Katerina Taylor ’01 became the first woman President and CEO of DeKalb Chamber of Commerce in its 81-year history. The chamber’s core focus is to work with businesses across DeKalb and metro Atlanta, focusing on business growth, economic and workforce development, community outreach, public advocacy and entrepreneurship. Taylor currently serves as Chair for the DeKalb Thrives Steering Committee where the strategic plan is to improve the business climate, enhance the quality of place and revitalize corridors and employment centers in DeKalb.

Katerina is actively engaged in the community and serves on various boards including United Way, WorkSource DeKalb, CDC Federal Credit Union Board and Regional Business Coalition. She has been honored and recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Georgia Trend Magazine as top 40 under 40. Kennesaw State Siegel Leadership Institute honored her with their 2017 Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award and in 2014 the Atlanta Tribune named her a History Maker.

Katerina has a great desire to see people succeed, but her work keeps her busy and she finds it challenging to be a mentor. That is why she created the Online Mentor, a subscription-based mentoring platform to help men and women realize their personal and professional goals.

Here is what Katerina had to say about her time at TXWES:

Why did you choose Texas Wesleyan?
As a Midwestern growing up in Kansas I knew I wanted to be exposed to bigger things, but I also knew that I'd still need an intimate experience that would also feel like home.  Texas Wesleyan gave me the room to expand my perspective and experience.

Favorite Texas Wesleyan memory:
Working on a class project with a group diverse in age, ethnicity, gender, family dynamic, economic status and experience. Our project was to make a video on sexual harassment.  It took us hours but we had fun and learned so much!

How did TXWES contribute to your success and/or preparedness for your career?
Texas Wesleyan helped to create a diverse world that allowed me to be thoughtful and intentional in navigating corporate America, influencing people and building relationships.

List an interesting fact about you or hobby that people may not know.
In 2014 DeKalb County honored me with a Proclamation making October 28th Katerina Taylor day in DeKalb. Also, my niece, Alyssa Ellis, is now a freshman at Texas Wesleyan for all the same reasons I loved it!

Do you know of any alumni who are doing great things in their field or community? If so, contact the alumni office at alumni@txwes.edu or 817.531.6548.