Team

Andre Dickens is the 61st Mayor of Atlanta. A proud native of Atlanta and a product of Atlanta Public Schools, Mayor Dickens is focused on bringing opportunity and equity to the city that he loves.

Mayor Dickens’ agenda is rooted in Moving Atlanta Forward, through improving public safety, increasing opportunities for the City’s young people, empowering neighborhoods, and investing in housing and combatting homelessness, all while fostering a culture of integrity in the City. As he shared in his first State of the City address, his vision for Atlanta is:

One city with one bright future. A city of safe, healthy, connected neighborhoods with an expansive culture of equity, empowering upward mobility and full participation for all residents, embracing youth development, and an innovative, dependable government moving Atlanta forward, together.

Mayor Dickens was sworn in as Mayor in January 2022. Early accomplishments include making the City’s first-ever investment in early childhood education; the establishment of the Nightlife Division to address establishments with a history of high crime; the reestablishment of the Pothole Posse to rapidly respond to residents’ reports; and leading the successful coalition to keep Atlanta whole in opposition to a de-annexation effort.

Prior to his election as Mayor, Dickens served eight years as an at-large City Council member. He was an entrepreneur for over a decade in both the private and nonprofit sectors and a leader in Atlanta’s tech sector. Mayor Dickens is a graduate of Mays High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology as well as a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University.

Mayor Dickens enjoys spending time with his daughter, experiencing live music, attending church services, and traveling the world. He is an avid supporter of all of Atlanta’s sports teams.

Mohamed Balla serves as Chief Financial Officer for the City of Atlanta. Mr. Balla joined the City in 2011 and began serving as CFO in July 2021. In his current role, Mr. Balla advises the Mayor and City Council on a variety of policies, issues, and financial activities. Previously, Mohamed served the Department of Watershed Management (DWM) as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Mr. Balla provided leadership over the Department's multibillion dollar financial functions. Prior to joining DWM, Mohamed served as a key member of the City's pension reform team responsible for restructuring the City's $3 billion pension plan. Mr. Balla also served as the City's Cash and Investment Manager overseeing the City's $1.5 billion cash and investment portfolio.

CFO Balla has over 15 years of experience in investment banking, corporate finance, and public finance. Before joining the City, CFO Balla worked as an investment banking professional at Citigroup Corporate and Investment Bank and Wachovia Securities. Mr. Balla has intensive background in financial modeling & analysis, leverage lending, and public finance. Mr. Balla earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Morehouse College with a concentration in Finance and an M.B.A from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Tina Wilson is the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the City of Atlanta, where she is responsible for the Office of Revenue, Enterprise Risk Management, and Budget and Fiscal Policy.

Tina has worked in progressive roles within finance and accounting for more than 25 years. Her experience includes strategic financial and business planning, budgeting, forecasting and productivity modeling, information systems, audit, internal control, and financial analysis and management reporting within both the public and private sectors. Before joining the City of Atlanta, Tina was the Director of Capital Finance for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, working to develop and implement the capital financing plans and funding strategies for two major, multi-billion dollar capital improvement programs.

Tina is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia.  She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as well as the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.  She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Mercer University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Georgia State University.

Youlanda C. Carr was appointed Deputy CFO in December 2022.  She is a Certified Public Accountant that has worked with the Department of Finance for approximately 20 years. Ms. Carr has experience in financial management, budgeting, and accounting. She previously worked as Acting Revenue Director in the Office of Revenue where she was responsible for revenue forecasting, quarterly projections, and account reconciliations.  After working in the Office of Revenue, she was promoted to the Budget Director in the Office of Budget and Fiscal Policy.  She worked as the Budget Director for seven years and was promoted to Budget Chief.  As the Budget Chief, she was responsible for managing a $2 billion budget over every department in the City with oversight of forecasting expenditures, quarterly projections, and capital budgeting, and assisted with the implementation of the five-year plan. In 2018, she was promoted to Controller and was responsible for payroll, accounts payable, financial reporting, general accounting, grants accounting, and pension accounting. As Controller she was responsible for managing the City’s accounting operations, policy development, and publishing accurate financial statements. She also facilitated the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Her responsibilities also included managing the coordination of external audits and the development of financial policy and procedures.

Youlanda earned her B.A. in Accounting from Georgia State University and a Master’s in Management Information Systems from Mercer University.

Courtney Knight joined the City of Atlanta’s Department of Finance as Treasurer after a 35-year career in the municipal finance industry. He has rendered financial advisory and investment banking services to state and local governments and their agencies and authorities, across the United States.  

Courtney is a widely respected financial advisor and investment banker, having completed over 250 financings exceeding $20 billion.  His experience spans an array of transactions including raising capital for government facilities, industrial and economic development, water and sewer, mass transit, airports, higher education, charter and K-12 schools.

Courtney develops financing solutions that address complex state and local laws, federal tax law, and capital market conditions. He has developed refinancing strategies, investment programs and capital plans for individual project financings as well as for large, multi-year capital programs. 

Beginning In 2014, Courtney served as Managing Director for Redevelopment with the City of Atlanta’s development authority, Invest Atlanta. At Invest Atlanta he spearheaded the formulation of capital financing strategies designed to promote economic and community revitalization. He also managed the team responsible for the administration and finance of Atlanta’s 10 tax allocation (tax increment) districts, including the funding of affordable housing and workforce development projects. 

Courtney has served on the national board of the Council of Development Finance Agencies, a national association dedicated to the advancement of development finance concerns and interests

Courtney currently serves on the Government Finance Officers Association’s Standing Committee on Economic Development and Capital Planning (“CEDCP”).  The CEDCP mission is “to assist finance officers to become knowledgeable participants in planning, evaluation, and execution of community/economic development and capital issues through the drafting and promotion of policies, procedures, and best practices.”

Courtney previously served on the Environmental Financial Advisory Board where he provided advice to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and EPA program offices and on ways to lower the cost of and increase investments in environmental and public health.

Courtney graduated from Harvard College with as a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Economics and obtained his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.