Al Nash

Al Nash, a lifelong Atlantan, has more than 46 years of experience in the economic development community including involvement in real estate, public policy, business growth and job creation.   

Nash recently retired as CEO of the Development Authority of Fulton County (DAFC).  Under his leadership, DAFC emerged as one of the nation’s leading economic development authorities recognized as a catalyst for much needed infrastructure improvements, more affordable housing, higher quality jobs and billions of dollars in additional tax revenue across Fulton County. Nash and his team work with the State and other regional economic development partners in securing companies such as Mercedes Benz USA, Microsoft, PVC, Google and Global Payments to make significant investments in Fulton County and the State of Georgia.

During Nash’s tenure, transparency and accountability have remained top priorities, with DAFC strengthening its criteria for granting tax incentives, implementing the use of a tax analysis modeling tool developed by Ernst & Young and providing fact sheets about each project to the public prior to consideration by the DAFC board. 

Prior to joining DAFC, he served as executive director of Progress Partners, an economic development initiative launched by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, where he also served as chairman. Nash is a past chairman of the Council for Quality Growth and the Regional Business Coalition, an organization comprised of 16 metro Atlanta chambers of commerce. He also served as a member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. 

A past director of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, Nash also served as chairman of the Cobb County Housing Authority and is a graduate of Leadership Cobb. 

Nash was appointed by former Governor Sonny Perdue and reappointed by former Governor Nathan Deal to serve on the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) where he was named chairman of the Rural Service Transportation Committee. 

He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Council of Quality Growth and as a board member of the North Fulton CID, Georgia Economic Development Association, the Georgia Chamber, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Greater North Fulton Chamber. 

Nash received his Bachelor of Science in land development and urban affairs from Georgia State University.  He is also a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute.