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• Leader of the Arts

Raymond King

February, 2005

Raymond King is Senior Vice President for Community and Governmental Affairs for SunTrust. In this role, he oversees SunTrust’s various civic and philanthropic activities including foundation grant-making, public relations, and employee volunteerism. Since he assumed this position three years ago, Mr. King has led SunTrust through a process of narrowing their philanthropic interests to education and arts/culture, and the results of this newfound focus are remarkable. SunTrust recently announced a $5,000,000 commitment to the campaign for a new Symphony Hall. They realized that for a vision as bold as a new Symphony Hall to be realized, it required hometown players to “step up” and make unprecedented gifts. SunTrust has also recently formed a new partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) at SunTrust Plaza, provided challenge grants for MOCA and The Contemporary to match new and increased gifts by individual contributors, offered the Atlanta Ballet a challenge grant for their Dracula production, and sponsored community initiatives like SunTrust Concerts in the Gardens and SunTrust Lunch on Broad.

Mr. King has also served on the boards of and volunteered his time and expertise to the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, Theatre in the Square, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Woodruff Arts Center, and Theatrical Outfit. He has put particular focus on trying to stimulate additional funding for arts and culture from all sectors — individual giving, corporate and foundation support, and government funding. He has also trumpeted to businesses and others the value of a thriving cultural environment — via the people such an environment employs, its impact on tourism and corporate relocations, its role in enhanced quality of life and workforce development, and its role in education and bridging diverse communities.

For his commitment and efforts to support the arts in Atlanta, Raymond King exemplifies the spirit of a Lexus Leader of the Arts.