Jennifer Hightower, EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Cox Enterprises

Receiving the GC/CLO Champion Award

Wab Kadaba, Chair, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton

Receiving the Outstanding Leadership Award

Kayla Chen, Senior Vice President, Wealth Strategist, Truist Wealth

Receiving the Rising Star Award

The Georgia AAPI Legislative Caucus, Legislators, The GA Senate and House of Rep.

Receiving the Community Champion Award

To Be Determined

Receiving the Judge Alvin T. Wong Pioneer Award

Amara Walker

Gala 2025 Emcee 

Amara Walker is an Emmy-award winning journalist, who spent 11 years as a news anchor for CNN and CNN International.  During her time based at the network’s global headquarters in Atlanta, she led her team through countless major breaking news stories improvising for hours, during the fall of Syria’s Bashr al-Assad, the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, the car-ramming terror attacks in Europe, the Greek financial crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war for which she was awarded an Emmy, and more.  Walker also reported from the scene of major stories including the 2021 Atlanta spa massacre and the subsequent outcry from the Asian-American community.  She was featured in the Hollywood Reporter and NPR for her authentic reporting style.  She was also part of the 2020 presidential election night team reporting on President Trump’s attacks against the Georgia Secretary of State. Her subsequent reports focused on the investigations into Trump’s phone call pressuring the Secretary to “find” more votes after his loss to Joe Biden. 

Walker is also a proud Celebrity Champion for the Alzheimer’s Association.