About Mary Norwood

Mary Norwood is renowned for transforming ideas into action. 30+ years of success in the media business, Atlanta community organizations and the local political arena have honed her ability to bring critical thinking and leadership to the most recalcitrant issues.

Mary Norwood has been involved advocating for important civic issues in the Atlanta region for over 30 years, first as a community advocate, then as an at-large city councilwoman for the City of Atlanta (2002-2009). In 2008-2009, she ran for Mayor of Atlanta and received 49.6% of the ballots cast.  She returned to City Hall in 2014, serving again as an at-large City Councilwoman.  In 2016-2017, she again ran for Mayor of Atlanta and received 49.6% of the ballots cast.

She is running once again to become a member of the Atlanta City Council, because there are many challenges facing our City and now, more than ever, we need leadership, vision and courage in our elected representatives.  One of the most important issues that must be addressed is public safety.  We must treat violent crime as a crisis.  We must protect our neighborhoods, families and businesses with more police officers on the street, a recruitment plan that brings in the best and the brightest, and improve morale with new APD leadership.

Our city must improve city services and fix our streets, roads and sidewalks. Zoning and development codes must be written and enforced so that our neighborhoods and quality of life are protected, which includes protections for our tree canopy.  Atlanta is known as a City in a Forest, and our greenspace contributes to our health and well-being.

Transparency in government has always been a top priority, and if re-elected, she will continue her focus on ensuring that our citizens trust our city.

She has a long-standing reputation for being responsive to Atlanta citizens and this will continue in her new role.  It is important for our Atlanta city government to be accountable to our businesses and citizens.

Mary Norwood’s business background is extensive. She was the chief operating officer for a radio company, successfully operating and marketing stations throughout the southeast; the founder of a computer telephony company, the president of a national business organization, and the former principal broker of a Georgia-based real estate firm.

During her tenure on City Council, Norwood’s breadth of knowledge and solutions-based approach enabled her to impact numerous issues.  A tireless advocate for fiscal accountability and transparency in city government, her work, along with that of others, resulted in the creation of the first independent Inspector General in the history of Atlanta.

Her Infill Legislation, designed to ensure scale and sustainability in neighborhoods, received national media attention and a State of Georgia Planning Award.   She worked with the City’s Housing Department to initiate a “Home Atlanta Program,” offering down payment assistance and low-interest mortgages; and engaged major companies to create public-private strategies to market the livability of all Atlanta communities. She is a strong advocate for work opportunities for Atlanta’s homeless and underemployed and has raised over $500,000 in public and private funds.

Norwood helped establish citizen involvement programs in the Fulton County Court System: Community Restorative Boards at Juvenile Court and Court Watch at Superior Court. She recently serves on District Attorney Fani Willis’s “Restoring Integrity Transition Team,” working to provide Fulton County’s new District Attorney with concrete recommendations as she begins her service.

Since 2019, she has been serving as the Chair of the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods, an umbrella group representing neighborhoods in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.  Under her leadership, BCN has prepared resolutions and impacted legislation re: public safety, zoning, our tree canopy and greenspace, and street safety.  Copies of the BCN Annual Reports for 2019 and 2020 can be reviewed at www.BuckheadCouncil.org.

A native of Augusta, Georgia, she attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia and was graduated from Emory University.  She is married to Dr. Felton Norwood, a retired pediatrician, and lives in Tuxedo Park.