes public relations and journalism. This experiences comes in handy as one of the critical uses of data is to tell the right story about our community to help community leaders make better decisions.

 

A native of Georgia, Mike holds degrees in History and Journalism, along with a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Georgia.