David Edwards is the Senior Policy Advisor for Neighborhoods in the Office of the Mayor of Atlanta. He is also the Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Urban Research and a Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech. Previously, he served as CEO of Purpose Built Communities, leading nationwide efforts to revitalize distressed urban neighborhoods. Edwards was the Chief Policy Advisor to the City of Atlanta during Mayor Shirley Franklin’s two terms. Before that, he spent eight years in management consulting, most recently with the Boston Consulting Group. He began his career in the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President and later served as Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at Columbia University.